Christy Martin survived a murder attempt from her ex-husband and trainerCredit: Reuters
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Jim Martin coached and married Christy
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Jim is now serving 25 years in prison
It threatened to bring a tragic end to one of the sport’s most inspiring and influential careers.
But after overcoming the frightening ordeal, Christy revealed in a Netflix documentary how surviving that day was her greatest victory.
She said: “I came to some realisation that I got my 50th win when I got off the floor, November 23, 2010.”
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Christy’s boxing journey began in 1986 when she was dared by her friends to enter a toughwoman contest.
She knocked out all three of her opponents and pocketed $300 while becoming hooked on the sport.
Christy was then put in contact with coach Jim by a promoter – and her life would never be the same.
Jim – embarrassed at the thought of even training a women – instructed his boxers to try break Christy’s ribs and punch her out the gym.
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He soon found out that was not an option.
Jim, speaking from Orange County Jail in Florida, said: “Christy’s got a granite chin.
“You hit her with a sledgehammer and she’s still standing there looking at you.”
Inside the astonishing real life story of Christy Martin, who Sydney Sweeney will portray in upcoming Hollywood biopic
Christy was forced to fight for free to even get a shot by promoters, earning as little as $60 if she ever did get paid.
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But as her KO streak grew so did her relationship with Jim – before one day something out of the ordinary happened.
Christy revealed: “After one of the fights, you know you’re so excited and everyone’s so happy. And I kissed him.
“I don’t even know what happened.”
Christy had grown up a secret lesbian, hiding it from her family despite being in a relationship with an old school friend Sherry Lusk.
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She soon went public with her relationship with cornerman Jim – who was 25 years her senior and even older than her dad.
The two married in 1991 after buying their rings from Walmart and three years later Christy was signed to legendary but controversial promoter Don King.
King was initially going to watch tapes of Martin’s previous fights to help him decide whether to give her a contract – but after his TV stopped working he instead made her shadow box in front of him and saw enough to give her a deal.
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The two married in 1991Credit: Getty
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Jim trained Christy during her riseCredit: AFP
But King was not the only iconic boxing name to take notice – an incarcerated Mike Tyson was among Martin’s admirers.
She was booed into the ring with fans convinced it was no more than a novelty act – but Martin was cheered out.
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Martin fought Lisa Holewyne in 2001 and made jibes about her opponent’s sexuality – despite her secret lesbian past.
She throws a lot of hard punches, crowd-pleasing. She gave everybody their money’s worth. So I said, ‘Put Christy Martin on my undercard.’
Mike Tyson
She admitted: “I said a lot of rude comments about homosexuals. But also, Jim did encourage that type of behaviour.
“And I would tell him, ‘Jim, you don’t understand, I’m gonna keep saying this stuff and somebody from my past is going to creep up.”
As Martin’s career as a star boxer reached its height in the early 2000s – her private life was the opposite.
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She wanted to bring in a new trainer – but husband Jim would not tolerate the thought – and made it known during a sparring session.
Christy said: “He knocked me out. I’d never been knocked out. I’d never been dropped even.
“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? Yeah, he’s smart. He disguised it.
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“All I wanted to do was leave him, all I wanted to do was live my life freely.”
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Christy Martin and Lisa Holewyne fought in 2001 before later getting marriedCredit: AFP
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Christy begged for Jim to divorce herCredit: Getty
In 2003, Christy stepped up to super-middleweight to challenge Muhammad Ali’s daughter Laila despite the ONE STONE weight difference.
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Laila dominated the bout but Jim refused to pull Christy – perhaps on purpose as punishment.
Christy said: “He could’ve stepped up and stopped it. I could always say, ‘Jim stopped it, I didn’t quit.’
“But I quit and that’s hard for me to live with.”
In the years following, Christy and Jim became hooked on cocaine, even using it while training for fights.
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Christy said: “If I was hitting the heavy bag, I’d say, ‘Jim, I’m so tired. Do you have any more?’ He’d say, ‘Keep hitting the bag.’
