There was much blood and sweat—but few tears—involved in Sydney Sweeney’s transformation into Christy Martin for David Michôd’s biopic. The film chronicles the trailblazing fighter who brought women’s boxing into the US mainstream in the mid-1990s. With its intense recreation of Martin’s real-life fights, viewers might question if they truly witnessed Sweeney being mercilessly punched in the head. The answer is yes.
“Oh yeah, they were all real. Every fight that you see, we’re hitting each other,” Sweeney, 28, says cheerily. “I had concussions, there were some bloody noses.” When asked if the concussions were frightening, she responds, “Nah, I loved it! The lady who played Laila Ali is an actual professional boxer. She hit hard, and it was very, very real. She’s how I got my concussion.”
Transforming into a Fighter
In the ring, Sweeney was essentially cut loose from the rest of the production. Michôd notes that the fighting was “a thing that I had very little to do with; it became a negotiation between Sydney and the stunt performers.” However, when it came to bulking up, Sweeney had a companion. She gained two-and-a-half stone to match Martin’s fighting weight of “135 to 137lbs.”
On set, Sweeney shared her calorific snack of choice, Uncrustables, with her co-star Ben Foster. Foster, who played Martin’s boxing promoter husband Jim, also consumed “a lot of burritos” to better resemble his character. “I think it was the second week when Syd came up and just started touching my double chin,” recalls Foster. “She was like: ‘That prosthetic looks really good.’ And I said: ‘That’s not a prosthetic.’”
Exploring Complex Relationships
While Sweeney’s physical transformation is headline-grabbing, the film is a serious exploration of an abusive relationship. Jim is portrayed as a master manipulator who exploits his position as his wife’s manager. Michôd was drawn to the film for its exploration of coercive control relationships, admitting he initially couldn’t understand why Martin didn’t leave him.
The seeds of the film were sown by Michôd’s business partner, who informed him that Martin’s life rights were available. Upon learning about her shocking story through Laura Brownson’s Netflix documentary, Michôd met Martin and realized her compelling complexity. “How this pugnacious, brawling, trash-talking, supreme athlete was actually incredibly gentle and vulnerable and wears her emotional scars so openly,” he reflects.
The Real Christy Martin
The real Martin—now Christy Salters—was initially skeptical of the film due to her experiences with gangsters and rip-off artists in boxing. Gradually, Michôd and co-writer Mirrah Foulkes won her trust. Casting Sweeney was a strategic decision, considering her social stature and hunger for the role.
“You can just tell,” Michôd says of Sweeney’s determination. “I was on a Zoom with her and I could tell that she wanted this really, really bad. You can just feel that energy in a person.”
Sweeney’s Personal Reflections
Sweeney found parallels between herself and Christy, noting, “She has her fight inside the ring and outside the ring, and I fight within my own ring and outside my ring. Misunderstood. Complicated relationships. Growing up as a woman. Carving out our own paths and figuring out who we are.”
Playing Christy required a delicate balance. Initially, Christy is a tough yet sympathetic small-town girl from West Virginia. As she rises to fame, she becomes a celebrity, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated and introducing female boxing to the masses. However, her public persona becomes controversial, making jibes about other boxers and claiming to be a traditional homemaker.
Handling Controversy
Sweeney herself has faced negative press, such as the backlash from an American Eagle jeans advert and a family party incident involving Maga-style caps. She responds, “I think what’s interesting is I’m always myself. I’m always just me. But it’s what other people put on me that’s uncontrollable.”
Foulkes attributes Christy’s regressive persona to bad influences in the boxing world and self-loathing. Sweeney sees it differently, stating, “I don’t think that she’s anti-feminist, she just wasn’t there to be a puppet for a movement.”
Beyond the Boxing Ring
Sweeney hasn’t boxed since filming wrapped, as she quickly transitioned to filming the third season of HBO’s Euphoria. She reflects on the challenge of returning to her previous shape, describing it as a mental and physical withdrawal from intense workouts.
The film Christy swings between a feel-good sports biopic and a horror movie as Jim’s mistreatment escalates. Foster, who plays Jim, found it challenging to connect with a character with few redeeming qualities. “There are a lot of bullies in the world right now,” he says, noting that Jim’s actions stem from fragility and insecurity.
For Michôd, the key to Jim was identifying the trauma embedded in such men. Foulkes emphasizes the importance of humanizing Jim without justifying his actions, praising Foster’s nuanced performance.
At the end of filming, Foster struggled to shake off Jim’s abuse, while Sweeney found it easier to disconnect. “I am capable of turning it on and off very easily,” she says. Despite the disturbing subject matter, her focus remained on honoring Christy’s story.
Christy is set for release in UK and Irish cinemas on November 28, following its US release. It will premiere in Australia on January 8.
