Untold: Deal With the Devil

From the creators of WILD WILD COUNTRY, comes a five-part docuseries event that brings fresh eyes to tales from the wide world of sports. From tennis to boxing to basketball, these stories aren’t the ones you’ve heard before, even if you think you have. Premiering weekly, each film kicks off at a pivotal moment — the big fight, the Olympics, the playoffs — and then delves deep into what happened beyond the headlines, as told by those who lived it, to reveal the grit, resilience, heartbreak, triumph, violence, comedy and pathos beneath the sweat. Whether it’s the famous “Malice at the Palace” Pacers-Pistons brawl finally being unraveled by those who were on the inside, Olympian Caitlyn Jenner reflecting on her journey to winning gold, boxer Christy Martin in the fight of her life outside the ring, professional tennis player Mardy Fish opening up about his struggles with mental health, or a misfit band of hockey players known as the Trashers taking orders from the teenage son of an alleged mob boss, UNTOLD gets to the heart of the passion and single mindedness it takes to be a champion and the ways in which the triumphs can be undone off the field. Films are directed by Chapman Way and Maclain Way (Wild Wild Country), Floyd Russ (Zion), Laura Brownson (The Rachel Divide, Lemon) and Crystal Moselle (Betty, The Wolfpack).

UNTOLD: Deal with the Devil Premieres August 17, 2021

Directed by Laura Brownson (The Rachel Divide, Lemon)

Described as one of the most influential female boxers of all time, helping legitimize women’s participation in the sport, Christy 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.