Christy Martin’s life and career were perfect for the big screen — and her story from escaping death to marrying an old rival is headed to Hollywood.
Boxing legend stabbed and shot by her ex-husband and trainer Jim Martin after years of abuse.
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It threatened to be a tragic end to one of the sport’s most inspirational and influential careers.
But after overcoming the terrifying ordeal, Christie revealed in a Netflix documentary how surviving that day was her greatest triumph.
She said, “When I walked off the field on November 23, 2010, I somewhat realized that I had got my 50th win.”
Christie’s boxing journey began in 1986 when her friends challenged her to compete in a strong woman competition.
He defeated all three of his rivals and earned $300 by taking interest in the game.
Christie was then put in touch with Coach Jim by a promoter – and her life was never the same.
The gym – embarrassed by even the idea of training a woman – instructed his boxers to break Christy’s ribs and attempt to throw her out of the gym.
They soon learned that this was not an option.
Speaking from Orange County Jail in Florida, Jim said: “Christy has a chin of granite.
“You hit her with a hammer and she’s still standing there looking at you.”
Christie was forced by promoters to fight for free even to get a chance to earn at least $60 if she ever got paid.
But as his knockout streak continues, so does his relationship with Jim – until one day something out of the ordinary happens.
Christy revealed: “After a fight, you know you’re so excited and everyone’s so happy. And I kissed her.
“I don’t even know what happened.”
Christie grew up as a closeted lesbian, and hid it from her family, despite being in a relationship with Sherry Lusk, an old school friend.
She soon went public with her relationship with cornerman Jim – who was 25 years her senior and even older than her father.
The two married in 1991 after purchasing rings from Walmart, and three years later Christie was signed to famous but controversial promoter Don King.
King was initially going to watch tapes of Martin’s previous fights to help him decide whether to give him the contract – but when his TV stopped working he shadow boxed it in front of him and gave it to him. Saw enough to offer the deal.
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But King wasn’t the only iconic boxing name to attract attention – Martin’s fans also included jailed Mike Tyson.
Even when he came out of prison in 1995 – after serving a three-year sentence for rape – he wanted her on his undercard.
Tyson said: “I believe I was in prison and they were talking about ‘Colminer’s Daughter’, she’s shocking people, she’s really exciting.
“I’m like, ‘Get out of here.’ But then I started going to some of his fights.
“She punches really hard, pleasing the crowd. She gave everybody a run for their money. So I said, ‘Put Christy Martin on my undercard.'”
The night Tyson defeated Frank Bruno in 1996, Martin made history by fighting in the first women’s bout on pay-per-view.
He was heavily criticized in the ring and fans were convinced that this was nothing more than a novelty act – but Martin was cheered.
Martin fought Lisa Hollevin in 2001 and joked about her opponent’s sexuality – despite her secret lesbian past.
She throws a lot of powerful punches, pleasing the crowd. He gave everyone their money’s worth. So I said, ‘Put Christy Martin on my undercard.’
Mike Tyson
She admitted: “I made a lot of rude comments about homosexuals. But at the same time, Jim encouraged that type of behavior.
“And I’d say to him, ‘Jim, you don’t understand, I’m going to keep saying these things and someone from my past is going to come up.’
Martin’s career as a star boxer reached its peak in the early 2000s – his personal life was the opposite.
She wanted to bring in a new trainer – but husband Jim couldn’t stand the idea – and during a practice session she let him know.
Christy said: “He freaked me out. I had never been creeped out. Even I had never been creeped out.”
“You know when you’re hitting someone in the right spot. You know when you’re hitting someone hard enough to knock them out.
“He knew exactly what he was doing. Is it abuse? Yes, he’s smart. He hid it.
“All I wanted to do was leave her, all I wanted to do was live my life freely.”
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In 2003, Christie moved up to super-middleweight to challenge Muhammad Ali’s daughter Laila, despite a stone Difference in weight.
Layla dominated the match but Jim refused to pull Christy – perhaps as punishment.
