Born on June 12 1968 in Bluefield, West Virginia, the former Christy Salters was a catcher in Little League baseball. She played basketball at Mullens High and at Concord College in Athens. While at Concord, she entered and won a Tough Women boxing competition on a dare. Despite having little ring experience, she was amazed by how much she enjoyed herself.

After graduating with an education degree in 1991, she looked into a ring career. She found trainer Jim Martin at a gym in Bristol, Tennessee. Like many trainers when first confronted with a female boxer wannabe, Jim Martin was wary of Christy. He even planned to have someone crack her ribs to discourage her. But her talent and tenacity won him over. He became her trainer, manager, public relations director .. and, finally, husband.

They moved to Orlando, Florida. and Christy's ascent to the media spotlight began when flamboyant promoter Don King saw how popular Martin was during a fight against Texas policewoman Melinda Robinson at Miami Jai-Alai. Martin signed with King in October, 1993.

She fought Mexican lightweight champion Laura Serrano on the undercard of a Chavez-Randall title bout (earning a draw over six rounds) and earned first-round TKO's over Sonja Donlevy and Susie Melton.

Her stock rose some more when she stopped Chicago veteran Chris Kreuz in four rounds at the Silver Nugget on September 12, 1994.

She only fought twice in the next year, kayoing Beverly Szymanski in the fourth round and TKO'ing Angela Buchanan in the second round. She stopped former state of Ohio kickboxing champion Sue Chase 0:27 into the third round in a Showtime card on February 10 1996, using a combination of straight rights and stinging left hooks.

Martin became a media star through the bloody nose she was given by her most serious opponent in 1996, Irish featherweight Deirdre Gogarty. The unanimous six-round decision on March 16 in Las Vegas earned Martin recognition by the World Boxing Council as the women's lightweight champion of the world, but the fight's real significance was that it was easily the most exciting one on the undercard of a disappointing men's heavyweight title bout (Mike Tyson vs. British boxer Frank Bruno). The Martin-Gogarty battle was seen in an estimated 30 million homes and in over 100 countries! Martin relies on strength, aggression and relentless pressure to overwhelm her opponents. Gogarty, a skilled boxer, found holes in Martin's defense and bloodied Christy's nose but was unable to blunt the heavier boxer's attack. It was a boxer-slugger confrontation, with the slugger winning. The image of the bloodied Martin battling to outpoint Gogarty (who recovered from a knockdown to make an exciting fight of it) brought more attention to women's boxing than any other single event before or since.

Andrea De Shong was more of a challenge for Christy than most of her previous opponents had been. She had been the younger Martin's nemesis in the 1980's, but had retired from the pro ring after losing a controversial decision to Christy in 1990. She returned after seeing the attention given to the Martin-Gogarty fight and made no secret that she wanted to fight Christy again. Christy worked Andrea's body early, watched her tire, and then took pot shots at her through the sixth and seventh to earn a TKO. As in the Gogarty fight, Christy's nose was badly bloodied early on. DeShong had some good defensive skills, but wasn't ready to outlast Christy over ten. This fight reportedly earned Christy $150,000, then a record purse for women's boxing.

Christy's next fight was August 23, 1997 against Atlanta's Isra Girgrah (8-1-1, 5 KOs) over eight rounds in Madison Square Garden. . She won a unanimous 10-round decision over Argentina's Marcela Acuña (140 lbs) on December 5, 1997 at Florida's Pompano Beach Amphitheater. Martin, fighting in her home state for the first time in over a year, had promised her fans a knockout. She came close in Round Ten, when she dropped Acuna with a left-right combination to the head. Martin controlled Acuna with her right and landed good flurries to her head and body early in the fight. Acuna's best moments were in Rounds Three and Four when she landed well to Martin's head. But Martin connected with a strong right in the fifth and Acuna's eye began to swell.

Christy was set to fight Belgium's Daniëlla Somers in Mexico on March 7, 1998 but the bout was scuttled a few days earlier when the México City authorities exhumed a 1947 law forbidding women to fight professionally.

Christy's next appearance also ran into unexpected problems ... she was set to fight Mexico's Maria de las Nieves Garcia at Madison Square Garden on June 6, 1998 on the undercard of Holyfield vs. Akinwande, but Garcia tested pregnant two days before the fight.

On August 29, 1998 at the Hilton in Las Vegas she stopped Cheryl Nance (139½ lbs) of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, by TKO at 0:41 of the ninth round in a scheduled ten-round (non-title) bout.

On September 19, 1998 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, she stopped Christine Robinson of Sylva, North Carolina, in the fifth round of a scheduled ten-rounder with a barrage of punches to the head.

The Anani-Martin showdown finally came at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on December 18, 1998. With Martin losing a ten round decision. Judge Stu Winston scored the fight 95-95. Jay Kassees and Ric Bays scored it 96-94 for Anani, handing Martin her first loss since November 1989.

But on April 24, 1999 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., she instead stopped Jovette Jackson at 0:36 of the first round. Martin floored Jackson 0:15 into the contest. then delivered five roundhouse punches in a row to end it.

On October 2, 1999 at the Hilton in Las Vegas, Martin weighed in at 143 lbs then dominated IWBF Junior Welterweight Champion Daniëlla Somers (138½ lbs) of Brecht, Belgium for five rounds before winning by TKO at 1:37 of the fifth. Martin landed powerful rights from the opening bell. One of these turned Somers around and left the IWBF champion hanging on the ropes for the TKO. "I can't believe it was this easy," Martin said in a post-fight interview. "I knew I had her from the very first punch I threw."