“He would go cut a line, I’d still have my gloves on. I was high all the time. But I couldn’t stop, I didn’t want to stop.”
The relationship was disintegrating behind the scenes and Christy pleaded for divorce.
She said: “I would tell him, ‘You know I’m a lesbian, so let’s get divorced! I’m begging you to please divorce me.’
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“I went as far as to write up a contract, I’ll take care of all these expenses, just please leave.’
“He hit me and knocked my tooth through my lip. Blood went everywhere.”
Jim denied that Christy asked for a divorce. But he made her fight on in the ring.
In 2010, Christy reconnected with her old partner and friend Sherry on Facebook – but she claimed Jim threatened to kill her if she left.
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Eventually, Christy did walk out and Jim released explicit images of her in retaliation.
“This was my revenge,” he admitted.
But the compromising pictures pale in comparison to what would come next as on November 23, 2010 an argument broke out between Christy and Jim.
‘Please don’t let me die’
Following a physical altercation, Jim stabbed Christy four times and ignored her desperate pleas to help.
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Christy said: “He stopped everything and just left me laying there… I could hear my lung gurgling. So I know it’s filling up with blood.
“He’s walking in and out of the room to see if I had to died yet. I’m begging him, ‘Please don’t let me die. I’m sorry Jim, I made a mistake. Truth is, I love you.’
“But then by the time I realised he can’t let me live I was like, ‘Oh, f*** you. I never loved you. You’ve been a piece of s*** the whole time. I’m your personal ATM, you’ve done nothing but use me.’”
Jim did eventually walk back towards Christy – only to fire a shot into her torso.
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Christy remembered: “He stands at my feet with my own pink 9-millimeter. I told him, ‘You don’t have the balls to shoot me.’ And he shot me.’
“My mind’s like, ‘No, I don’t wanna die. I have to get out. I have to save me. Some way, I have to save me.’”
Jim callously left Christy to die – but she was not done fighting yet.
My mind’s like, ‘No, I don’t wanna die. I have to get out. I have to save me. Some way, I have to save me.
Christy Martin after being stabbed and shot by her ex-husbanf
As her former trainer took a shower, Christy miraculously escaped the house on to the road where a stranger took her to hospital.
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Jim fled and slept in a tool shed behind an abandoned home – still clutching on to a blood-soaked knife – until police found him.
The murder attempt exposed Christy’s sexuality – but she received widespread support from the boxing world.
Amazingly less than a year after the attack – with a bullet still lodged in her back – Christy began training for a comeback bout.
And she was seconds away from winning her return fight only for the ringside doctor to pull her out after she broke her hand.
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Christy had just one more fight – losing in 2012 – before suffering a stroke.
By that time, her and Sherry had split up and soon Holewyne – almost a decade from their bitter bout – got back in touch.
Jim was also standing trial in 2012 and was later sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison for the attempted murder.
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Christy during the 2012 trialCredit: Getty
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Jim was later sentenced to 25 years in prisonCredit: Getty
Five years on from Jim’s sentencing, Christy married former rival Holewyne in 2017 with the two happily together to this day.
She said: “I love her without question and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I’m happy in my own skin.”
Christy – who was inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in 2020 – now works as a promoter and motivational speaker.
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And her incredible life story is set to be depicted by Sydney Sweeney in a biopic directed by David Michod.
Sweeney, 26, told Deadline: “I grappled and did kickboxing from 12-19 years old.
“I’ve been itching to get back into the ring, train, and transform my body.
“Christy’s story isn’t a light one, it’s physically and emotionally demanding, there’s a lot of weight to carry. But I love challenging myself.”
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Despite all the accolades in and outside the ring, Christy’s biggest triumph was surviving her evil husband.
She said: “That was not just my 50th win but that was my biggest win of my life.”
