Ahead of Friday’s release of The Smashing Machine, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and UFC Hall of Famer Mark Kerr sat down with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith to discuss the film on Thursday’s episode of First Take.
Kerr was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner, an NCAA Division I wrestling champion and a freestyle wrestling World Cup gold medalist, among other accolades. The biopic was inspired by a 2002 HBO documentary of the same name that detailed his MMA career and his struggles with substance abuse.
The Rock explained to Smith that he was interested in Kerr’s story since seeing that documentary over two decades ago.
“What I also realized, it’s hard for anybody to relate to what it’s like to be the greatest fighter on the planet,” The Rock said. At one time, Mark was, at one time Mark was Mike Tyson, completely undefeated and dominant. No one knows what that’s like except the very few. They can’t relate to that, but what they can relate to is pressure. The pressure to deliver day in and day out, and the struggles of that pressure, the mental struggles of that pressure. So I felt like Mark had a really compelling story.”
The early reviews of The Smashing Machine are promising, as Benny Safdie was awarded the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival following its world premiere last month.
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