Christy Martin Net Worth is currently estimated at $500,000. She’s a renowned American World Champion boxer and CEO of Christy Martin Promotions. And popularly known as the “coal miner’s daughter”.
Who Is Christy Martin?
Christy Martin is a former boxer who legitimized professional boxing for women in the United States. She grew up in Mullens, Wyoming County, and has recently reclaimed her maiden name, Christy Salters.
She played Little League and Basketball as a child and even obtained a basketball scholarship when she enrolled in Concord College. In college, she earned a B.S in Education and was ready to be a teacher until her plans changed.
Christy Martin is the first woman to be featured in Sports Illustrated. This feature is well known as it talks about how she nearly lost her life to her husband’s hands.
Read on to find out more about Christy Martin’s Net Worth and learn about her life and career.
Christy Martin Net Worth And Earnings Estimate
Christy Martin won $1,000 in the first boxing match she participated in. This made her change her career, and promoters contacted her. During this time, her fee was $15,000 per match. After her debut in 1994, her fee went up to $150,000 per match. It is believed that she earned approximately $5 million in her boxing career.
Currently, Christy Martin is the CEO and Founder of Christy Martin Promotions, where she promotes boxing. She is also the founder of Christy’s Champs. This is an organization that helps support domestic abuse victims.
Christy Martin’s Net Worth is approximately $500,000.
Christy Martin’s Early Life
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Part of the Baby Boomer generation, born in 1968, on June 12, Christy Renea Salters, who later became Christy Renea Martin, grew up in Mullens, West Virginia, USA.
She went to Mullens High School and was very athletic. She took part in the All-State Basketball and Little League Baseball competitions.
In high school, she was one of the best basketball players. She even won a basketball scholarship that allowed her to attend Concord College and obtain a B.S. in Education.
Christy Martin’s Height And Weight
Christy Martin is approximately 5’4.5” or 164 cm.
She weighs approximately 66 kgs.
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Christy Martin’s Career
Christy participated in the Toughwoman contest, where she won 3 titles consecutively. Christy Martin then started professional boxing in 1989 under James V. Martin, who she married in 1991.
At 21, she had her first match against Angela Buchanan. The result was a draw. However, she later won in a rematch against Buchanan. After that, Christy won 19 matches consecutively.
One of her shining moments was when she went against Deidre Gogarty on March 16, 1996. This was the highlight of Christy’s career, and it led to her being featured in Sports Illustrated.
Christy Martin recorded 49 wins, 3 draws, and 7 losses throughout her career. Among the wins, 31 were by Knock Out.
After her 49th match, Christy took a break. A few years later, she announced her comeback and hoped to get her 50th win. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned, and she lost the match to Dakota Stone. In 2012, she completely retired from the boxing world.
Christy suffers from double vision and lack of stamina, which are attributed to her boxing career and the domestic abuse incident with Jim.
She is the first female boxer to be featured in Sports Illustrated. She is also the first female to get an induction into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame.
Since her retirement, Christy has worked as a substitute teacher, as well as an advocate for domestic violence victims.
Here is an overview of the important events in Christy Martin’s career:
1968: Born in Mullings, West Virginia.
1987: Earns through boxing for the first time.
1989: Starts boxing professionally.
1991: Meets trainer Jim Martin who she later marries.
1993: Promoter Don King signs Christy.
1996: Christy fights, and the match is nationally televised.
1996: Christy is featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
1998: Christy loses the match against Sumya Amani and loses the top female boxing title after 19 wins.
2000: Christy regains the top female boxing title.
2012: Resigns from professional boxing.
2016: Christy is the first female boxer inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame.
2020: Christy earned an induction to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Personal Life And Family
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The personal life of Christy Martin depicts her strong nature. She grew up in a small town in West Virginia. Johnny Salters, her father, was a welder and the local coal mine, and her younger brother later started working at the mine too. Joyce, her mother, was a stay-at-home mother.
Her grandfather died due to black lung disease. The frequent inhalation of coal particles causes the disease.
Christy was athletic, and this paid off as she got a scholarship to study at Concord College. She got into boxing while in college and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in education.
She found that boxing was more satisfying and paid better than being a teacher. After finishing college, she ventured into professional boxing and made her debut in 1994.
During training, she met her trainer, Jim Martin, who was an ex-fighter. The two hit off, and eventually, they got married. However, her married life was not full of bliss as Jim became abusive physically and mentally. Jim would threaten to kill her and even encourage her to commit suicide. Anytime Christy wanted to commit suicide by taking pills, he would encourage her to take more.
The money that Christy made throughout her career, most of it was squandered by Jim. She also struggled with depression and cocaine addiction and eventually decided to quit.
She decided to leave Jim and nearly died for her decision. He stabbed her several times, hit her with a gun, and shot her, leaving her for dead. It is a miracle that she managed to escape and asked a good Samaritan to take her to the hospital. Jim was found guilty of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
When Christy married Jim, she believed there was something wrong with her, as she was not heterosexual. Her parents convinced her to stick to Jim and said that everything will be normal. This made her withstand the physical and mental abuse for 20 years. She believes that if her parents were more open-minded, she would not have been involved with Jim Martin at all.
Christy Martin accepted her sexuality, and she is now happily married to Lisa Holewyne who was her former competitor. When it comes to her marriage life, Christy regrets meeting Jim. However, she admits that she would not have had a successful boxing career without him.
