Christian "Gentleman Chris" Christensen (1926-2005) stood as one of Denmark's most accomplished boxers, rising from amateur success to European championship glory. Standing 5'10", the Troenninge-born fighter compiled an impressive amateur record of approximately 85 wins against 15 losses before embarking on a distinguished professional career.

His amateur credentials included:

• Multiple Sjaeland district championships (1944, 46, 47, 48).
• A Danish Junior title in 1944.
• Senior national championships in 1947 and 1948.

He represented Denmark in significant international competitions, including the 1947 European Championships in Dublin, where he defeated Flanagan of Scotland before falling to future great Charles Humez of France. His amateur career concluded controversially when his final victory over Norway's Ulf Olsen was stripped after officials discovered he had already signed a professional contract.

After representing Denmark at the 1948 London Olympics, where he was eliminated by Britain's M.B. Shacklady, Christensen turned professional in 1949. His 79-fight professional career yielded 56 victories and showcased his technical ability rather than power, with a modest 20.25% knockout rate. He captured the titles of Danish welterweight (1950) and middleweight (1952). However, his first attempt at continental glory ended in a seventh-round knockout loss to Olle Bengtsson for the Scandinavian middleweight crown in 1954.

Following a challenging American campaign in 1954-55, during which he went 3-5 but notably defeated former world title challenger Billy Graham, Christensen's career peaked in the early 1960s. He dramatically captured the European middleweight championship after falling short against Duilio Loi in a European welterweight title bid. He won by disqualification against John "Cowboy" McCormack in 1962 after his opponent struck him while down.

His championship reign proved brief, as he lost to three-time Olympic gold medalist László Papp by seventh-round TKO. In 1963, he challenged Emile Griffith in Copenhagen for what Australia recognized as the world light-middleweight title, though major sanctioning bodies did not share this recognition. Griffith dominated, forcing Christensen's corner to halt the contest in the fifth round.

After failed attempts to recapture European honours against Papp and Bruno Visintin, Christensen retired and published his autobiography "Gentleman Chris" in 1964. He later contributed to boxing's development by training Danish and Norwegian fighters in Oslo and Copenhagen during the 1970s. His passing in 2005 at age 78 marked the end of an era in Danish boxing, having been only the third Dane to capture a European championship.