Sydney Sweeney Steps Into the Ring WithChristy
Sydney Sweeney has stepped into one of the most demanding roles of her career with Christy , the new biopic about legendary boxer Christy Martin. The film just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and while there’s already been plenty of chatter surrounding Sweeney’s American Eagle ad controversy, she’s made it clear that TIFF is about one thing for her: the movie. “I’m there to support my film and the people who worked so hard on it,” she explained. “I’m not there to talk about jeans.”
Also Read:So let’s talk about the movie. Christy , directed by David Michôd, follows the rise of Christy Martin, nicknamed the “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” who fought her way from rural West Virginia to international fame as the most recognized female boxer of the 1990s. But the story is about more than just boxing—it’s about survival. Martin’s marriage to her trainer, Jim Martin, turned abusive and controlling, creating a harrowing backdrop to her athletic triumphs.
To embody the role, Sweeney underwent an intense transformation. She trained daily for months, gaining more than 30 pounds of muscle, and even endured real bruises and concussions along the way. She insisted that the fight scenes had to feel authentic, which meant the punches weren’t faked. “Every single fight you see, we are actually punching each other,” she admitted. That level of commitment was fueled by her respect for Christy Martin’s story, which she described as one of the most inspiring she’s ever encountered.
The film itself plays like a sports underdog story at first—an athlete fighting for respect in a male-dominated arena. But as Michôd points out, the tone shifts dramatically, peeling back the layers of Christy’s life and exposing the darker realities of coercive relationships and hidden identities. Christy, who had to conceal her sexuality for much of her career, became trapped in a relationship that nearly cost her everything.
Sweeney isn’t the only one pushing boundaries in Christy . Ben Foster takes on the difficult role of Jim Martin, Christy’s abusive husband, with such intensity that even Christy herself kept her distance from him on set. Yet, she was also there to cheer Sweeney on, shouting encouragement during fight scenes as though she were back ringside in the 1990s.
Early reviews have been mixed. Some critics argue that the film leans too heavily on sports clichés, leaving Christy’s more personal struggles underdeveloped until late in the story. Others, however, have praised Sweeney’s physical and emotional dedication, calling her performance career-defining. Whether audiences see the film as an inspiring boxing saga or as an uneven biopic, one thing is certain—Sweeney has thrown herself fully into the role.
And perhaps that’s the biggest takeaway: the determination to honor Christy Martin’s legacy with every punch, bruise, and tear shed on screen.
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