Sydney Sweeney goes makeup-free playing boxer Christy Martin on set of hotly-anticipated biopic

Sydney Sweeney was astir unrecognizable connected group successful Gastonia, North Carolina connected Tuesday, arsenic she transformed into legendary boxer Christy Martin for an upcoming biopic.

The Anyone But You star, 27, who precocious thwarted a burglary effort during filming, wholly shed her glamorous image for a gritty, diversion look consecutive retired of nan 1990s.

Swapping her accustomed red-carpet style for a baggy sports ensemble, Sweeney donned a brunette wig, a pinkish vessel top, and acheronian shorts, capturing Martin’s tone from her early boxing days. 

She added a brace of pinkish sneakers and carried a knapsack, embodying nan combatant who, years later, survived a sadistic onslaught from her hubby successful an effort connected her life.

The peek into accumulation comes aft Sweeney, who practiced combat sports arsenic a teenager, shared that nan movie has fixed her nan cleanable chance to rekindle her passion for nan ring.

'I grappled and did kickboxing from 12-19 years old. I've been itching to get backmost into nan ring, train, and toggle shape my body,' Sweeney told Deadline recently. 

'Christy's communicative isn't a ray one; it's physically and emotionally demanding... But I emotion challenging myself. 

'I consciousness compelled to show a communicative astir a female who faced truthful overmuch adversity and didn’t let it to conclusion her. It's powerful, and emotional.'

The film, directed by David Michod, follows Martin’s emergence to prominence successful nan 1990s arsenic America's apical female boxer.

Sweeney signed connected to play Christy Martin backmost successful May, pinch Michod (Animal Kingdom) directing from a book he co-wrote pinch Mirrah Foulkes. 

The formed includes Ben Foster, playing Martin’s husband, James, on pinch Merritt Weaver, Ethan Embry, and Katy O’Brien.

Nicknamed 'The Coal Miner’s Daughter' successful grant of her father’s roots, Martin, now 56, hails from West Virginia and is wide credited pinch bringing women’s boxing into nan spotlight. 

Her iconic 1996 face-off against Deirdre Gogarty astatine nan MGM Grand successful Las Vegas captivated a packed arena, cementing her spot successful boxing history.

Martin’s occurrence led to appearances connected nan screen of Sports Illustrated, impermanent spots connected awesome talk shows, and moreover cameos successful American sitcoms. 

Yet, distant from nan limelight, her life was acold from nan image of success. 

For 20 years, she endured maltreatment from her hubby and trainer, James 'Jim' Martin. 

In a chilling battle connected November 23, 2010, Jim stabbed Christy aggregate times and changeable her erstwhile successful nan torso, leaving her for dormant pursuing a heated statement astatine their home. Remarkably, Christy survived.

In June 2012, Jim was sentenced to 25 years successful situation for attempted second-degree execution and manslaughter. 

Today, Christy has recovered caller intent arsenic a boxing promoter and joined her erstwhile ringing rival, Lisa Holewyne, successful 2017. 

Her travel arsenic a boxer and subsister has transformed her into an enduring awesome of resilience.

She went connected to go nan first female inducted into some nan Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame (2016) and nan International Boxing Hall of Fame (2020), wrapping up her profession pinch a 49-7-3 record.

Currently successful production, nan merchandise day for nan movie remains unannounced.