Over a 24-year career in the boxing ring, Christy Martin became one of the best female fighters in the world — a Hall of Famer and super welterweight champion who fought 59 times and won 49, the majority by knockout. She was promoted by the legendary Don King, arguably the most bombastic personality in a sport full of them. Martin competed on cards headlined by Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Julio César Chávez.

It takes a lot to impress her. But seeing Sydney Sweeney portray her in “Christy” — which debuted in theaters on Friday — Martin said she was at a loss for words.

“If you see anybody do that, it’s one thing. But you see Sydney Sweeney doing that? It was a whole ’nother level of ‘wow,’” Martin told NBC News in a recent interview conducted over Zoom. “She’s the ‘it’ girl. She’s t

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