Christy Salters Martin was on top of the world as one of the most notable female boxers of the 80s and 90s. And then suddenly, she made headlines once again late in her boxing career—not for boxing—but as an attempted murder victim by her husband James V. Martin. Her life is documented in the next Netflix sports documentary series Untold: Deal with the Devil.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Described as one of the most influential female boxers of all time, helping legitimize women’s participation in the sport, Christy Salters Martin shocked the world by becoming a superstar after winning a blood-soaked undercard match at the Mike Tyson/Frank Bruno fight in 1996. Growing up in a small town in West Virginia, Martin was a popular standout athlete, and as she began to win her first amateur fights, she struggled with being open about her sexual orientation, choosing to keep her relationships with women secret. She later found a coach in Jim Martin, a professional boxing trainer who, despite his initial skepticism about “women’s boxing,” signed on to help train her. They would later become romantically involved, despite their 20-year-plus age difference. After landing on Don King’s radar, Martin, under the moniker “The Coal Miner’s Daughter,” experienced a meteoric rise, including the cover of Sports Illustrated, breaking pay-per-view records in women’s boxing along the way. The fall from that height was steep and included substance abuse, domestic violence, and a harrowing brush with death. Martin reveals how she battled back to level ground and a content personal life, which now includes an induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Additional interviewees include Mike Tyson, Laila Ali, Martin’s family, and convicted attempted murderer Jim Martin speaks for the first time since his imprisonment.
ALSO CHECK OUT: Andreas Koefoed Discusses The Questioned Authenticity In The Lost Leonardo [Exclusive Interview]
LRM Online’s Gig Patta discussed with Christy Salters Martin about the documentary and the highlights of her life.
Christy Salters Martin began her professional boxing career at the age of 21 with a six-round draw with Angela Buchanan in 1989. In 1993, Martin had her first title fight against Beverly Szymansky, in which she won by knocking her out in three rounds. She defended her titles with rematches with Szymansky, Buchanan, Melinda Robinson, and Sue Chase. She ended her career with 49 wins in 59 fights with 7 losses and 31 wins by knockouts. She was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020.
Untold: Deal with the Devil streams on Netflix tomorrow.
Watch the exclusive interview with Christy Salters Martin below. Let us know what you think.
Source: LRM Online Exclusive, Netflix