©Courtesy of Black Bear

Exclusive Interview with a real life boxer Christy Martin

Q : So, how this project actually came to you?

Christy Martin: This project has been in works for quite some time. It would gain, then lose momentum. Finally, Votiv Films, Anonymous Content, and Black Bear, they all came together and then David Michôd came on to be the director. It was his partner Mirrrah Foulkes is the co-writer. And it was like, once all that team got together and then Sydney Sweeney came on board, it just hit the ground running that everything had been up and down and appalled, but then now the team got together and it did happen so quickly.

Q : I heard that Sydney Sweeney did three months of training for this film, and even built her own gym in the house. I heard that you’re also on the set most of the time. What kind of physical and mental advices that you gave her on the set?

Christy Martin: By pre-production, Sydney had done a lot of homework. She was doing the boxing moves. Matt Baiamonte is a good coach that I’ve known for a long time. So he had broken me down and rebuilt me through Sydney. And she had the talk, and the walk, she had me down by the time that I got to sit with her.

Q : What’s your impression when you saw her fighting?

Christy Martin: Wow. This is Sydney Sweeney that none of us have seen before. I didn’t think that this Sydney Sweeney existed. But she’s a great actress that she was able to transform herself into me.

Q : It’s really a wonderful thing, isn’t it?

Christy Martin: It’s a little crazy.

Q : When you heard that promoter told you that there’s a trainer in Bristol, Tennessee to train you, when you met Jim Martin for the first time, what was your impression? He was also a boxer that trained with Marvin Johnson, a light heavy weight champion, right?

Christy Martin: He’s from Indiana and had done a lot of professional boxing in Indianapolis. He had been a sparring partner for Marvin Johnson and trained with Marvin’s brother Sarge.

Q : Speaking of Jim Martin, transformation of Ben Foster is really remarkable. I heard that Ben didn’t meet Jim due to the service of telling your story right. What stood out for you about his transformation, mannerism, and his approach?

Christy Martin: Ben Foster became Jim Martin, so much that I stayed very far away from him for the entire time during the shoot.(lol)

©Courtesy of Black Bear

Q : I see…lol

Christy Martin: Because he was Jim Martin. Once he got his final call, once it was done, and I gave him a big hug and told him thank you. we’re buddies now, he comes to support me at my fight promotions, and I was just hanging out with him last night, he’s a good dude.

Q : In the film, Jim Martin was talking about boxing is 5% of aggression and rest is strategy and control. What’s your strategy in boxing that made it differ from other fighters that made you stood out?

Christy Martin: As a fighter, I just wanted to go out there and knock people out. I want to be strong and just in control of situation. So in the ring, I was who I wanted to be, but outside of the ring, I was being controlled.

Q : Even Don King said “I never had a female fighter in office.” Did you end up showing your boxing moves like in the movie in front of Don King, because the VHS video didn’t work? What was the first meeting with Don King, who ended up promoting you?

Christy Martin: So that first day I went, I had the VHS tape and the VCR that wasn’t hooked up properly. So, my (boxing) videotape wouldn’t work, and I was in a panic if he can’t see my tape, he doesn’t know that I can fight. So I started shadowboxing to show him, look, I know how to throw punches, I know how to throw combinations, I can fight. It was important to me that I was there. Those are the kind of meetings you get once in a lifetime and I wanted to take full advantage of it.

Q : You trained with Lisa Holewyne before you fight with Laila Ali. Later, She(Lisa) became your partner for a long time. So what was her quality that ended up a long-lasting relationship?

Christy Martin: Lisa is good hearted person that to be helpful, and she’s very smart and a great businesswoman. She’s kind of all the things I’m not. So we’re yin and yang and we balance each other.

©Courtesy of Black Bear

Q : As much as your life rely on the boxing ring, this film also tackles the issues of parents not accepting child’s sexuality and also domestic violence. Was it sort of like a little bit therapeutic for you to watch after all things happened to your life, what was your first impression of this movie? Your life flashes before your eyes in a way..

Christy Martin: It’s a rollercoaster ride. The highs and lows, it’s hard..it’s not easy to watch this, relive over and over. But what I do know is that through this movie, I’m gonna be able to help other people and that’s what is important to me. That was my deal with God. If you’ll let me live, I’m gonna help as many people as I possibly can. And that’s what this movie’s gonna do.

Q : You are a fight promoter now, what you look for on a female fighter, what was the asset of the young talents that you are looking for right now as a promoter for boxing?

Christy Martin: I don’t have any female fighters, I only have guys…

Q : Oh, really..

Christy Martin: It’s not because I wouldn’t sign a female fighter, I haven’t seen that person that good fit for my promotions. But with the guys that I’ve signed , it’s not all about how great they fight, it’s about their character as a human being that I think it’s important. And that’s probably the first thing that I look for, who they are, then how much they can fight is second.

Q : In those days, being a female fighter, they didn’t have enough money to make a living. Now you are a promoter. How did it change over the course of last 30, 40 years and now you promote female boxing. Could you talk about the change of female boxing in general?

Christy Martin: Jake Paul(American professional boxer, influence and co-founder of boxing promotion Most Valuable Promotions) has given female fighters a great opportunity. The money is different, the exposure’s different, the acceptance is different. I think my fight with Deirdre Gogarty plays a big part of that from 1996.

Q : Okay, I have a good time talking to you, Christy. Thank you so much for your time.

Christy Martin: Thank you.

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Here’s the trailer of the film.