If you’re going to star in a boxing movie, you really need to look like you belong in the ring. So, when Sydney Sweeney took on the role of Christy Martin – the pioneering female boxer, who also faced serious trials away from the ropes when her coach-turned-husband became abusive – she threw herself into training, donning those red gloves every day. And to help speed up the process, she brought the gym to her.
“I built my own version of a Rocky gym in my grandma’s garage,” Sweeney tells Empire of her training for Christy. “I had a floor ring, and bags hanging, and painted the walls with chalkboard paint. I felt like I was actually going for a real fight.” For a good chunk of a year, her days revolved around throwing down in the boxing ring. “I had three months of training and worked out every day,” she recalls. “An hour of weight training in the morning and night, and boxing for three to four hours. I felt so strong.”
The hope is to bring Martin’s story to the screen with total fidelity, not just in the emotional and personal story, but what she achieved in the sport too. “Every fight is an exact replica of one of Christy’s,” says Sweeney. “We were learning them precisely, watching videos and choreography and making sure my technique and combos were the same as hers.” Prepare for a knockout performance.
Read Empire’s full Sydney Sweeney interview on training for Christy in the Stranger Things 5 issue, on sale Thursday 23 October. Pre-order a copy online here. Christy comes to UK cinemas from 28 November.