Female boxer Christy Martin headlines 2016 Nevada Hall of Fame class

The Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame will have its first woman inductee when Christy “The Coal Miner’s Daughter” Martin highlights the 11-person class at the July 30 ceremony in Las Vegas.

Martin was among six boxers voted in — which includes Riddick Bowe, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Ricardo “Finito” Lopez, Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker and Freddie Little — but will be the first woman inducted since the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame was established by Rich Marotta in 2012.

Martin rose to prominence in the 1990’s and brought women’s boxing into the limelight. She was promoted by Don King and featured heavily on the undercards of Mike Tyson, where she often knocked out overmatched opponents and gained a great deal of recognition. She was often recognized as the best female boxer in the world and graced the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1996. Martin also earned recognition in 1996 from the World Boxing Council as its nominal women's lightweight champion of the world when she defeated Deirdre Gogarty in a thrilling battle on the Mike Tyson vs. Frank Bruno undercard in what was billed by many as the female version of the “Thrilla In Manila.”

She would continue to have success in the boxing world but suffered her a devastating knockout loss to Laila Ali in 2003 when she challenged for Ali’s IBA women’s super middleweight title. However, she earned a $500,000 paycheck for the anticipated showdown.

Martin ended her career in 2012 with a loss to Mia St. John but amassed a record of 49-7-3 with 31 wins by way of knockout. She has been in the ring with some of the most acclaimed female boxers in the sport, which includes the aforementioned St. John and Ali, as well as a 2005 loss to former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm (who is not eligible for the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame because she has never fought in the state of Nevada).

The only thing missing from her portfolio was a highly anticipated showdown with fellow dominant force Lucia Rijker.

After nearly a decade of trying to put together the female version of Mayweather-Pacquiao, a proposed 2005 showdown with Rijker — who will likely get her name called for the NVBHOF in the coming years — fell apart when Rijker pulled out with a ruptured Achilles tendon. The winner from that fight was to earn $1 million.

But perhaps the biggest story of Martin’s career happened outside of the ring when she was stabbed several times and shot in her torso and left leg by her husband, 66-year-old James V. Martin, in 2010. Martin survived the assault and her ex-husband was found guilty of attempted second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

“It’s a great mix of fighters and we’re thrilled to induct our first woman, the great Christy Martin,” Marotta said. “This will be a big night for us and will add many legendary names to our already prestigious group of inductees.”