"The Smashing Machine" tells the real life story of former MMA fighter Mark Kerr.

The biopic, which was released on Oct 3, stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Kerr and Emily Blunt as Kerr's then-partner, Dawn Staples.

In an interview with Variety, Johnson talked about his relationship with Kerr and said he actually met the athlete in the '90s when he was just getting into wrestling.

"At the time, I was Rocky Maivia, and it wasn’t going well. I was getting booed. These guys? Fighting for Pride in Japan and making real money. I remember saying to Mark, ‘Hey man, if I ever want to talk to you about this stuff, is that okay?’ He said, ‘Absolutely.’ I was a jabroni, and he was like, ‘Good for you, kid,'" Johnson recalled.

Mark Kerr and Dwayne Johnson at the "The Smashing Machine" premiere

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