“CHRISTY”: Now Airing on HBO!

If you love watching boxing movies, be sure to check out the Christy Martin biopic that’s now streaming on HBO and HBO MAX.

“CHRISTY” stars Sydney Sweeney (“Euphoria”) as the world champ who became a trailblazer in women’s boxing. Christy’s life story in an incredible one–from her upbringing in West Virginia, to her rise to the top, her downfall with drug abuse and all the ups and downs in between. Sweeney does a great job transforming herself into a scrappy young Christy just starting out in the sweet science.

During her professional career, Christy faced the likes of Laila Ali, Mia St. John, Holly Holm, Belinda Laracuente, Sumya Anani, Valerie Mahfood and many more. Billed as “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” the pro boxer was the very first female to sign with promoter Don King. The World Boxing Council (WBC) champion flourished in her career punching her way to a record of 49-7-3 with 29 KOs.

After hanging up her gloves, Christy was inducted into many prestigious organizations including the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame, the International Boxing Hall of Fame, the National Boxing Hall of Fame, the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame, etc. She is also a boxing analyst, promoter (Christy Martin Promotions) and an advocate for survivors of domestic violence.

Regarding domestic violence, a big part of her true life story–and in the movie–is about the contentious and abusive marriage she endured with her trainer/husband Jim Martin, who was 25 years her senior. After Christy reconnected with her high school girlfriend, she drummed up enough courage to leave her controlling husband. She told him that she wanted a divorce and in return, Jim stabbed and shot his wife, leaving her for dead. She miraculously escaped and survived, battling back from the brink of death. Jim was arrested and found guilty of second-degree murder and died in prison in 2024.

And Christy Martin is still here, healthy, thriving and inspiring others. This tough lady is also now happily married to fellow prizefighter Lisa Holeyne (and yes, the two actually fought each other during their pro careers!); the pair married in 2017.

Christy’s movie was released in theaters back in November after a whirlwind press tour with Sydney Sweeney and the cast. While there was a lot of buzz before the film’s premiere, unfortunately, moviegoers didn’t flock to the theaters to see it. It wasn’t a blockbuster at the box office the way it was predicted to be.

But now, “CHRISTY” has just debuted on HBO and HBO MAX and is proving to be a heavy hitter on cable TV and streaming sites.

The film is the #1 movie on HBO MAX and continuing to get good reviews!

“Sometimes you gotta get knocked down before you get up and show them the champ you really are,” Christy posted on her social media accounts, clearly relishing her latest victory.

Be sure to watch this biographical film on HBO or you can also catch it on Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, among other digital choices in which you can buy or rent the movie.

I enjoyed watching “CHRISTY”–there’s lots of action, tons of drama, some humor sprinkled in and even a couple of fun cameos too. Christy’s real-life story is a remarkable one–she fought back the way a true champ would. 

I was fortunate to see an early screening of this sports flick last October and will watch it again on HBO. Here are some bonus photos from the Q&A session with Christy Martin (with a guest appearance by her little dog Champ), actors Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Katy O’Brian and producer Kerry Roberts.

Congrats to “CHRISTY” on being the #1 movie on HBO and keep punching!

Photos by Michele Chong/Poster courtesy of Christy Martin/Black Bear