Sydney Sweeney has undergone a dramatic physical transformation for her role as boxing champion Christy Martin, gaining over 30 pounds of muscle through months of intense training. The 27-year-old “Euphoria” star recently revealed she couldn’t fit into her regular clothes during filming.
“My body was completely different,” Sweeney told W Magazine in June 2025. “I didn’t fit in any of my clothes. I’m usually a size 23 in jeans, and I was wearing a size 27. My boobs got bigger. And my butt got huge.”
Despite the drastic changes, Sweeney embraced her new physique. “It was amazing: I was so strong, like crazy strong,” she said.
Her training routine was grueling and consistent. For three and a half months before filming began, she followed a strict schedule: one hour of weight training in the morning, two hours of kickboxing midday, and another hour of weight training at night. This regimen completely altered her typically slim frame, building significant muscle mass to portray the pioneering female boxer accurately.
The untitled biopic, directed by David Michôd, tells the story of Christy Martin’s rise to fame in the 1990s as America’s most recognized female boxer. Martin made history as the first woman to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated and frequently fought on Mike Tyson’s undercards. The film explores both her professional success and personal struggles, including surviving a brutal murder attempt by her then-husband and trainer, James Martin, who stabbed her multiple times and shot her in 2010.
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Filming wrapped in November 2024, and the movie is currently in post-production. While an exact release date and runtime haven’t been announced yet, the film is expected to be released in late 2025 or early 2026.
Ben Foster plays James Martin, with other cast members including Merritt Weaver, Katy O’Brien, Ethan Embry, Jess Gabor, Chad L. Coleman, and Tony Cavalero. The project is being produced by several companies, including Anonymous Content, Black Bear, and Fifty-Fifty Films.
Martin herself has expressed enthusiasm about Sweeney’s casting. “I think she is young, hot, talented,” the Hall of Fame boxer told TMZ. She hopes the film will raise awareness about domestic violence and highlight her journey as “a coal miner’s daughter from a small town in southern West Virginia that made an impact in a sport that wasn’t taken seriously.”
According to W Magazine, Sweeney then dropped the weight in just seven weeks to reprise her role as Cassie in the new season of “Euphoria,” showing her remarkable dedication to both roles.
