Mark Wahlberg Shows Off His ‘Fighter’ Physique For Sports Illustrated

Mark Wahlberg isn’t shy about taking his shirt off – he’s been doing it for years, dating back to his Boston days with the “Funky Bunch.”

Now, a shirtless Mark is going somewhere only a few Hollywood celebrities have gone before – the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Mark is featured on the mag’s new “Year In Sports Media” issue in full “The Fighter” regalia, alongside his co-star in the upcoming film, Christian Bale.

However, it wasn’t just Mark’s “Fighter” physique the folks at SI were impressed with – it was also the movie, which they dubbed the “Best Sports Movie of the Decade.”

Of course, obtaining the body of a professional boxer (Mark plays real-life boxer “Irish” Micky Ward in the film) was no easy task.

In fact, Mark told Access Hollywood he would train for the role while shooting other films.

“I would take the boxing trainer and the athletic trainer with me and we’d wake up three hours, four hours before I had to go shoot a 12-hour day and train,” Mark revealed.

The hard work was well worth it for Mark, who said he always dreamed of playing a fighter.

“I always wanted to play a boxer — any kind of athlete. I obviously grew up watching the great boxing movies that were made in the past and yeah, I’m a kid in a candy store. I’m getting to fulfill so many childhood fantasies, playing a football player [in ‘Invincible’], playing [Micky], I mean it’s been amazing,” Mark added.