Life or death in Untold: Deal with the Devil

The Untold documentary anthology is continuing with a new installment called Untold: Deal with the Devil featuring Christy Martin and her life story.

Christy, called “Sis” by her family, started boxing on a dare from a college classmate in 1986. She says she was hooked instantly and was eventually paired with amateur trainer Jim Martin.

The fans loved her not only because she could take hard hits and win, but because she broke stereotypes. Her feminine image of lipstick and pink uniform contrasted with her aggressive personality, making women’s boxing feel new and exciting, which led promoters to put more women on undercards. Christy Martin is widely known as being behind the legitimization of women in the sport of boxing.

In Untold: Deal with the Devil, Jim recalls his words to when he first took a chance on her: “Christy, I’m going to make you the best woman fighter in the world.”

Untold: Deal with the Devil background

The rise to fame of “The Coal Miner’s Daughter” began when she was hired by Don King, one of the most famous boxing promoters of all time, who took a chance on her. He saw Christy as a golden ticket, “a dynamic, beautiful boxing/fighting sensation.”

She became the first woman boxer to star in pay-per-view after being personally picked by Mike Tyson to be on his undercard. The infamous Martin vs. Gogarty matchup in 1996 left Christy fighting with a bloody nose! The gory match made Martin a superstar, granting appearances on the Leno show and Sports Illustrated as a prize fighter. She went on to make as much as $100k a match.

Her first real loss was to Laila Ali (Muhammad Ali’s daughter) in 2003. She challenged Ali despite their weight, height and class gap, which became all too clear during their match. A hard hit from Ali gave Martin an instant concussion, causing her to “fight on a slant.” Her trainer and husband Jim Martin chose to let Christy continue to fight, despite all signs that he should stop the match.

After a hiatus, Christy returned to boxing in 2011 with the goal to earn her 50th win. While in the lead during Martin vs. Stone, Christy broke her hand. She continued to fight, but the doctor soon stopped the match and declared Stone the winner by default. Christy’s bad luck continued when she had a stroke during surgery on her hand.

Although she sustained infamous injuries during her boxing career, she ended with an incredible 49 wins (31 by knockout), 7 losses and 3 draws. Christy Martin held the World Champion title in lightweight women’s boxing from 1996-1998 and was the first woman inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

An abusive marriage in Untold: Deal with the Devil

Warning: The following details are graphic.

Christy Martin and her ex-husband Jim Martin were advertised as a husband and wife team. Where one went, the other followed. When Christy married Jim in 1991 despite their 25 year age difference, she felt she had “married boxing.” The couple was famous onscreen, but their private relationship was tumultuous, and some truths are crazier than fiction.

Christy recounts how Jim would smartly disguise his physical abuse as sparring in the gym. He would knock her out to show her who was the boss. He convinced Christy that if she left, her family, fans and the world would hate her.

Jim was completely in control of Christy’s life, in and out of the ring. He set up cameras around their home in Apopka, Florida, to monitor everything she did. He introduced her to cocaine and used Christy’s addiction to force her to compete in matches and preform sexual favors, essentially keeping her in check using a consistent high. She was Jim’s walking ATM, and he would do anything to keep her that way.

The relationship hit rock bottom in 2010. Christy was able to find solace in reconnecting with childhood girlfriend, Sherry Lusk, and works up the nerve to leave her abusive husband. In a chilling exchange, Jim tells her, “You know if you leave, I’ll kill you.”

Christy replies: “Do what you have to do.”

On Nov. 23, 2010, Christy Martin ended a phone call with Sherry, watching her husband walk into the room with his hand behind his back. Jim Martin then stabbed Christy three times under the arm and breast, beat her and shot her with her own pink nine-millimeter pistol.

Miraculously, Christy was able to escape outside to the street and survived the attempt on her life. In 2012, Jim Martin was found guilty of attempted second degree murder and manslaughter, landing him in Orange County Jail until he’s 92.

The road to realizing her sexuality

Since fifth grade, Christy knew she was attracted to girls. Although she had girlfriends when she was younger, Christy felt the need to mask it from the public eye for years. Unfortunately, like numerous now out LGBT+ figures, she degraded women on the notion that they were lesbians or trans women. Her transmisogynistic comments towards opponents were urged on by her trainer and husband Jim.

Women were “struggling with the same identity in the male sport,” two time World Champion boxer Lisa Holewyne says. She recalls how a majority of female boxers hated Christy Martin during her glory days for creating a new image for women’s boxing in opposition to the existing one.

Christy Martin’s sexuality became public when the attempted murder occurred in 2010. Every news headline included the fact that she had left her husband for a lesbian lover. Fortunately, the boxing community did not revolt against her like Jim said they would. Instead, she gained respect and acceptance. “No one cares she’s gay,” Mike Tyson states.

It’s nice to see a documentary about an LGBT+ figure that doesn’t end in sorrow. Christy Martin struggled through so much in her life, but something she gained happiness from is coming out. Funny enough, Christy married her old time boxing rival, Lisa Holewyne.

“I’m happy in my own skin,” Christy states at the end of Untold: Deal with the Devil. “I just hope I can make her as happy as she makes me,” she says about her wife, Lisa.

Where is Christy Martin now?

Christy Salters-Martin is now the boss of her own promotional company, putting up fights in several states. In July of this year, she partnered with Title Boxing to put together a tournament that “showcased over 300 amateur boxers.” She also runs a nonprofit organization Christy’s Champs that brings awareness to domestic violence by providing programs and services to help break the cycle.

Christy Martin’s boxing career may have ended at win 49, but she believes she earned her 50 win when she got up off the floor and survived on Nov. 23, 2010.

So far, the Untold documentary collection includes Untold: Malice at the Palace and Untold: Deal with the Devil.  What’s the next story you want to see on Untold  on Netflix?