Ring Life: Sergio Martinez premieres this Friday on HBO

New York, NY – Sergio Martinez, one of boxing’s brightest stars, who makes his 2012 ring debut on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) at New York’s Madison Square Garden, will be featured on the next installment of the Emmy-nominated HBO series Ring Life, which will be available on the network as well as all the digital media platforms that distribute the series.

Martinez, who turned 37 on Feb. 21, hails from Argentina, but has made Oxnard, CA his home base in America. Surprisingly, he did not take up the sport of boxing until the age of 20 and after quietly building his resume his pro career took off in 2008. Since then the polished southpaw (48-2-2, 27 KOs) has fast-tracked his way to become the dominant force in the middleweight division and among the top performers in the sport.

Interestingly, Martinez takes the responsibility of being a high-profile sports star seriously and has made it a priority to speak out and support a wide range of important social initiatives, including bringing an end to bullying among children and teens.

Ring Life chronicles the lives of fighters as they define the spirit of boxing; balancing work, family life, training, expectations and the pursuit of their dreams. Front and center in these fighters’ lives, Ring Life presents a chapter on each fighter that delves inside their hearts and minds to discover what drives them in the ring and beyond, in the ultra-competitive sport of professional boxing.

The Martinez Ring Life profile will debut Friday, March 2 at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT on HBO. The profile is approximately 12 minutes.

HBO playdates: Mar. 5 (11:30 p.m.), 12 (7:45 p.m.), 14 (1:00 p.m.) and 16 (12:30 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Mar. 7 (9:45 p.m.) and 11 (10:15 a.m.)

This new installment of Ring Life will also be available across HBO Digital Media platforms including HBO.com/boxing, HBO’s YouTube Channel, iPad and iPhone applications, and as free podcasts via Apple’s iTunes Music Store. Additionally it can been seen at www.dailymotion.com/hbo. Ring Life is also offered on HBO GO® and HBO On Demand® to subscribers 24 hours a day as well as on affiliate Free on Demand services and affiliate online platforms.

The series received a 2010 Sports Emmy® nomination for Outstanding New Approaches Sports Programming – Short Format, and was also nominated for a Sports Emmy® in 2009 for Outstanding New Approaches Sports Programming.

The Sergio Martinez vs. Matthew Macklin middleweight prizefight takes place Saturday, March 17 from the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York as part of an HBO World Championship doubleheader, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT.