The book was titled “Fighting for Survival,” and the Netflix documentary “Deal With the Devil.”
The new movie tackles the entire lifetime of challenges and triumphs, the highest of highs and life-and-death lowest of lows, and does it all behind the most basic of marquees: “Christy,” the feature film telling the story of the first megastar in women’s boxing — Christy Martin.
“Christy” stars Sydney Sweeney in the lead role and Ben Foster as, basically, the bad guy. It premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in early September and comes to U.S. theaters in early November.
Christy Martin joined Sydney Sweeney at the Toronto Film Festival last month for the premiere of “Christy.”
Martin put women’s boxing in the 1990s sporting spotlight, but back in the shadows, there was little glamor for the West Virginia native who was — literally — a coal miner’s daughter. Too often, Hollywood takes a worthy real-life tale and comes too close to fictionalizing it. This time, the novelists could take the day off.
The basics:
∎ Victories in “Tough Woman” bouts led Martin to the ring and a formal boxing career.
∎ Her boxing career and life would mature under the tutelage (and control) of Jim Martin, a man 24 years her senior, who would also become her husband as she took an extreme leap to mask her sexual identity.
∎ She was the first woman boxer to sign with the most famous (and/or infamous) promoter of all time, Don King.
∎ Christy and Jim Martin had settled in Central Florida — Apopka — in the mid-1990s, and as the relationship began officially unraveling, Jim told Christy he would kill her if she ever left him. In late 2010 in their Apopka home, some time after she told him they were indeed done, he damn near kept his word. She survived both a stabbing and gunshot. Jim spent the rest of his life in prison.
∎ Her career record was 49-7-3. One of the 49 boxers she defeated was Lisa Holewyne in 2001, who over a decade later would become Martin’s wife (and still is).
∎ She was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020, the first year women boxers were eligible to enter the Hall.
Christy Martin following a victory in 2000, flanked by husband/trainer Jim Martin (left) and promoter Don King.
Martin, who spent the past several years in Austin, Texas, recently returned to Apopka, living not far from where she once nearly died. While now promoting fighters and fight cards, she’s also planning to open a training facility in Deltona sometime next spring on 16 acres.
She covered a lot of ground about her return to Florida, the movie, and how she hopes the story will help others in a recent phone interview with the USA Today Network-Florida.
Christy Martin returned to Central Florida after time in Texas
USA Today Network: Why did you return to Florida?
Martin: “I wanted to come back. Jim died in November of last year, so I think coming back to Apopka was easier, because I know he’s dead. I don’t know why that makes it easier; it’s just mental, you know. I’m very glad to be back.
“I did Texas as long as I could. I didn’t like it. Not even a little bit.”
Too crowded in Austin, or was it something else?
Martin: “I’m from West Virginia and that’s who I am. People are friendly there. And my little town in Apopka, the people who live there, they’re personable. I was in Austin for six or seven years and it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
Christy Martin maintaining the championship belt after a 1996 win by decision.
“I’m glad to be back in Central Florida. Also, we bought 16 acres in Deltona and we’re gonna build a training center. We hope to open in the first quarter of 2026. We’ll train pro fighters, amateur fighters, we’ll have domestic abuse programs, a ‘Punching 4 Parkinson’s’ program.
“Boxing will be the reason for the facility, but in my heart, it’ll also be the other things. I just want to make a difference in this world before I go away.”
What’s your daily routine these days?
Martin: “I’m working on sponsors for equipment and sponsors in general for the training center. Still promoting fighters, still doing fight promotions. Gonna do a black-tie event in February in Altamonte Springs for domestic-violence awareness.”
Christy Martin biopic comes out in November
How did the movie come about?
Martin: “We did a book (“Fighting for Survival,” written with Ron Borges). There was the Netflix documentary (“Deal With the Devil”), and that’s probably what kicked this off. I’d say that’s what got the movie started.
“Then Sydney Sweeney came on board, and when she came on board, it really started to come together quickly. It was almost a year ago when we started shooting — in October and November.”
TORONTO, ONTARIO – SEPTEMBER 05: Sydney Sweeney and Christy Martin attend the “Christy” premiere party hosted by World Class Canada and Audi at Vinny during the Toronto International Film Festival on September 05, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Sonia Recchia/Getty Images for World Class Canada)
How was the Red Carpet treatment at the Toronto premiere?
Martin: “It’s one thing to stand beside Don King or Mike Tyson at the MGM Grand or the Garden. I feel like I’m in my wheelhouse there, in my area. Then to be standing next to Sydney Sweeney, next to Ben Foster … I felt a little out of place, like, ‘How do I fit into this group?’
“But it’s a lot like a big boxing event. Because, you know, it’s a lot of bullshit, if I can say that. It’s a lot of flash, a lot of smoke and mirrors. Same kind of people, they just do different things.”
Gotta say it had to be kind of flattering to have Sydney Sweeney playing you in a movie.
Martin: “I was a little bit like, ‘wow.’ It was pretty shocking that she was going to take on this role. People are going to be so shocked when they see this Sydney Sweeney.”
Sydney Sweeney plays Christy Martin in new movie
What was your take on the weird controversy this past summer over her jeans ad for American Eagle?
Christy Martin rides along with Sydney Sweeney, who served as Grand Marshal at the Parade of Champions in Canastota, N.Y. this past June. The parade preceded the annual induction ceremony at the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Martin: “Probably the greatest thing about that time, I was moving from Texas to Florida. I was just overwhelmed with the move. I didn’t even know it was going on. I don’t know and … I don’t have anything to say about it. I think it’s ridiculous. I just think that people with too much time on their hands try to find some fault.”
What about Sydney’s boxing technique? Did you help at all?
Martin: “It was great. I got to go to the gym with them a couple times. I tried to help some. I’d say, ‘Sydney, you need to twist a little more on the hook.’ The fight scenes are really good. And she had me down. She really had me down.”
How odd was it watching someone pretend to be you?
Martin: “It’s way weird. I would be in the back watching them film scenes, and I’m cheering her. After the scene, I’d run up there, slapping high-fives with her. Then, sometimes I’d see her doing other things I did, and I’m cringing a little bit.
Christy Martin (right) defeated Lisa Holewyne in a 2001 bout, some 16 years before the two former boxers were married.
“But it was good. It’s a good movie. It’s gonna touch a lot of different groups of people — from domestic violence, sexuality, the underdog story of a coal miner’s daughter from a small town in West Virginia … who kinda made it. I hope it gives other people a path out or a path up.”
Were you on the set for the bad scenes?
Martin: “No. I had other things happening that I had to be at, so I wasn’t there.”
How was it watching those scenes in the finished movie product?
Martin: (Long pause …) “It’s a little bit heavy to see those things and hear the words. That’s gonna be the things that make the mother, make the father, who maybe know their child is in a situation like this …. or a neighbor that needs to help their friend out … they need to do it today, don’t wait until tomorrow.
“Sometimes … you know … I watched the movie and I thought, ‘wow.’ Then I had to remind myself, ‘this is about you.’”
So there’s obviously a big-picture significance to it all.
Martin: “There are so many people out there that really are reaching for help. You just have to be more aware of when someone is reaching for help.
“We need to make sure we get those clues, because it’s hard to ask someone. You don’t really know who to trust. Sometimes you have to just drop a little hint, and other people have to be able to pick up on those little clues.”
— Email Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Sydney Sweeney ‘really had me down,’ says boxing great Christy Martin