Christie said: “He could have stepped in and stopped it. I could always say, ‘Jim stopped it, I didn’t.’
“But I left and it’s hard for me to be with him.”
In the years that followed, Christy and Jim became addicted to cocaine, even using it during fight training.
Christy said: “If I was hitting the heavy bag, I’d say, ‘Jim, I’m so tired. Do you have anything else?’ He used to say, ‘Keep hitting the bag.’
“He’d cut a line, I’d still wear my gloves. I was drunk all the time. But I couldn’t stop, I didn’t want to stop.”
Behind the scenes the relationship was falling apart and Christy filed for divorce.
She said: “I would say to him, ‘You know I’m gay, so let’s get a divorce! I’m begging you to please divorce me.’
‘I went as far as writing a contract, I will take care of all these expenses, please go away.’
“He hit me and bit my lip. There was blood everywhere.”
Jim denies that Christy has asked for a divorce. But he forced them to fight in the ring.
In 2010, Christie reconnected with her old partner and friend Sherry on Facebook – but she claimed that Jim had threatened to kill her if she left.
Eventually, Christy walked out and Jim released explicit images of her in retaliation.
“It was my revenge,” he admitted.
But the compromising photos paled in comparison to what came next as an argument broke out between Christy and Jim on November 23, 2010.
‘Please don’t let me die’
After a physical altercation, Jim stabs Christy four times and ignores her desperate pleas for help.
Christy said: “He stopped everything and left me lying there… I could hear my lungs rumbling. So I knew it was filling with blood.
“He’s pacing in and out of the room to see if I have to die right now. I’m begging him, ‘Please don’t let me die. I’m sorry Jim, I made a mistake. The truth is That I love you.
“But by the time I realized he couldn’t let me live, I was like, ‘Oh, fuck you. I never loved you. You’ve been a piece of shit the whole time. I’m your personal ATM. , You have done nothing but use me.
Jim eventually turned back towards Christy – only to take a bullet to his torso.
Christy remembered: “He’s standing at my feet with my pink 9-millimeter. I told him, ‘You don’t have the balls to shoot me.’ And he shot me.
“My mind is like, ‘No, I don’t want to die. I have to get out. I have to save myself. Somehow, I have to save myself.'”
Jim brutally left Christy to die – but he wasn’t done fighting yet.
My mind is like, ‘No, I don’t want to die.’ I want to get out. I have to save me. Somehow I have to be saved.
Christy Martin after being stabbed and shot by her ex-husband
As soon as her former trainer took a shower, Christy miraculously escaped from the house to the street, where a stranger took her to the hospital.
Jim ran away and slept in a tool shed behind an abandoned house – still holding the blood-soaked knife – until the police found him.
The assassination attempt exposed Christie’s sexuality – but brought him widespread support from the boxing world.
Amazingly, less than a year after the attack – with a bullet still lodged in her back – Christie began training for a comeback.
And she was seconds away from winning her comeback fight when the ringside doctor pulled her out after breaking her hand.
Christie had just one more fight before suffering a stroke – a loss in 2012.
By that time, he and Sherry had separated and soon Hollevin – almost a decade after their bitter feud – got back in touch.
Jim was also tried in 2012 and later sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison for attempted murder.
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Five years after Jim’s sentencing, Christy married former rival Hollewyn in 2017, and the two are still happily together today.
She said: “I love him without question and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I’m happy in my own skin.”
Christie – who was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020 – now works as a promoter and motivational speaker.
And his incredible life story will be portrayed by Sidney Sweeney in a biopic directed by David Michôd.
26 year old Sweeney told deadline: “I did grappling and kickboxing from the age of 12-19.
“I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring, training and changing my body.
“Christy’s story is not light, it is physically and emotionally difficult, it carries a lot of weight. But I like to challenge myself.”
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Despite all the accolades in and out of the ring, Christy’s greatest triumph was escaping her evil husband.
He said, “It was not just my 50th win but it was the biggest win of my life.”
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