From Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee to Donnie Yen, action stars and martial artists have created a comfortable niche for themselves in action roles on the silver screen. Now, The Eternals star Ma Dong Seok — also known as Don Lee — is joining hands with the creators of Netflix’s popular reality competition series, Physical: 100, unveiling a brand-new show centred on boxing, I Am Boxer. Here’s everything we know.
With a boxing career spanning three decades, action star, actor, and former professional boxer Don Lee has high hopes for the future of Korean boxing. Inspired by the 1976 boxing film Rocky, Lee picked up the sport in his youth and pursued professional boxing between 1981 to 1889.
His colourful resume doesn’t just end there; prior to his big box office break in the MCU, Lee worked as a personal trainer for mixed martial arts with popular clients including Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman. Lee’s passion for boxing has long been documented, particularly in Korea where he was born. Notably, he is also the honorary vice president of the Korea Boxing Association. A staunch supporter of the sport and its continued growth, Lee has become a driving force in promoting it, reportedly asserting that “Boxing is life.”
Now, Lee has set his sights on debuting in the reality television sphere, partnering up with the creators of the highly successful reality challenge, Physical: 100, to design a reality series of his own design: I Am Boxer.
Don Lee and Physical: 100 creators to debut new reality series, I Am Boxer
Produced by CJ ENM, I Am Boxer will feature 90 South Korean boxers of varying ages and weight classes as they duke it out in a series of challenges to become South Korea’s next boxing icon. Dropping on November 21, 2025 on Disney+, the series will also feature an assortment of Korean celebrities, comedians, boxing amateurs, and others, with guest appearances from “some of the biggest names in the fight game”.
Besides Lee, whose work in The Eternals and Train to Busan needs no introduction, I Am Boxer will also feature Dex from The Zone: Survival Mission 3 and Single’s Inferno and Kim Jong-kook from Running Man as hosts. The series is produced by Lee Won-woong, the director of military survival reality show, Steel Troops.
Lee, who will enjoy his reality TV debut with I Am Boxer, shared his excitement in the first series teaser, saying, “I have long dreamed of this stage.”
I Am Boxer will premiere on Disney+ on November 21, 2025.
(Main and featured image: Disney+)
This story first appeared here.
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.