REPORT | Oleksandr Usyk added to the cast of ‘The Smashing Machine’ starring The Rock

Fresh off his victory over Tyson Fury in the boxing ring, Oleksandr Usyk will be taking his talents to the big screen.

‘The Cat’ is fresh off his return to Saudi Arabia over the weekend. There, Oleksandr Usyk met Lineal and WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The two boxers battled to crown the division’s first undisputed champion in two decades, and it was a fight for the ages. After 12 rounds of action, Usyk earned a split-decision victory.

Fresh off that win on Saturday night, Oleksandr Usyk is reportedly making big moves. Earlier today, Michael Benson of TalkSport reported that the boxing champion has reportedly been added to the cast of ‘The Smashing Machine’. The film will follow the life of former UFC star Mark Kerr, and feature Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as the former fighter.

The film will be directed by Benny Safdie, of ‘Uncut Gems’ and ‘Good Time’ fame. For the unaware, the director has been known to cast people who aren’t actors by trade. For example, former NBA champion Kevin Garnett portrayed himself in the aforementioned ‘Uncut Gems’ film. Now, he will get to work with Oleksandr Usyk.

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Oleksandr Usyk is set to star alongside Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in new film The Smashing Machine following his win over Tyson Fury. The 2025 release will tell the story of ex-UFC champion Mark Kerr. Usyk will play Ukrainian MMA legend Igor Vovchanchyn.

— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) May 23, 2024

Boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk added to The Rock’s film about Mark Kerr

According to the report, Oleksandr Usyk will portray Igor Vovchanchyn. ‘Ice Cold’ was a great fighter in his prime, and handed Mark Kerr a unanimous decision loss in 2000. Now, fans will get to Usyk portray the Ukrainian fighter in his acting debut. For what it’s worth, he’s far from the only professional fighter attached to the project.

Earlier this month, Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader was added to the film’s cast as well. ‘Darth’ will reportedly play Mark Kerr’s longtime friend, Mark Coleman. Bader was even seen in a recent snippet of the film released earlier this week. Former PRIDE commentator Bas Rutten has also been added to the movie’s cast as well.

As of now, there are still a lot that is unknown about ‘The Smashing Machine’ starring The Rock. However, the film is expected to be released at some point in 2025, and will likely be in theatres.

What do you make of this news involving the heavyweight boxing champion? Will you watch The Rock’s movie about Mark Kerr when it releases?