Dwayne Johnson experienced first hand what makes Oleksandr Usyk so tough when filming ‘The Smashing Machine’.
In the upcoming release, the actor, better known to sports fans as The Rock, stars opposite Emily Blunt to tell the story of legendary MMA fighter, Mark Kerr, and his ex-wife, Dawn Staples.
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Johnson wanted to push himself as much as he could to accurately portray Kerr, leftCredit: GettyThe Rock recalls Oleksandr Usyk sparring session and names one thing that stunned him about the heavyweight
As the highs and lows of Kerr’s career are shown, some familiar faces make an appearance alongside the duo.
This includes the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, Usyk, who plays Igor Vovchanchyn.
In 1999, Vovchanchyn became was the first man to be declared a winner against the seemingly unstoppable Kerr, although the decision was later overturned to a no contest.
The Rock, a WWE legend and still athletic at 53 years old having bulked for the role by putting 30Ibs of muscle on, had to step into the ring to fight Usyk himself as the director, Benny Safdie, wanted to avoid using stunt doubles.
In an interview with talkSPORT, he explained: “Benny didn’t want to cut away, he came to me early and said ‘I know you have great stunt doubles but I’d like to only use you’.
“Which meant, I’m gonna mix it up with these guys and get my a** kicked.
“The first time I lock up with Usyk, we are full on locking up and we went through the whole fight scene.
“I knew then, when I locked up with him and I felt his embrace in this lock up. I knew this is a bad dude.”
For The Rock, who only had positive things to say about Usyk’s character, it was the shift that came inside the ring that intimidated him.
He continued: “Usyk can be a little deceptive, just how he looks. But when he locks up, that deception becomes reality because I’m like ‘oh this is a bad guy.'”
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Usyk plays fellow Ukrainian, Vovchanchyn, who faced Kerr twice in his careerCredit: GETTY
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Kerr lost his rematch with Vovchanchyn in 2000 in an attempt to settle the score following their controversial first clashCredit: Getty
Usyk’s prowess in the ring naturally instills fear in his opponents, having beaten Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury twice.
He is widely considered the best pound for pound fighter on the planet and even The Rock, who was only acting, was unnerved.
“You could feel it in his legs and in his base, and then we start sparring at the top of our fight. Couple of jabs out there and he is so fast, and you know if one of these punches slips.
“I’m going to hospital!”
What was Oleksandr Usyk like on set?
The Rock highlighted that beyond Usyk’s impressive accolades, and intimidating persona, he has some relatable qualities.
Like his surprisingly unhealthy favourite food, which The Rock revealed was cake.
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The film shows the dark times that Kerr went through at the peak of his careerCredit: The Smashing Machine
His eating habits even caught co-star Blunt’s attention. “He wanted to eat it all the time,” she told talkSPORT.
“It just made me laugh.
“The lovely PA was like ‘Alex, we need to get the fake sweat on you again’ and he hated the fake sweat.
“He was like ‘Why?’ as he didn’t understand continuity and she was like ‘If I get you some cake, will you do it?’
“And he goes ‘Yes’ and so they would get him some cake.”
What is The Smashing Machine about?
The film details the life of Kerr, who made his MMA debut in Brazil at the World Vale Tudo Championship in 1997.
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The Rock surprisingly had to undergo an intense physical transformation in order to match Kerr’s prime physique
He earned the nickname ‘The Smashing Machine’ for his ability to obliterate opponents that stood between him and winning.
He debuted in the UFC in 1997 at UFC 14 then fought and won again at UFC 15 before leaving for another promotion, Pride where he tasted his first loss, to Vovchanchyn, which was later ruled no contest.
In 2025 he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, taking his place in the Pioneer Wing.
Making the announcement, UFC CEO Dana White said: “Mark Kerr was a high-level wrestler who also fought for PRIDE and was one of the early pioneers of the sport.”
The full interview with The Rock will be played out on Drive from 4pm on 30 September
The Smashing Machine is released on 3 October