Sydney Sweeney will play the legendary boxer Christy Martin, whom her husband tried to kill

Sydney Sweeney stars in a new sports biopic. She will play American boxing legend Christy Martin, Deadline reports.

Christy Martin is the first female boxer to sign a contract with renowned promoter Don King. In 2016, she became the first woman to be inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame. She also became the first professional boxer to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated. Martin ended her 23-year career with 49 victories (31 of them by knockout) and 7 defeats.

The film will tell the story of Christie's rise to fame in the 90s, as well as her difficult personal life. In 2010, a scandal erupted throughout America: an attempt was made on Christie’s life by her husband and coach Jim Martin. As it turned out, Martin was regularly subjected to domestic violence outside the ring.

The news about Sweeney's approval for the role was received ambiguously by the public: many felt that the actress did not at all resemble the prototype of the main character of the film. However, Sydney herself had no doubt that this was her role, because the girl loves boxing and MMA, from 12 to 19 years old she was engaged in grappling and kickboxing.

“I couldn’t wait to get back in the ring, train and transform my body. Christie’s story is not easy, it requires physical and emotional effort, and there was a lot of weight on her shoulders,” said Sydney. She noted that Christy Martin “not only legitimized women's boxing, but overcame gender stereotypes and fought emotional, physical and financial abuse.”

The project, which does not yet have an official title, will be directed and written by David Michaud (“Wolf Law,” “The King of England”), co-authored with Mirra Faulks (“Judy and Punch”). Filming is set to begin in the US this summer.