Copyright Athlon Sports
Christy Martin’s life story is a tale of incredible resilience and trailblazing triumph. Known as the “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” Martin rose from humble beginnings to become the most celebrated female boxer of her era in the 90s, shattering barriers and bringing women’s boxing into the mainstream for the first time. Her career was marked by legendary fights, but also by a harrowing personal struggle, surviving a murder attempt from her former coach and husband. This powerful narrative of overcoming adversity is now being brought to the big screen in a major biopic titled Christy, with actress Sydney Sweeney taking on the role of portraying the boxing icon. In a surprising turn, the megastar actress has recently confessed that she is open to the idea of stepping into a real boxing ring, following the footsteps of the woman she portrays. In an interview with David Evans from Sportscasting.com, Sweeney admitted, “There was a moment in the middle of filming where I was like, ‘Should I give it all up and fight?’ because I love this.” Preparing for the Role Through Training Camp The commitment Sweeney showed to the role was far beyond typical movie preparation, as she had to undergo extensive and grueling training to authentically depict Martin’s athleticism and power. According to Evans, her training camp was designed to emulate that of a professional boxer, focusing on building functional strength, mastering footwork, and developing punching power. She also worked with trainer Matt Baiamonte, protege of legendary boxing coach Angelo Dundee, and strength trainer Grant Roberts, who trained Hilary Swank during her role in the 2004 Clint Eastwood film Million Dollar Baby. Sweeney told Evans, “For about two and a half months, I would weight train in the morning for an hour, box three hours in the middle of the day, and then another hour of weight training at night.” “I put on 35 pounds and it was hard,” she said. “I started losing weight once I upped my boxing time and had to find that balance, just continually pounding more and more protein shakes.” Beyond the physical preparation, the training ignited a genuine passion and respect for the sport. Sydney Sweeney’s Combat Sports History Her desire to compete is not as unexpected as some may think. According to an interview with Lisa Mischianti from Marie Claire, the actress has trained in MMA since she was 14 years old, and she competed in her first grappling competition at 18. Sweeney is also a well-known fan of combat sports and has attended UFC events, such as UFC 288: Cejudo vs. Sterling. Relationship With Christy Martin The prospect of her stepping into the boxing ring may also be more possible than some might expect. Sweeney told Evans that Christy Martin herself might be willing to help her book a fight. “Christy said she’d sign me up. So, this isn’t as hypothetical as you actually think it is. Yeah, I’d totally do a charity bout, that’d be so sick,” she admitted. Her willingness to step into the ring adds more buzz to the film’s promotional tour, generating hype not just for the movie itself, but for Sweeney’s personal journey and the very real physical and mental transformation she underwent to honor a legend.
