Sydney Sweeney is remarkably charismatic as a young woman navigating self-discovery while also possessing considerable fighting ability. Playing Christy Salters, she must conceal her relationship with Rosie (Jess Gabor) from her mother, who can be quite intense. As her boxing skills become apparent, they draw the attention of a promoter who recognizes her aggressive style and sends her to trainer Jim Martin (Ben Foster). Initially, he only wants to use her, but eventually comes to believe she has real potential. The film establishes that any ambiguity surrounding her sexuality is unacceptable; Rosie moves on and ends up married to Jim. A career under the guidance of the mysterious Don King (Chad Coleman) looms, promising commitment, hard work, and money—but as she achieves success, it becomes clear there are significant problems in her personal life, cocaine enters the picture, and her marriage to Jim grows increasingly stifling. Her professional trajectory culminates with a high-profile fight against Laila Ali, while personally, one wonders how much longer this damaging marriage can endure. The story of Christy’s accomplishments is undeniably compelling, and I remember the considerable attention surrounding the Ali fight in 2003. However, despite Sweeney's strong performance, I found the film to be awkwardly paced and ultimately quite bland in its portrayal of Martin’s life. It lingers too long on early development, glosses over aspects that would have made her more relatable, and frequently descends into a disappointing melodrama that diminishes the story’s potential energy. Foster is suitably cast, but his character also feels underdeveloped, and I honestly couldn't understand why she would ever be attracted to him, let alone marry him—particularly given the pink gym kit he gave her. Considering the film deals with addiction in various forms, it lacks a sense of urgency or excitement; I even glanced at my watch on several occasions as the 2¼-hour movie progressed. The fight sequences are well-executed, but there aren’t enough of them to truly draw us into the raw and conflicted reality of her life—in many respects, this felt like another mismatch, similar to some of her early bouts. It's unfortunate.

Source on TMDB