On March 3, 2000 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Martin weighed in at 140 lbs and won a eight-round majority decision over Belinda Laracuente (also 140 lbs) of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. judges Carol Castellano and Patricia Jarman-Manning had it 77-75 for Martin while judge Dave Moretti had it 76-76.

On August 12, 2000 at the Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Martin won a ten-round unanimous (100-90) decision over Dianna Lewis of Indianapolis, Indiana.

On December 2, 2000 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Christy weighed in at 145 lbs and stopped Sabrina Hall (145½ lbs) of Grafton, Ohio by TKO just 1:05 into the first of a scheduled eight rounder. Martin decked Hall with a right and the fight was stopped as Hall wobbled to her feet.

On March 3, 2001 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Christy weighed in at 144½ lbs and moved to 42-2-2 (31 KO's) with a ten-round unanimous decision over Jeanne Martinez (5'4", 145 lbs) of Slidell, Louisiana. Martin took a 97-93,98-92,99-91 win on the scorecards over the IBA Lightweight champion in a hard-hitting bout.

On May 12, 2001 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Christy (144 lbs) moved her record to 43-2-2 (31 KO's) with a ten-round majority (98-92,97-93,95-95) decision over Kathy Collins (5'5", 142¼ lbs) of Plainview, New York. Both landed their share of bombs in a rugged fight but Martin's experience showed as she outhit and outboxed Collins in most rounds.

On November 17, 2001 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada, Christy (144 lbs) moved her record to 44-2-2 (31 KOs) with a 10-round unanimous (99-91,98-92,98-92) decision over WIBF welterweight champion Lisa Holewyne (146 lbs) of Crawford, Texas. Martin fought one of her best fights to slip many of Holewyne's punches and control her with combinations. Martin also rocked the Texan several times with her patented booming right. Still, Holewyne put up a good fight throughout an entertaining bout.

On December 6, 2002 at Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, Christy (144 lbs) returned to the ring after a year away and won a ten-round unanimous (97-93,97-93,99-91) decision over #8 ranked junior lightweight Mia St. John of Calabasas, California. Martin improved her record to 45-2-2 (31 KO) with the win, while St.John slipped to 26-2-1 (13 KO).

On Saturday Aug. 23, 2003, After eight months off and only one fight in twenty-two months, Christy stepped up thirty pounds to face Laila Ali. Going into the fight Christy was a 6-1 underdog, but was still confident that she would pull off the upset. After beight caught early in the first round, Christy tried to fight back for the next three rounds. After taking a knee in the third round, Christy rose to fight on. In the forth round she took a knee again and on her husbands advice she stayed down and watched as the referee counted ten. Thus, losing the fight on a tko in round four.

On April 30, 2005 at the Isle of Capri Casino, Lula, MS Christy took on a game Lana Alexander after twenty months out of the ring. In front of a standing room only crowd, Christy stopped Alexander in two rounds. Christy's strenght and experience was just too much for Lana to overcome.

After signing and preparing for the biggest fight in women's boxing history, the rug was pulled out from under Team Martin just ten days before the scheduled fight with Lucia Rijker. After sparring and training so hard to be prepared for the Rijker fight, Christy wanted to schedule a fight as soon as possible. After listening to lots of offers, Christy decided to fight Holly Holm in Albuquerque NM. There were call from all over the country warning Christy "don't go to Abuquerque to fight Holly--you will get screwed", but Christy wanted to make a statement and not take a fight that wasn't a challenge.

Sept. 16 at Isleta Casino in Albuquerque Christy came to fight Holly Holm. The only problem was that Holly didn't come to fight Christy. Holly ran and jumped like a rabbit or kangaroo for ten rounds. Christy, even with her vast experience had never seen technique like this before and lost a ten round decision. After "making" the fight and being the aggressor Christy was not given credit with the judges and they are the only ones that mattered.

After the fight Christy had surgery on her right foot for chronic foot pain and is now looking forward to getting back in the ring soon.

Following the Holly Holm chase, Christy was again out of the ring for a prolonged amount of time trying to decide her next move. Christy traveled to Idaho to take on Angelica Martinez at the Couer d'Alene Casino. on Oct 6, '06. In front of a sell out crowd, Christy was handed a split decision lose. As the judges took more than five minutes to hand in the scorecards, Christy told husband and trainer Jim,"we are about to get screwed" and that is exactly what happened. As reported in the local paper the next morning some of the judges that were not scoring the fight were quoted saying Christy clearly won the fight.

On June 2, '07 Christy won a unanimous decision over Amy Yuratovac in Lake Charles, LA on a show promoted by Jimbo Stevenson. The ballroom at the L'Auberge du Lac Hotel and Casino was sold out. Christy and Amy gave everyone a great show. leaving the fans on their feet.. Amy went down early in the first round from a bomb of a right hand, but was able to get up and fight on for five more rounds. Christy now has a record of 47-5-2.

When Christy started boxing, the women's pro sport was poorly publicized. That has changed, maybe forever, thanks to the attention gathered by her early televised fights. Christy has earned a place in our history book as the gutsy brawler who rekindled attention to the sport and also posted a long winning streak