[CW: The following article includes descriptions of domestic violence]
Christy “The Coal Miner’s Daughter” Martin was victorious in 49 of her 59 fights, with 31 of those wins coming by knockout. The groundbreaking light middleweight fought from 1989 to 2012, collecting multiple belts along the way. Sadly, this ferocious and formidable women’s boxing icon was also the victim of domestic abuse. Martin is stepping forward to tell her story in the hopes of saving others from a similar fate.
Christy was only 22 years old when she met her future husband, Jim Martin, who was then 47.