Christina Hammer (born 16 August 1990) is a German boxer. As a professional, she has held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the WBO female middleweight title from 2010 to 2019, becoming the youngest boxer to win a WBO world title; the WBC female middleweight title between 2016 and 2018; and the WBO female super-middleweight title in 2013. She also challenged once for the WBO female light-middleweight title in 2014 and once for the undisputed female middleweight championship against Claressa Shields in 2019.
Since Hammer's victory against Zita Zatyko, she has earned Fighter of the Year by the WBF and WBO; she was awarded BDB's Female Boxer of the Year; and the WBO awarded her with the WBO Diamond Ring for exceptional performance. As of February 2019, Hammer is ranked as the world's second best active female middleweight by The Ring and BoxRec, and the seventh best active female, pound-for-pound, by ESPN.
Hammer is known for her patient and methodical boxing style, wearing her opponents down with jabs and increasingly aggressive follow-up rights. Since November 2021 she is signed by Wasserman Boxing and managed by Daniel Todorovic of O1NE Sport GmbH.
Early life Christina Hammer was born 16 August 1990 in Nowodolinka, Kazakh SSR, before emigrating with her parents to Sontra, Germany, in 1991. Her parents left Kazakhstan as they saw a better future for the whole family in Germany, with the quality of education and quality of life, while Hammer spoke of being raised to never give up. She developed a passion for sports through football, running, swimming, and at the age of 13, she was introduced to boxing after her uncles allowed her to accompany them to boxing gyms. She trained in Eschwege under Robert Staar, while going on to become a junior champion three years later. At the age of 18, Hammer was discovered by her coach and trainer, Dimitri Kirnos, to which she stated: "Although I grew up in a small town, at age 18 I decided to become a professional boxer and moved away from home [...] Of course, it was not easy at first, but I knew I could do it if I pulled it off." When Hammer was growing up, she admired Gennady Golovkin and Wladimir Klitschko as athletes, while stating she too admired "strong women like Jennifer Lopez who built their own empire".
Amateur career Hammer competed for Eschwege Boxing Club at a number of German tournaments, in which she defeated the 2007 German junior champion, receiving a unanimous victory over former German champion Manon Rohrbach at 63 kg, and winning the International German Junior Championships in Berlin by defeating Madelyn Cibis (BC Oberhavel) RSC–1 at 75 kg. In August 2008, she went to Eichstätt in which she competed in the German Women's Championships, where she won silver after defeating Silke Huenecke 28–7 and Janine Hoffmann 19–12, however, once proceeding to the final she lost by one point against Nikolina Orlovic 13–14. Hammer initially finished her amateur career with a record of 22 wins and 1 loss. In February 2021, she returned to the amateur ranks with the intention of competing at the Tokyo Olympics. She failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
International German Junior Championships 2007 Defeated Madelyn Cibis (Germany) RSC–1
German National Championships 2008 Defeated Silke Huenecke (Germany) (27–2) Defeated Janine Hoffmann (Germany) (19–12) Lost to Nikolina Orlovic (Croatia) (13–14)
Professional career Early career After winning her silver medal at the German National Championships, Hammer had briefly considered competing in the 2012 London Olympics, but her ambition to become a super champion was greater. Hammer made her professional debut at the age of 19 on 12 September 2009 at the Gewerbehof Schlutius in Magdeburg against German fighter Melisa Koktar, whom Hammer defeated via technical knockout (TKO) in the second round. On 24 October 2009 at the Anhalt Arena in Dessau, Hammer won a four-round unanimous decision over Czech fighter Sarka Stoklaskova, who fell to 2-8 (1 KO) with the loss. Until 23 October 2010, she went on to have five more fights in the space of eleven months, defeating Marija Pejakovic, Daniela Bickei, Patricia Braesick, Marie Riederer, and Mihaela Dragan all via knockout within five rounds.
Hammer vs. Perozzi On 23 October 2010, Hammer stepped up her level of competition and faced Teresa Perozzi for the vacant WBO middleweight title at Erdgas Arena in Riesa, Germany, with the fight shown on Sport1. Southpaw Perozzi began the fight by applying a lot of pressure and setting a fast pace which forced Hammer to think more about defense than in her previous fights. The action was even at first, however, Hammer began to score repeatedly to the head of Perozzi in the later rounds. Perozzi kept trying to press her offense but Hammer's right delivered the better shots in a fight that often looked closer than the scorecards suggested. Hammer won a ten-round unanimous decision 98–92, 97–93, and 97–93 to become the youngest German boxing world champion, and the youngest boxer in history to win a WBO title.
Hammer vs. Kiss On 18 February 2011, Hammer added the vacant WBF middleweight title to her belt collection, on the undercard of Jan Zaveck defending his IBF welterweight title against Paul Delgado at the Stožice Sports Park in Ljubljana, Slovenia, when Kiss retired in her corner between the seventh and eighth rounds of a scheduled ten-rounder. Hammer started aggressively and used her reach to control the action. In the second half of the fight Hammer increased the pressure and Kiss began to bleed from her nose. During the round break, Kiss signaled to her trainer that she was no longer willing to continue, thus Hammer winning by a TKO.
