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It all began with a mutual respectful nod between two powerful figures at a Santa Monica Gold’s Gym in the summer of 1997. Former Olympic wrestling contender Mark Kerr was training for his first Ultimate Fighting Championship bout, following his commanding performance in a three-match, one-night tournament in Brazil just two months prior. Dwayne “Rocky Maivia” Johnson, a ex- NFL prospect benched with a knee injury sustained during his sophomore year with the WWE, approached him.

“Can I take you to lunch?” Johnson inquired Kerr, who agreed to meet at the Firehouse restaurant in Santa Monica. Their discussion inevitably turned to mixed martial arts, as Johnson peppered the 1992 NCAA champion with specific questions about the unregulated sport. MMA was gaining popularity in Japan, where multiple promotions hired pro wrestlers for “crossover” fights.

“What’s it like working for this group? How’s the pay and do they pay on time? How’s the work schedule? I could tell from his inquiries that he was deeply considering his options,” said Kerr, age 29 at the time. “I questioned him why he’d depart from the WWE, which seemed much more of a secure choice than competing. When he told me he was losing out financially on the road, touring 250 days a year for $150,000, I understood.”

The two exchanged numbers and went their separate ways, two ships passing in the night. Kerr moved from the UFC to Japan’s Pride Fighting Championships the next year for paydays topping $200,000, while the babyface “Maivia” returned to the WWE and turned heel, courtesy of Vince McMahon. “The Rock” emerged soon after and the eyebrow-raising Johnson’s career quickly snapped into place.

Peaks and Valleys of a Titleholder

Between 1997 and 2000, Kerr was the No 1 MMA heavyweight in the world. His record soared to 11-0, but it was a hectic pace few competitors could keep up for long. Kerr was no stranger to drugs; a trainer had introduced him to steroids in his early fights. Now, Kerr required pain management from decades of cumulative pain to enhance his endurance for Pride’s grueling 10-minute rounds. Kerr had torn cartilage in his ribcage that caused discomfort with him with each breath.

“There was always an abundance of doctors [in Arizona] who’d prescribe me opioids,” Kerr stated, “and if one said no, I’d just find the next.”

Kerr was hooked to Vicodin in a short time, a missed dose causing anxiety, abdominal pain and fatigue. Being no novice to intravenous drugging, popping pills quickly evolved into injecting liquid straight into his veins. Kerr hid his Nubain and morphine bottle in the guest bathroom out of sight from his girlfriend, Dawn. He injected every morning, sometimes waking hours later slumped over the toilet when he’d overmedicated.

Mark Kerr, right, battles Moti Horenstein during UFC 14 at Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama, on 27 July 1997.

A camera crew captured this period on film, which became the 2002 documentary The Smashing Machine. By then, Kerr’s MMA career was finished. When he encountered Johnson a another time in 2003, it was a complete turnaround. “The Rock”, having been supported by Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania XVIII the year prior, was a genuine superstar with two feature films under his belt. Johnson gushed to Kerr about the documentary, as the MMA fighter fretted over his decision to reveal his troubled side. Kerr hadn’t been presented with a fight in over two years. He was not an intravenous user, but alcoholism had become Kerr’s constant struggle; he could down four bottles of red wine in one sitting. By the time another Pride offer arrived, Kerr was far from fighting shape. On the sport’s largest stage, he knocked himself out seconds into the contest with, of all things, an poorly executed takedown that sent his head slamming into the canvas.

Life Challenges and New Beginnings

Kerr wed Dawn and they had a son, Bryce, in 2004. Their marriage remained volatile for years, as Kerr juggled drinking and the occasional personal-training job between fights. After his final defeat in 2009, Kerr had little option but to retire. A damaged former champion was of no use to fight promoters. Kerr pivoted to car salesman, but feared getting recognized by potential buyers.

“I could always tell when someone noticed me, even if they didn’t bring it up,” said Kerr. “They consistently got the same look on their face, as if to say, ‘What happened to you?’”

Meanwhile, in 2009, Johnson landed yet another lead part in Return to Witch Mountain, his 11th film. Soon, Dwayne Johnson, minus “the Rock,” would become a household name.

As Johnson’s trajectory rose over the next decade, Kerr’s took a nosedive. There was job-hopping and three stints in rehab. Dawn separated from him, but their unstable relationship continued as they tried to co-parent their son. Finally, it was the 14-year-old Bryce’s plea that halted Kerr’s downward spiral in September 2018.

“It was the anniversary of my mother’s death and Bryce said he knew today was a difficult day for me, but requested if I could stop drinking the day after,” explained Kerr. “How could I not heed his words?”

Renewed Opportunity and Film Industry Interest

Kerr was 10 months clean when Brad Slater, Johnson’s longtime agent, called about obtaining the MMA trailblazer’s life rights. The call was totally unexpected. Kerr and Johnson hadn’t spoken in 12 years, and Johnson, the movie star, now had more cache over the roles he selected. Johnson had never forgotten about Kerr’s documentary and privately had hoped he’d get to play the tough, yet vulnerable fighter.

Hiram Garcia, David Koplan, Mark Kerr, Dwayne Johnson, Benny Safdie, Emily Blunt and Andrea Romeo attend the red carpet of the movie The Smashing Machine at the Venice Film Festival in September.

Johnson revealed the film at a UFC press conference in September 2019. His Seven Bucks Productions would be at the ship’s helm, with writer-director Benny Safdie its rudder. Safdie set to work converting the documentary into a screenplay, drawing from Kerr for additional scenes to flesh out Mark and Dawn’s relationship.

“When the global health crisis hit in March 2020, I thought it was over for the film,” said Kerr, who’d accepted to a quiet Arizona life. “If it was destined, it would all fall into place.”

In sobriety, Kerr got back in touch with a gym friend named Franci. They began dating during the pandemic and would wed on New Year’s Eve 2023.

During the pandemic, Kerr didn’t hear a peep from Johnson, Safdie or Seven Bucks, but at some point in the 57-day shoot for Oppenheimer, Safdie convinced co-star Emily Blunt to watch the documentary. Blunt, a long-standing friend of Johnson’s, right away called her Jungle Cruise co-star, telling him the time was now to get the film done. Blunt signed on to play Kerr’s girlfriend, Dawn, and the project gained momentum.

Kerr got another call from Slater in September 2023, but this time there was a filming date that spring. Kerr visited the Vancouver film set that April and filming began that May. According to Johnson’s request, Kerr didn’t visit the set during shooting.

“DJ had not portrayed a living person before and I honored that process,” noted Kerr. “I’m glad I kept my distance. When my son saw the film, he couldn’t fathom how DJ captured my [softer] speech and mannerisms. My own son!”

Indeed, Johnson’s turn as Kerr is convincing, especially for those that are familiar with the former fighter. Johnson received a 16-minute applause for the film at the Venice Film Festival, while the innovative Safdie took home its distinguished director’s prize.

For the 56-year-old Kerr, it’s a new opportunity at fame, however fleeting that might be. Johnson has been adamant that Kerr be at his side for most of the film’s promotional tour.

“It’s amazing that a small decision I made years ago, to keep the [documentary] cameras rolling while my life fell apart, grew into all this,” said Kerr, who intends to write a book next. “I couldn’t be happier with how this all concluded and I can truthfully say that I’ve gained friends for life from it.”