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Christy Martin beat Lisa Holewyne a decade before they fell in loveCredit: Getty
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The two are now happily marriedCredit: Getty
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Sydney Sweeney is set to play Christy in a Hollywood biopicCredit: Getty
THE best candidate for the Manchester United manager’s job has been identified.
But top options Gareth Southgate and Graham Potter would both be WORSE than current boss Erik ten Hag.
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Erik ten Hag is only the seventh-best fit to be Manchester United managerCredit: Reuters
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He pips Gareth Southgate on the list but both are well off the leaderCredit: Getty
Dutchman Ten Hag is clinging on to his position as Old Trafford chief after going five matches without a win.
And now data gurus Carteret Analytics have crunched the numbers and worked out who would be the ideal fit to take the reins at United.
And it is Ruben Amorim who comes out at the top of the pile.
Ironically, the Sporting Lisbon boss was a target for arch rivals Liverpool when they replaced Jurgen Klopp before settling on Arne Slot.
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But now, if United’s chiefs look at the numbers, he could be approached for the potential vacancy at Old Trafford.
Amorim was handed a top score when the numbers were crunched.
The data analysts show Amorim scoring extremely highly for ‘Strategic Intelligence’, a measure that looks at a manager’s ability to set their team up for victory. He also scored incredibly high for his ability to transform matches during games.
Those attributes put him clear of Zinedine Zidane in second with the ex-Real Madrid boss pipping Simone Inzaghi on the podium.
Thomas Tuchel has already been linked with replacing Ten Hag and the German comes up as the fourth best candidate for Manchester United in the data.
Kieran McKenna – the Ipswich boss who was previously a coach at United – is fifth, just narrowly edging out Ten Hag’s current No2 Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Erik ten Hag really did not help himself with what he said after Man Utd’s draw with Aston Villa, slams BBC pundit
Interestingly, Ten Hag is said to be the seventh-best fit for the Red Devils.
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That places him directly above free agent Southgate, who is admired by the Ineos bosses and is available after quitting from his role as England gaffer following the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.
Southgate scored particularly poorly in the ‘Tactical Command’ measure. This looks at a manager’s ability to transform a match during the game – something many England fans who felt he was too often tactically outwitted will concur with.
Middlesbrough’s Michael Carrick, Roberto De Zerbi of Marseille and finally Brentford boss Thomas Frank complete the list of the 12 managers who were looked at.
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Carteret Analytics, quantitative analysis experts who have built a series of algorithms that utilise a huge amount of raw data, looked at a number of areas.
Objective achievement, strategic intelligence, tactical command, attacking coefficient, shot creation and conversion, possession and formations over the past six seasons were all taken into consideration.
When Ten Hag was first employed by Manchester United, their analysis correctly warned fans of the Red Devils not to expect all out attacking play, and that rather than have a specific style, he adapted his tactics match-by-match.
Their latest number crunching now indicates where Manchester United should turn next.
And although Inzaghi is third on the list and largely beats Ten Hag in most areas, he does play a far more defensive style of football that may not be popular with the United hierarchy and fans.
Amorin’s preferred 3-4-3 formation would be a shake-up from the 4-2-3-1 under Ten Hag.
With the Manchester United hierarchy meeting this week to discuss their options, the data suggests they could improve on Ten Hag, but they must be careful because things could get even worse.
Why NOBODY is the right man to replace Erik ten Hag at Man Utd
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SunSport’s DAVE KIDD says Erik ten Hag’s time at Man Utd is up… and explains what’s wrong with all the potential candidates to replace him.
THIS is a mid-table squad at an underachieving club, with a lot of unwanted players on big money.
And Ratcliffe is an instinctive cost-cutter who may not pay top dollar to the next manager.
If this club wasn’t called ‘Manchester United’, it wouldn’t be an especially desirable job.
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The good news for United is that their new sporting director, Dan Ashworth, is a very decent judge of a manager.
He has been instrumental in three previous managerial appointments — Gareth Southgate for England, Graham Potter for Brighton and Eddie Howe for Newcastle.
