Dwayne Johnson is hitting his mobile gym harder than ever as he trains to play MMA pioneer and UFC champ Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie’s upcoming film for A24, The Smashing Machine. The Hollywood heavyweight sweats more than Luke Hobbs in the Fast and Furious franchise in a new video posted to social media, in which Johnson details his intense regimen for the upcoming role. I’m exhausted from watching the video, and I can’t imagine how Johnson feels after hitting the iron enough to transform himself into a puddle of perspiration and charisma.
In the video, Johnson says this is his second training camp after a 12-week training for Wrestlemania. He took ten days off before jumping back into the gym to get swole and familiarize himself with a new fighting form. Combat sports and MMA are new for Johnson, who says he’s living in a whole new world after seeing how fighters on the other side of the fence execute their skills. Before giving the details about his extensive workout routine, Johnson pays respects to the men and women who helped put MMA on the map.
Alongside the workout video, Johnson shared a gallery of photos featuring his hands-on training for the upcoming film. In the images, The Rock looks like he could punch his trainer through a brick wall as he wrestles and grapples with the new fighting style.
In addition to his directorial duties, Safdie co-wrote the script, which focused on Kerr’s struggle with addiction, victory, love, and friendship in the year 2000. Likely to veer into more severe territory, The Smashing Machine gives Johnson a rare opportunity to flex his drama muscles for cameras. While some could be confused about what that looks like, Safdie is known for bringing the best out of his film stars.
Kerr is a former American wrestler and mixed martial artist. As a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner, a PRIDE FC Heavyweight Champion, 1992 NCAA National Wrestling Champion, 1994 National Freestyle Champion, and 4x ADCC World Submission Champion, Kerr is one of the biggest badasses to ever get into the ring.
“Dwayne and Benny are singular talents, and their shared vision for Mark’s inspiring story is electrifying,” said Noah Sacco of A24. “We are deeply honored to have their trust as collaborators in bringing this incredibly special project to life.”
Are you looking forward to seeing Dwayne Johnson play Mark Kerr for Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine? What do you think about Johnson’s extensive workout routine? How long do you think you could last against him in the ring? I’m going to say negative zero seconds for myself.