The most electrifying man in the sports industry, now with his hands in a firm grip on Hollywood as well, it seems, cannot get enough of the hype around him. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson‘s latest movie project, ‘The Smashing Machine’, has won the hearts of millions around the globe, with just a two-and-a-half-minute-long trailer. Johnson’s transformation for the role of MMA legend Mark Kerr has been a subject of nothing but high praise, as some are even expecting an Oscar for his performance in the movie that comes out on October 3, 2025, directed and written by Benny Safdie.

The movie revolves around the life of the two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament winner, Mark Kerr, outside the octagon and his early fighting career. And while transformation is one thing, Dwayne Johnson’s dedication to this role is the real reason behind the movie’s hype. But it seems ‘The Final Boss’ has already taken a step in a future project as well. Amid his ever-increasing hype for ‘The Smashing Machine’, Johnson has been connected to a whole new movie instead, called ‘Ripped’, which is originally a short story by Joe Ballarini.

Although no confirmed connections have been made between ‘The Rock’ and the new movie, stats expert Jed I. Goodman believes there is a role that Johnson could once again hit his stride and go all in, like he has done while portraying Mark Kerr. A picture posted by Goodman’s account said: “While Johnson is not currently attached to star in Ripped, there does seem to be a character for which he could go beast mode. The logline concerns an insecure man who, in anticipation of his wedding day, enters a hardcore underground training facility led by a magnetic fitness guru, who commands cult like devotion with the promise of peak performance at any cost.”

So what does this mean for ‘The People’s Champion’? Surely his portrayal of Mark Kerr has made a significant impact not only on the sports but the entertainment industry as well, considering he is already involved in yet another project where we can see him go all in for his role.

Entering a new phase of his career, one with more passion and grit in his acting, one UFC veteran was really overwhelmed by ‘The Rock’s performance in ‘The Smashing Machine’ trailer. A smashing machine in himself already during his fighting days, Daniel ‘DC’ Cormier shared his joyous yet emotional thoughts praising Dwayne Johnson.

Dwayne Johnson’s ‘The Smashing Machine’ trailer leaves ‘DC’ emotional

Most mixed-martial artists, professional or not, follow the legends of the sport as they dive into it, and Mark Kerr was that legend for many, like Daniel Cormier. The former two-division (light-heavyweight and heavyweight) champion and a commentator for UFC, Cormier, was amazed by ‘The Rock’s transformation and his performance in the trailer. ‘DC’s main reason for happiness was watching the legends of the sport finally get the recognition they deserved, and he praised Johnson for taking up the role.

The UFC Hall of Famer gave huge compliments to ‘The Rock’ for his hard work, as he said: “First off, he looks just like Mark Kerr. But more importantly, the movement and the commitment to learning the craft, learning the fighting, learning the wrestling, and looking like Mark, especially in that short clip, it was tremendous. 

He further added, “Now, for me, I look forward to wrestlers being honored. And that’s what I felt like happened for Mark Kerr because there is no Daniel Cormier, Ben Askren, Bo Nickal, Randy Couture without guys like Mark Kerr, Mark Coleman, Don Frye, Dan Severn. All those guys, Kevin Randleman, those guys were the ones that showed us that mixed martial arts was an option. And I’m just happy that The Rock has done what he has done to bring awareness to a guy in Mark Kerr who meant so much to the wrestling community, especially in fighting.”

Following this, of course, ‘The People’s Champion’ was left emotional, and in his words, ‘humbled and privileged’ for getting the chance to play Mark Kerr’s life on screen, he replied to ‘DC’, saying: “Love and appreciate you and your words, my brother. My privilege to become Mark Kerr and pay homage to him, Mark Coleman, and the OG’s of UFC/PRIDE/MMA. This opportunity to tell this story is very humbling.” What a warm and positive exchange, to say the least!

Dwayne Johnson’s latest project has gathered many positive reviews, and the expectations are set high for ‘The Final Boss’ as well. With the stages set for October 3rd this year, many admirers of Johnson are even expecting an Oscar from the WWE phenomenon. Will Dwayne Johnson’s ‘The Smashing Machine’ be able to live up to its hype? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.