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Christy Martin is a name etched in boxing history — a pioneer whose fists broke barriers long before women’s combat sports became mainstream. For those of us who have followed the sweet science, her name was impossible to miss. Even if you didn’t watch her fights, you knew of her. Christy Martin wasn’t just a boxer; she was a force of nature. Before there was a Ronda Rousey, there was Christy Martin — the “Coal Miner’s Daughter” who brought women’s boxing out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
Now, her story hits the big screen with Christy, starring Sydney Sweeney as the trailblazing fighter and Ben Foster as her trainer and husband, Jim Martin. Directed with grit and compassion, the film doesn’t just chronicle a career — it charts survival. Sweeney, who’s had a stellar run over the last few years (including a standout turn in Ron Howard’s Eden earlier this year), transforms completely in Christy. Her portrayal of Martin is visceral, capturing not only the fighter’s physical tenacity but her unimaginable resilience outside the ring.
When I spoke with Christy Salters (now going by her maiden name) herself, she reflected on the experience of seeing her life retold through cinema. “God has blessed me,” she said. “I made a deal with God from my hospital bed — if you’ll let me live through this attack, I’ll help at least one person before I die. And then, being the boxer that I am, the arrogant me kicked in and said, no, I want to help one person every day. And that’s what this movie’s going to do.”
That spirit of survival is exactly what drives the film. Christy’s story isn’t just about the punches she threw — it’s about the ones she took and came back from. She was a closeted gay woman in a hyper-masculine sport, trapped in an abusive marriage with her trainer, who eventually attempted to murder her. It’s a story that could easily veer into melodrama, but here it’s handled with honesty and empathy, anchored by Sweeney’s astonishing performance.
“Christy has inspired me since day one,” Sweeney told me. “I’ve taken a little bit of Christy’s strength with me — I’m Christy Strong now. I’ve learned to stand up for myself more, and I want to have her by my side forever. She’s incredible.” That connection between the two women bleeds through every frame. Salters joked that she now feels like Sweeney’s protective coach, texting her advice and “fighting a few fights” on her behalf. “You just don’t know,” Salters laughed. “I send her text messages like, ‘No, no, no, this doesn’t work.’”
Inside the ring, Sweeney doesn’t act like a fighter — she is one. The physicality is authentic and full contact. “We actually fought,” Sweeney said. “All of those scenes you see in the movie — we’re connecting. There were bloody noses, I got a concussion, I was icing my face every day. We went full force at each other.”
Ben Foster, meanwhile, gives a chilling, understated performance as Jim Martin, whose control and quiet cruelty permeate the story. “You just try to be in service of the complications of a twenty-year relationship,” Foster told me. “Christy’s a comet — and you have to go through the fire to be a comet. Those silences, that tension, those are the kinds of relationships that happen every day all over the world.” His presence is terrifying not because he explodes, but because he simmers.
Sweeney’s devotion to authenticity extends far beyond mimicry. She told me Salters was on set often, guiding the process and lending truth to every scene. “I loved having her around,” Sweeney said. “I didn’t want to Hollywood-ize her life in any way. We wanted it to be as truthful and grounded as possible.” That choice pays off — nothing here feels exaggerated. Every bruise, every scar, every hesitation feels earned.
Sweeney’s star power has been undeniable for years, but here, she strips away every trace of glamour. She channels the boxer’s grit, her pain, and her faith in survival with unflinching honesty. “Christy said that she hopes this movie saves lives,” Sweeney told me. “And I really think that it will. I hope it opens the door for others who might be in similar situations to see they have the strength to get out.”
Christy follows the familiar rhythm of the biopic — the rise, the fall, and the redemption — but in this case, that’s exactly what makes it work. The structure doesn’t feel like formula; it feels like faith. You want to see the story unfold as it really happened: the ascent from obscurity to national stardom, the spiral into darkness, and the painful, hard-won climb toward peace. The beats may be recognizable, but the emotion is not manufactured. Every victory feels earned because every loss feels real.
What separates Christy from so many sports dramas is its refusal to treat pain as spectacle. The film doesn’t glamorize violence or linger on trauma; it reframes them as catalysts for empathy. Every bruise, every scar, every silent stare becomes part of a larger portrait — not of a victim, but of a survivor. You don’t leave the theater feeling broken by what you’ve seen; you leave reminded of how strong the human spirit can be when it has no choice but to fight.
At its core, this is a film about endurance, identity, and the will to live. It’s about reclaiming your own story before someone else writes it for you. Sweeney gives the performance of her career, shedding every trace of celebrity and embodying a woman who refused to stay down. Her transformation is total — physical, emotional, and spiritual. And beside her, the real Christy (Martin) Salters stands as living proof of what it means to survive the unimaginable and still find purpose. Together, they have turned tragedy into triumph.
This film isn’t just a contender — it’s a champion. It lands punches not through force, but through truth. Expect Christy to become a centerpiece of awards-season conversation and a fixture on end-of-year best-of lists. Both Sweeney and Salters should be profoundly proud — individually and collectively — for bringing to the screen a story that reminds us that survival itself is the greatest victory of all.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.
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Brad Gilmore
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