SYDNEY SWEENEY admits to getting “pummelled” throughout filming of her Christy Martin biopic – after piling on TWO STONE for the role.
Sweeney stars in the title Christy – based off the incredible life and career of champion boxer Martin.
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Martin married her coach Jim Martin – despite being a lesbian – before he tried to KILL the fighter by stabbing and shooting her.
The boxing great – who later married her former opponent Lisa Holewyne – survived the attack while Jim was jailed for 25 years.
Martin’s sensational story is to be played out on the big screen by Euphoria’s Sweeney – who went under a dramatic transformation for the role.
She trained for three months with a boxing coach before filming while also doing weights and having a nutritionists.
Sweeney worked out up to three times a day – while piling on the pounds by eating Chick-fil-A and milkshakes.
Even throughout filming – Sweeney would shoot for 12 hours before heading back to train again.
And the 27-year-old also had to take the bumps for real.
She was left with a black eye when recreating Martin’s famous 2003 fight with Muhammad Ali’s daughter Laila.
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Sweeney told Variety: “I was getting pummeled.
“They were holding ice packs to my face in between takes. I was getting knocked up. I had some gnarly bruises after that.”
On her tiring schedule, Sweeney said: “I’d wrap after a 12-hour shoot and then I’d go train for another two hours. That whole week was grueling.”
Sweeney wore a dark wig and brown contact lenses to morph into Martin while also putting on 30lb.
She said: “I had a nutritionist work with me as well as a weight trainer and a boxing trainer.
“We upped my calorie intake and I started taking a lot of protein shakes and supplements and eating everything.
“I ate a lot of Smuckers, a lot of PB and J sandwiches, milkshakes, kind of just constantly always eating because we were so active.
“I was constantly burning it all off at the same time. So keeping it all up was quite a challenge.”
The movie – which has early rave reviews by critics with Sweeney tipped for an Oscar nomination – releases in November in theatres.
It is directed by Australian David Michod and co-stars X-men actor Ben Foster as Martin’s abusive ex-husband and coach.
Martin – who retired in 2012 and now works as a promoter and motivational speaker – visited Sweeney on set.
The two bonded both before and after production of the film started.
And Sweeney said: “I’m just glad that Christy’s story is out there.”
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