None were wildly popular at the time, all were conspicuous successes.
Interestingly, Ashworth’s No 1 choice for the Newcastle job was Unai Emery, who turned him down to stay at Villarreal but has since proved that judgment right by excelling at Aston Villa.
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Emery may well deliver the coup de grace to Ten Hag on Sunday — especially with Bruno Fernandes suspended and Kobbie Mainoo an injury doubt.
And the Spaniard would be an excellent fit for United — yet there is next to no chance that he would abandon Villa’s Champions League campaign to take the Old Trafford job, not least because he isn’t a stark raving madman.
Howe would be another good candidate to succeed Ten Hag but, although he has become frustrated on Tyneside, the Saudis would surely not allow Ratcliffe to poach Howe, as they reluctantly did with Ashworth.
Potter is available but his Chelsea experience and lack of charisma would make him a tough sell.
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Which brings us to Southgate, who remains close with Ashworth and is an excellent man-manager who was seriously considered by United last spring.
Yet, despite having led England to two of their three major finals, Southgate’s reputation for over-caution was only enhanced during the Euros.
Mauricio Pochettino, passed over twice by United, is out of the equation having taken the United States job.
Thomas Tuchel would be a popular and gettable option but, despite being a fine coach and a very engaging man, he is considered something of a loose cannon.
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Likewise, Roberto De Zerbi, now at Marseille after his brief Brighton stint sparkled then fizzled out.
Kieran McKenna — a gifted former United coach who has won back-to-back promotions with Ipswich Town — is an intriguing candidate but the imminent vacancy may come a year or so too soon.
Marco Silva, the extremely under-rated Fulham boss, has been on United’s radar and should not be discounted.
Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim, last season’s ‘next big thing’, was passed over by West Ham as well as Liverpool this summer and is not an easy man to pin down.
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Zinedine Zidane, who has taken over from Alan Curbishley as a 20-1 shot for every Premier League job, is a ‘figurehead’ manager and not an Ashworth type.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, the former United goal machine who joined Ten Hag’s coaching team in the summer is the bookies’ favourite. Simply because he’s in the building and he’s Dutch.
So, yes, getting rid of Ten Hag is the easy part.
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Ruben Amorim is the top pick according to the statsCredit: Reuters
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Zinedine Zidane could also be well suited to the Old Trafford jobCredit: Reuters
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Graham Potter was way down on the listCredit: Getty
Alex Pereira’s remarkable run in the UFC continued with a fourth-round knockout of Khalil Rountree in the main event of UFC 307 to retain the light heavyweight championship. “Poatan” has many options in front of him, and while he says he plans to remain at 205 to defend his belt, is that what ultimately happens for one of the UFC’s biggest stars?
On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee discuss what could be next for Pereira and Rountree following their thrilling headliner on Saturday night in Salt Lake City. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for new women’s bantamweight champ Julianna Peña and Raquel Pennington after their co-main event ended with a controversial split decision, Mario Bautista following his split decision victory against Jose Aldo, Roman Dolidze after his injury TKO win over Kevin Holland, along with fellow main card winner Kayla Harrison, and more.
Watch the UFC 307 edition of On To the Next One in the video above. Audio-only versions of the podcast can be found below, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
Carling will partner with the SPFL for the next three seasons
Health campaigners have criticised the Scottish Professional Football League’s new sponsorship deal with a major lager brand.
The SPFL announced the partnership with Carling for the next three seasons, which will see the brand promoted at league and Premier Sports Cup matches.
However Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) said the deal will lead to more consumption of alcohol during a public health crisis.
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Figures released last month by National Records of Scotland revealed there had been 1,277 alcohol deaths in Scotland in 2023, which marked the highest number in 15 years.
The partnership will see the company marketed as the official beer of the league.
The SPFL said this would include a number of “engaging opportunities for supporters” to get involved with.
‘Out of step’
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Dr Peter Rice, the chairman of SHAAP, said mass marketing lager to fans is “out of step” with the need to tackle the harm alcohol can cause.
