Ken Shamrock recently spoke about The Smashing Machine, and its portrayal of Mark Kerr’s career and emotional struggle with addiction. The film stars Dwayne Johnson and focuses on Kerr’s career from 1997 and 2000, when he competed in Pride FC.
The film stayed true to the 2002 documentary of the same name and offered audiences a glimpse into Kerr’s life. It received critical acclaim and earned Johnson his first Golden Globe nomination for his performance as Kerr.
The UFC Hall of Famer was working with Johnson in WWE during Kerr’s rise in the sport. However, Shamrock also witnessed Kerr’s journey firsthand while remaining still involved in MMA.
Ken Shamrock Shares Honest Take on Mark Kerr’s Biopic
During an appearance on The Unyielding Spirit, Ken Shamrock revealed he watched the film, but viewed it differently than many critics.
Shamrock said it was difficult to watch Mark Kerr‘s personal struggles with addiction depicted on screen. He feels the film may have given the general audience a misconception of MMA fighters during that era.
“Mark Kerr, he’s a great guy. And [Johnson], that story is told. But I believe that [the film] was just a really bad look. That’s not all of us,” Shamrock said. “I just thought that it really didn’t portray fighters of mixed martial arts the way it should have.”
He added:
“That was a very disappointing thing that happened to Mark. I mean, anybody could say that. Just horrified. It’s not fair he had to go through [addiction at the time]. But I just think it was hard to watch.”
Shamrock also emphasized that MMA served as a strong outlet for ‘The Smashing Machine’ to continue his athletic career. Kerr was an elite amateur wrestler but transitioned to MMA after failing to qualifying for the 1996 Olympics.
“I think in some cases and in Mark [Kerr’s] case, [MMA] gave him an opportunity that wrestling didn’t,” Shamrock said. “Wrestling was done and then he had an opportunity to do something else. And [MMA] gave him that opportunity to do that. Unfortunately, things [in his personal life] happened.”
Shamrock Explains Root of Kerr’s Addiction
Despite his struggle with addiction, Kerr still achieved success. He won two UFC tournaments and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last year.
Shamrock said he believes Kerr’s struggles caused him to lose confidence in himself. He noted that his imposing presence and physical attributes suffered greatly as a result of his addiction.
The Smashing Machine made Shamrock reflect on the situation and express regret that he did not reach out and offer Kerr help.
“There was no confidence, [Kerr was] just gone. And it’s a shame too because that’s all in your own head,” Shamrock told The Unyielding Spirit. Mark was a beast. I mean, there was nothing weak about him when it came to his physical ability. It was all his mind and his mind took over his body.”
He added:
“I wish I could have got a hold of him because I could have just got his mind right and nobody would have touched him.”
‘Hard to Watch’: Ken Shamrock Shares Honest Take on ‘The Smashing Machine’