Video: Sydney Sweeney Turns Up the Heat in Sparring Session with Boxing Legend Christy Martin
Hollywood star Sydney Sweeney is set to portray boxing legend Christy Martin in a biopic scheduled to hit theaters sometime in 2025.
Last year, Sweeney showed off her incredible transformation from blonde bombshell to a muscled-out brunette in preparation for her role as the former WBC female super welterweight champion.
Now, courtesy of TMZ Sports, we have our first footage of Sweeney showing off her skills in the ring during a playful sparring session with ‘The Coal Miner’s Daughter.’
TMZ also obtained photos from the set featuring Sweeney sporting a white blazer while gazing at the April 1996 issue of Sports Illustrated, which featured Martin on the cover.
Sydney Sweeney thrilled to portray martin—a fighter both in and out of the ring
The untitled biopic was first announced last May, with a cast that includes Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, Jess Gabor, and Ethan Embry. Filming officially wrapped in November 2024.
The film tells the true story of Martin, who rose to fame as America’s most successful female boxer in the 1990s, at the same time as dealing with personal demons and toxic relationships behind the scenes.
“Over the past few months, I’ve been immersed in training to bring to life the story of an incredible woman — a true champion who fought battles both inside and outside the ring,” Sweeney wrote on Instagram in October. “Her journey is a testament to resilience, strength, and hope, and I’m honored to step into her shoes to share her powerful story with you all. more to come soon 🙂 CHRISTY MARTIN.”
Martin went 49-7 in her professional boxing career with 32 of her wins coming by way of knockout. A year after winning her first world championship, Martin was stabbed several times, shot in her torso, and left for dead by her then-husband, 66-year-old James V. Martin. Miraculously, she survived the attack.
James Martin was arrested a week later and charged with attempted second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. He died on November 26, 2024, while serving his sentence at Graceville Correctional Facility in Graceville, Florida.
