The ‘Euphoria’ star will play the boxer who had a triumphant career but tragic personal life.
The Big Picture
- Sydney Sweeney was recently announced to play boxing icon Christy Martin in an upcoming biopic by David Michôd.
- Christy Martin overcame abuse, violence, and adversity to become a celebrated hall-of-fame boxing icon.
- Martin’s resilience and success in boxing paved the way for women’s boxing to be in the limelight.
Sydney Sweeney has been one of Hollywood’s fastest-rising actors in the past couple of years, and it looks like her shine is just going to brighten even more. The breakout star of Euphoria who recently led successes like Anyone But You and Immaculate lead has recently been announced to play hall-of-fame boxer Christy Martin in an upcoming biopic headed by David Michôd. Based on Sweeney’s star power, Michôd’s filmmaking prowess, and the sheer hype behind it, the film about one of the biggest boxing names in the 1990s is looking to be a surefire box-office hit. While everyone is certainly curious about how Sweeney will portray the role, it is best to first know who Martin is in the world of boxing, and how her troubled personal life led her to be the subject of a film in the first place. Also, if you just can’t wait for the upcoming biopic, Martin’s life and career are documented in Netflix’s Untold: Deal With the Devil.
Untold
Dive into the gripping stories behind some of the most fascinating and controversial moments in sports history. Through in-depth interviews and archival footage, the series uncovers the human drama and emotional stakes that go beyond the headlines. Each episode sheds light on pivotal events and figures, offering a fresh perspective on the triumphs, scandals, and heartbreaks that have shaped the world of sports. The docuseries masterfully combines storytelling with investigative journalism, revealing untold aspects of well-known sagas.
- Release Date
- August 10, 2021
- Cast
- Tim Tebow , Urban Meyer , Brandon Spikes
- Seasons
- 3
Who Is Christy Martin?
Martin was introduced to sports at a very young age. She was a catcher in Little League Baseball and played basketball at both Mullens High and Concord College. In 1987, her love affair with combat sports began when she participated in a “toughman” competition, the first year that women were allowed to compete, easily winning the contest due to her sport-centered background. She also experienced a natural high whenever she was in the ring, stating that “The adrenaline rush from actually knocking somebody out is probably the best drug in the world.” Finding a certain fondness for fighting, she went into training and started her professional career in 1989 with a six-round draw against Angela Buchanan. Her career skyrocketed after her fifth fight. With a decision victory against Andrea DeShong in 1990, Martin eventually bulldozed her way through the competition, racking up a staggering 16-fight winning streak. In 1991, she and her eventual husband Jim Martin teamed up, and everything looked to be headed in the right direction. Legendary boxing promoter Don King was on the line, and Christy eventually got more and more recognition.
Sydney Sweeney’s Biggest ‘Madame Web’ Fight Was With Her Wig
The convoluted plot was the least of her worries.
In 1996, in the middle of another 15-fight winning streak, she beat Deirdre Gogarty in a Showtime boxing televised bout, giving a lot of attention to female boxing. Pretty soon, she was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, copies of which were sold out all around the globe. In an interview with the New York Times, Martin noted that she became aware of her fame as she was walking down Rodeo Drive one day, and the people who worked there were flocking to her, asking for an autograph. This well-deserved stardom from an athlete who fought her way through every bit of adversity didn’t get to her head. Aside from her humility, it was also due to the fact that her husband was feeding her the exact opposite idea. In the same interview, Martin shares that Jim manipulated her, stating that “he told me the boxing world hated me, that my family hated me, that I didn’t have any fans”, leaving Christy in a world of turmoil. Her relationship with her husband was souring by the second and was the biggest problem in her life outside the ring.
Christy Martin Was in an Abusive Marriage
Unbeknownst to the public, Christy Martin was gay, a secret that her husband had known ever since they started working together. Still, they decided to marry, sparking a lengthy relationship filled with lies and abuse. By 2010, their marriage fell apart, marred by one of the most gruesome acts of abuse she had ever experienced in her life. As she was taking a nap at her home in Tampa, Florida, she heard her husband sharpening a knife. Suddenly, he attacked her. He stabbed Christy multiple times, beating her mercilessly, and fired a bullet into her chest, thankfully missing her heart by merely a few inches. The entire attack excruciatingly lasted over an hour. When she heard that the water in the bathroom was turned on, signaling that Jim was going to take a shower, the boxer took her chance and managed to escape her home. Unfortunately, she took the wrong car keys, but miraculously, a man named Rick Cole was driving by and stopped to take Christy to safety.
Christy was physically safe, but seeking justice was another matter. The trial which took place two years later left her with a lot of doubts. Prosecutors were wondering if the jury would believe that Jim, a much older and seemingly frail old man, could do such great physical harm to a prizefighter. She eventually got her answer, and justice altogether, as the judge laid down the sentence of 25 years without the possibility of parole. Jim Martin isn’t expected to make it out of his sentence due to his old age.
Christy Martin Is a Celebrated Hall-of-Fame Boxing Icon
Christy might have been left for dead by her ex-husband, but she wasn’t out. Her nickname “the coalminer’s daughter” signified her working-class sensibilities, and her undying will to recover from her traumatic past. She married her former sparring partner Lisa Holewyne in 2017 and goes by her maiden name, Salters. In 2020, she was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame along with other big names such as Bernard Hopkins and Juan Manuel Marquez. She hasn’t left boxing altogether; much like the person who gave her a big break in Don King, Christy Salters is now a fight promoter, running a company in Austin, Texas. Outside the ring, she also works with domestic violence shelters whenever she has the chance, and gives her savior, Rick Cole, an annual phone call, a show of appreciation for saving her life.
Christy built her own stock from scratch and became one of the biggest names in professional boxing. Her hall-of-fame career has been instrumental in putting women’s boxing into the limelight, the glimmer of which she still partly enjoys today. In her own words, at the end of the day, she’s a fighter in every sense of the word. Sydney Sweeney and David Michôd certainly have their work cut out for them, but they definitely have a lot to bring to the table in presenting Christy’s story to the general viewing audience. Hopefully, just like her fights, it will be a full-fledged slobber knocker.
Untold: Deal With the Devil is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
This article was originally published on collider.com