Hammer vs. Lindberg, Living On 27 May 2011, at Zlatopramen Arena in the Czech Republic, Hammer defended her WBO and WBF middleweight titles in a ten-round contest against the reigning undefeated WIBA and WIBF light-middleweight champion Maria Lindberg, which Hammer won by unanimous decision, however, Lindberg spoke to WBAN of how she felt the fight was much closer than the official scores 97–93, 97–93, and 98–92. On 21 October 2011, at the Brandenburg Halle in Frankfurt, Germany, Hammer won a ten-round unanimous decision over American Vashon Living, defending her the WBO and WBF middleweight titles. Living, who was at a significant size disadvantage, was mobile and agile as she attempted to get to close quarters and work inside, but Hammer was still able use her reach advantage to control the pace. Hammer landed two accurate uppercuts in the seventh and Living appeared to be worn down by the taller Hammer's blows in the closing rounds.
Hammer vs. Tshabalala, Hernandez On 5 April 2012, at the Sportovní hala Vodova in Brno, Czech Republic, Hammer made her third defense of her WBF and WBO middleweight titles, in which she impressively dominated the proceedings to retain her titles with a unanimous decision win over Julie Tshabalala of South Africa. Hammer had predicted a knockout victory, with Tshabalala taking the fight on the inside to avoid the long range and hard straight shots from Hammer, who adjusted nicely and countered with hooks and uppercuts. Tshabalala had her best moments in rounds six and seven, and seemed to be catching her second wind, but Hammer was back on top in the final three rounds, making Tshabalala miss and pay for her mistakes. The judges Zoltan Enyedi, Manuel Oliver Palomo, and Andre Van Grootenbruel scored the fight 99–91, 100–90, and 100–90 all in favour of the defending WBF and WBO middleweight champion.
After Hammer beat Tshabalala, it was announced that Hammer would defend her titles at the RWE Rhein-Ruhr Sporthalle in Muelheim, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany against Yahaira Hernandez on 7 September 2012. Hammer came in at 70.3 kilograms, while Hernandez weighed a few grams too much in first gear, to which her manager, Daniel Born, acted resolutely and cut off the boxer's pigtails, which resulted in the weight being corrected to the point. Hammer won an overwhelming ten-round unanimous decision over Yahaira Hernandez. Hammer's technical superiority was clear despite a game effort by Hernandez, who was knocked down in the fourth, ninth, and tenth rounds. Hernandez, who had two points deducted for holding as well as 10–8 losing rounds because of the three knockdowns. Afterwards, Hammer spoke of her intention to knock Hernandez out, but she could not do so, though she stated she was happy with her performance. Hernandez was complimentary of Hammer, in which she stated "I was surprised by the toughness of Hammer, and she really hits hard. Her punches felt as if she had rocks in her gloves."
Super middleweight Hammer vs. Zatyko In April 2013, Hammer announced that she would fight 32 year old undefeated Zita Zatyko, who was considered the best female super-middleweight boxer in the world, on 4 May 2013 for the WBF and vacant WBO female super-middleweight titles. Of the scheduled encounter, Hammer stated that "My goal is to become the best champion in boxing, pound-for-pound, and winning my second world title in two weight classes by beating Zatyko will be another step towards realizing that goal." The date set for the return would mean Hammer would be fighting on the undercard of Wladimir Klitschko defending his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles against Francesco Pianeta at the SAP Arena in Mannheim. Hammer put on a dominant performance and used her superior boxing skills to outbox the heavier Zatyko. In round four, Hammer scored a knockdown, and only the bell saved the visibly hurt, but brave, Zatyko. In the following rounds Hammer went on the attack, but Zatyko weathered the storm and after ten rounds of top-class boxing, judges Patricia Morse Jarman, Zoltan Enyedi, and Oliver Brien scored the fight 100–89, 99–90, and 99–90 all in favour of the new super-middleweight champion.
Return to middleweight Hammer vs. Lauren It was announced on 14 June 2013, Hammer was to drop the extra five and a half pounds to 157 and challenge Mikaela Laurén from Sweden on 13 July 2013, on the undercard of Robert Stieglitz's defense of his WBO super-middleweight title against Yuzo Kiyota at the EnergieVerbund Arena in Dresden. The fight was fought against a backdrop of antagonism displayed by the contender Lauren kissing Hammer at the weigh in, though Hammer laughed off the behavior stating "I have never witnessed anything like this. I hope I could punish her a bit for the kiss." Lauren adopted a particularly aggressive style and by no means hid herself, to which a violent exchange in blows ensued. While it was a tough battle between two world class boxers it was clear that Hammer was the better fighter in almost every round. Lauren tried everything she could to get the upper hand, but Hammer was effective with hard counter combinations and rarely let her opponent get the better of the exchanges. After ten entertaining rounds of boxing, judges Frank Michael Maass, Terry O'Connor, and Alejandro Lopez scored the bout 100–90, 99–91, and 98–92 all in favour of the defending champion, who improved her spotless record to 15–0. As Hammer made her fifth defense of the WBO title by defeating Lauren, the WBO President Francisco Varcarcel awarded her with the WBO Diamond Ring for her exceptional performance.
Hammer vs. Toscano