BROOKLYN, N.Y. - It’s a brutal sport. Boxers trying to land punches to knock out their opponents. But why do many fighters turn to God as they engage in such violence? A new documentary aims to find out. 

Titled "Ring of Faith" the documentary explores the link between religion and boxing. 

Craig Tubiolo spent three years working on the project. He’s the Director of Programming and Production at DeSales Media Group, the communications arm of the Brooklyn Diocese. 

"After watching boxing I would always see that people would right away thank God. So after a 12 round fight they’re bleeding and first thing they would do is say I want to thank God my Lord my Savior," Tubiolo said.

Tubiolo interviewed more than two dozen people from the boxing world and from different religions.  

"We were fortunate we just got about every world champion boxer from a Catholic world champion boxer to a Christian world champion boxer, a Jewish world champion to the Muslim world champion and they all had the same sort of point of view. They all felt like this is a calling from God that God gave them this gift," Tubiolo said.

"I feel like God when he made me he just blessed me with so much talent and he said go pick it. And boxing just happened to be what it is," said Shawn Porter, a two-time Welterweight World Champion.

Former boxer Yuri Foreman became an ordained rabbi five years ago. 

"You may be the strongest guy. You may have the fastest hands. And many people interpret that as wow, he has so much competence and faith in himself. That’s not faith. Sometimes it’s just plain ego," Foreman said.

The filmmaker says fighters who have a religious connection, help strengthen their communities. 

"They do a lot more than just box. Whether it’s a not-for-profit or they communicate with kids, they inspire other people. So boxing to me, what I discovered, was just the foundation for other things," Tubiolo said.

The Emmy-nominated documentary will be released on Netflix and other platforms in July.