Christy Martin’s Near-Death Experience
In November 2010, Christy Martin was trying to put on her sneakers. She had a migraine and wanted to go for a run. Jim Martin, her husband, comes into the room and tells her that he has something to show her. Behind his back, he was holding a knife, and then proceeds to stab his wife four times, with the fourth stab going through her left breast.
Christy starts fighting and gets 8 inches of her calf muscle sliced off the bone.
During the struggle, Jim cuts his palm and drops the knife. Christy tries to run away but is caught by Jim, who starts beating her. He uses Christy’s gun to hit her face. After hitting her, he stands over Christy’s body and shoots her 3 inches from the heart. While Christy is begging Jim to call 911, he disconnects the phone line and tells her that no calls are going through.
Christy passes out and Jim thinks she is dead and heads for a shower. While Jim is in the shower, Christy regains consciousness and finds the opportunity to run away. She carries the pink gun and stops a motorist in the middle of the street. The motorist finds pity on her and takes her to the hospital to get emergency treatment. Her life is saved, and Jim is arrested a week later.
The case went to court, and Jim was found guilty of second-degree murder and is sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Life After The Incident
It took time for Christy to heal physically and mentally. She suffers from PTSD and gets scared when someone suddenly picks up a knife.
She tried going back to boxing since that was where she felt safe. However, she ended up with multiple injuries, and she lost the 50th match she wanted to win.
She went for surgery and suffered a stroke on the right side of her body. She was able to talk and move, but there are some lingering effects. She suffers from double vision and lacks stamina. This made her retire with a 49-7-3 record.
She has an organization called Christy’s Champs, that supports survivors of domestic abuse. Here, survivors get empowered and learn how to live after the abuse.
Christy still goes to the gym to do some boxing and guide new talents. She is also a substitute teacher who enjoys working with students who have speech difficulties.
Christy Martin’s Love Life
Christy Martin dated Sherry Lusk in high school and was seeing her before the incident with Jim.
She accepted her sexual status and is now happily married to Lisa Holewyne, who was her former opponent. They live in North Carolina.
Christy can now joke around and is living life without fear.
The couple proposed to each other in a parking lot outside a hotel after dating for four months. They got married on 25th November 2017.
Lisa supports Christy in her ventures and attends all her events.
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Struggle With Depression
Christy Martin struggled to accept her sexuality and had many secrets. When she passed her prime, all the holding in led to depression. She even attempted suicide several times by taking pills or putting a gun in her mouth. Eventually, she found relief in cocaine, and Jim ensured she never ran out of supplies. Eventually, she gave up on her life and ever being happy. She did not mind being beaten and insulted by Jim or even when he threatened to kill her.
Jim knew that Christy was gay, and he threatened to reveal it if she divorced him. At that time, Christy was not confident in her feelings. She believed that if word got out that she liked women, it would tarnish her career. She was not confident that she could fight him and emerge the winner, so she accepted her fate and lost hope.
She got a breakthrough after meeting her high-school lover. She accepted who she was and was determined to change. She stopped using drugs and filed for divorce from Jim. After experiencing her near-death experience, she decided to live for herself. And that’s exactly what she is still doing today.
She still has PTSD but is getting the help and support she needs. But, she is now leading a happy life, surrounded by those who love her.
Christy Martin In The Entertainment Industry
Christy Martin has shown that she is the “Jack of All Trades” by showcasing her skills.
Some shows showcase the life of Christy Martin on CBC and Netflix.
Christy Martin’s life and death struggle is illustrated in CBC’s 48 Hours: The Fight of Her Life.
There is also a Netflix series called Untold: Deal with the Devil.
She also made a special guest appearance in episode 6, Season 9 on the show Roseanne, titled “Pampered to a Pulp”.
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Christy Martin Promotions
Christy Martin is the founder and CEO of Christy Martin Promotions that showcases boxing events in several states. The organization also scouts for new talent and promotes them by organizing matches and catering to the boxers’ needs. There are several fighters signed up in the organization under different categories. One of the places she hosts boxing matches is Fayetteville, NC. This area is known for having soldiers live there and is considered the home of the Special Forces and Airborne Forces.
Under Christy Martin Promotions, there’s Christy’s Champs movement. This movement is there to help those who suffer from domestic abuse. They can have an outlet and get the support they need to break free from the cycle of violence. They have sponsored events and have undertaken several projects to give back to society. For instance, they bought computers to be used in the Police Athletic League gym that is used by at-risk children. They also honor victims of domestic violence through different activities like the 2021Pulse 5k CommUNITY Rainbow Run.
From Christy Martin’s life, you can see that her resilience and determination paid off. Whether she is doing boxing promotions or spreading awareness on domestic abuse, Christy Martin always puts all her energy into what she does. She partners with different organizations to ensure that boxers are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.
Christy lives each day fighting for those who do not have the strength and means to fight for themselves. She has shown the world that no matter what challenges you face, you need to keep going for you to succeed.
Christy Martin Net Worth & Bio Summary
Christy Martin is an amazing woman who has undergone life-changing events. She has an enviable track record when it comes to her boxing career. Christy Martin Net Worth is expected to increase.
| Full Name | Christy Renea Martin |
| Birth Name | Christy Renea Salters |
| Date of Birth | 12th June 1968 |
| Place of Birth | West Virginia, USA |
| Height | 5'4.5" |
| Weight | 66kg |
| Profession | Boxer |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Lisa Holewyne |
| Net Worth Estimate | 500,000 |