He added: “All the evidence shows that the more we are exposed to mass marketing of this sort, the more alcohol is consumed and therefore the more damage to our health is done.
“Right now Scotland is in the grip of an alcohol public health crisis that needs to be addressed – encouraging people to consume more is not the answer.
“This lack of duty of care to fans flies in the face of our research which shows that while many football fans recognise the need to generate income for Scottish football, there is not so much appetite for that income to come from the alcohol industry.”
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Alison Douglas, the CEO of Alcohol Focus Scotland called the decision “particularly disappointing” given the recent statistics regarding alcohol deaths.
She said: “This marketing will be on full display to children across Scotland who idolise their teams and their favourite players. Big alcohol brands capitalise on this, signing deals with sports teams and leagues as a means to ‘recruit the heavy using loyalists of tomorrow’.
“The evidence is overwhelming, alcohol marketing increases alcohol consumption and early onset alcohol use by children and young people.”
‘A rich history’
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Dr Rice called on authorities to “aim a bit higher” with sponsorship deals, and both SHAAP and AFS pointed to Scottish women’s football as an example of this – with SHAAP itself having partnered with the women’s game since 2019.
Neil Doncaster, SPFL group chief executive, said the deal was “fantastic news” as the company has “a rich history” of supporting the Scottish game.
Carling previously sponsored Celtic and Rangers, as well as the Scottish national team.
A number of clubs in Scotland have alcohol related sponsorship deals.
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Lee Willett, Carling brand director at Molson Coors Beverage Company, said they were “committed to supporting the beautiful game at every level here in Scotland”, citing grassroots initiatives.
The partnership was secured for the SPFL by the Scottish Football Marketing venture.
Goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell and centre-back Daniel Ballard have been ruled out of Northern Ireland’s Nations League games against Belarus and Bulgaria.
Birmingham City keeper Peacock-Farrell has a shoulder problem with Sunderland’s Ballard unavailable because of an ankle ailment.
Both players have returned to their clubs for treatment from Northern Ireland’s base this week of Stockport County’s training ground at Carrington in Greater Manchester.
Manager Michael O’Neill has opted not to call up any replacements at this stage.
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Another couple of Northern Ireland players are understood to be carrying knocks but are expected to be available for both games.
Northern Ireland will train at Carrington until Thursday when they travel to Hungary for Saturday’s game against Belarus at the neutral venue of Zalaegerszeg.
O’Neill’s side will then face Bulgaria at Windsor Park three days later.
“We have a longer lead-in time to this game (against Belarus) than for previous games so we’ve got to make the most of the time we have here,” said the Northern Ireland boss.
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Northern Ireland began their Nations League campaign last month with a 2-0 victory over Luxembourg in Belfast but then lost 1-0 to Bulgaria in Plovdiv.
O’Neill’s side sit third in Group 3 of League C Group – a point behind Belarus and Bulgaria.
Prior to beating Rountree for his third title defense in seven months, Pereira expressed interest in dropping back down to middleweight to challenge Dricus Du Plessis. But with his training partner Sean Strickland looking for his title-fight rematch with Du Plessis, “Poatan” has now changed his tune.
“We saw that Dricus is going to be fighting Sean Strickland. (Strickland) is a training partner of mine,” Pereira told Joe Rogan in his post-fight octagon interview (h/t UFC). “I don’t want to get in his way. I can move up to heavyweight, but this division is great. I feel great with this weight cut, and this is where I’m at.”
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That doesn’t mean Pereira doesn’t have heavyweight in his sights. He may plan on staying at light heavyweight for the time being, but he hopes to eventually make the move up.
“I’ve called for (heavyweight) before, and Dana came in there and was very happy, and he said he was going to take care of me,” Pereira told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at the UFC 307 post-fight press conference. “I think that if the UFC wants to please me, I think maybe a fight at heavyweight one day would be something that would really please me.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
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