“The Smashing Machine” makes cinematic landfall in Japan
Now fans in Japan can see what all the hype was about. On Friday, “The Smashing Machine” premiered in theaters in Japan. The focus of the biopic, Mark Kerr , spent several years competing at the highest level in Pride Fighting Championships .
While doing publicity before the movie’s release, Kerr sat down for an interview with “Gong Kakutogi Magazine,” known for its history of martial arts coverage dating back to 1986. In the interview, Kerr discussed his evolution from wrestler to mixed martial artist, trials and tribulations that he endured during his fighting career, controversies with Pride FC and ultimately overcoming an addiction to steroids and opioids that nearly destroyed his life. He also pulled back the curtain on some lesser-known stories from his time in Pride FC, including about a planned bout against Royce Gracie that had been set to go ahead at Pride 2 but failed to materialize for multiple reasons.
Though he spoke glowingly about fighting in front of the Japanese fans, Kerr did highlight issues that he encountered during his Pride FC career. From Gracie exerting control over tournament rules, to being instructed by Pride FC representatives as to how he should and should not fight against Nobuhiko Takada , and then to turning to painkillers when Kerr’s body began to break down under the strain of his fighting schedule, there were highs and treacherous lows for the powerhouse wrestler. “I didn’t have an off button…and the results were just disastrous,” Kerr recalled.
Once filled with shame during the worst period of his addiction, today Kerr is clean and healthy as he reflects on his career and prepares for a new wave of MMA fans to learn about his life in “The Smashing Machine. ”