Mia Rosales St. John defeats Christy Martin for WBC title, both retire

By DANIEL CASAREZ

Vida en el Valle/McClatchy News

(Published Wednesday, August 15th, 2012 11:51AM)

FRIANT, Ca FRIANT, Ca - Mia Rosales St. John defeated Christy Martin for the WBC women's welterweight boxing title in the final bout for the pair of legendary boxers.

St. John won on all three scorecards in the bout dubbed Final Victory at Table Mountain Casino Tuesday night. In the final round, Martin dropped her guard, and St. John could be heard shouting, "Stop this!" St. John, 45, and Martin, 44, faced each other 10 years ago at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Martin won that bout by unanimous decision. According to boxing promoter Roy Englebrecht, St. John, Martin, and Laila Ali were the few female boxers who earned lucrative salaries from the sport. "If she wants to retire, I'll retire too," St. John announced after the bout. "It's huge. It's actually a dream come true. I've dreamed about for 10 years. It happened exactly as it did in my dreams." St. John ends her career with a pro record of 47-11-2, while Martin, a two-time WBC champion, took off her gloves in retirement as well with a record of 49-7-3.