There's something beautifully masochistic about actors who insist on doing their own stunts. Sydney Sweeney — fresh off her rom-com renaissance and Euphoria fame — just raised that bar to championship-level heights. For her upcoming Christy Martin biopic Christy, she didn't just learn to box. She got legitimately pummeled. Ice packs between takes. Gnarly bruises. The whole nine rounds.
At TIFF, Sweeney dropped this gem on Variety: “Physically bruising, when I did the Laila Ali fight, 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.”
Ice packs between takes? That's not movie magic — that's straight-up sports medicine.
When Method Acting Meets Mixed Martial Reality
Here's the thing about boxing movies: they usually fake it. Choreographed jabs. Staged hooks. Camera angles that sell the illusion without selling your face to the canvas. Sweeney — who also co-produces this 2025 release — had other plans. She wanted genuine contact. Real punches. The kind of authenticity that leaves marks.
Director David Michôd was apparently bracing for the worst. He expected his leading lady to show up the next morning looking like she'd gone twelve rounds with Mike Tyson. Instead? Sweeney had already figured out the recovery game: “I literally drowned my face in ice buckets for hours all night.”
Hours. In ice buckets. That's commitment that borders on the absurd — and I respect the hell out of it.
The Immaculate star wasn't flying solo in this masochistic enterprise. Her co-stars were equally game for punishment. “All the girls were so game,” Sweeney told Variety. “They were such badasses, and they were down to play with me, and I was like, ‘Are you guys OK if we actually touch and hit gloves?' And they were like, ‘Let's do it.'”
Co-star Katy O'Brien didn't mind “getting punched quite a few times” because — and here's the kicker — it looked real on camera. Which, obviously, it was.
The Christy Martin Story Deserves This Level of Grit
Christy Martin's story isn't some feel-good underdog tale. She was a trailblazer who fought in an era when women's boxing was barely a footnote. Her battles inside the ring were matched by struggles outside it — including surviving a near-fatal attack by her husband and trainer. This isn't Rocky. This is something darker, more complex.
Sweeney's willingness to absorb real punishment feels appropriate for that narrative weight. Martin didn't pull punches, literally or figuratively. Neither, apparently, does her cinematic counterpart.
The film recreates Martin's legendary bout against Laila Ali — a fight that tested both women's limits. Based on Sweeney's bruise-heavy testimonial, they're not sanitizing that history. They're honoring it with blood, sweat, and strategically applied ice packs.
The Horror of Authenticity
There's something almost horror-adjacent about Sweeney's approach here. The willingness to endure real physical trauma for art's sake. It reminds me of practical effects masters who'd rather sculpt nightmares than render them digitally. Sometimes the most powerful performances come from actually experiencing a fraction of what your character endured.
Sweeney's dedication extends beyond masochism, though. She's clearly studied Martin's story, absorbed her fighting style, understood the cultural significance. This isn't just about taking punches — it's about earning them.
The film hits theaters nationwide on November 7th, carrying both sports drama credentials and LGBTQ+ representation. Martin's story intersects identity, violence, survival, and triumph in ways that demand this level of commitment.
What We Learned About Sweeney's Boxing Commitment
Real Contact Was Non-Negotiable
Sweeney insisted on actual punches and glove contact, pushing her co-stars to commit to authentic fight choreography that left visible bruises.
Ice Bucket Recovery Became Routine
Between the Laila Ali fight scene specifically, Sweeney submerged her face in ice buckets for hours overnight to prevent swelling and maintain continuity.
Co-Stars Embraced the Punishment
The entire female cast agreed to Sweeney's authentic approach, with Katy O'Brien acknowledging she got “punched quite a few times” for realism.
Director Expected Worse Damage
David Michôd anticipated his lead actress would arrive on set with black eyes and swelling, but Sweeney's recovery methods kept her camera-ready.
Method Meets Medical Reality
The production required actual sports medicine protocols, with ice packs applied between takes like a real boxing match.
When Christy lands in theaters, we'll finally see if all those ice buckets and bruises translated into something transcendent. Based on Sweeney's track record — and her apparent willingness to bleed for her art — I'm betting they did.
