The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr
| The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr | |
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| Directed by | John Hyams |
| Starring | Mark Kerr |
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Release date
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Running time
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78 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English Portuguese |
The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr is a documentary directed by John Hyams about the mixed martial arts career and personal life of Mark Kerr. The documentary is critically acclaimed for its sobering account of the brutal sport of early fighting and the depths of addiction in which Kerr succumbs to and eventually overcomes.
The documentary begins with Kerr being examined by a physician, sporting a black eye and complaining of shoulder and knee pain. One of the well-known parts of documentary is Kerr trying to explain the mental state of a mixed martial artist to an elderly woman in the waiting room. The documentary then delves into Kerr's background as an amateur wrestler and his family's lack of support for his career decision, an important factor that affects Kerr's personal relationships.
Kerr's first MMA tournament, and no holds barred tournament in Sao Paulo, Brazil called the World Vale Tudo Championships is shown. You see his first opponent, UFC veteran Paul Varelans. His second fight against Mestre Hulk. And finally Fabio Gurgel; all three fights which he won. The path of destruction laid by Kerr in the tournament catapulted him into the spotlight and earned him the nickname "The Smashing Machine."
The documentary then shows Kerr's brief and successful Ultimate Fighting Championship career. The documentary then briefly tells of the UFC's problems in the U.S. with politicians and reluctant cable television operators. The loss of TV exposure and subsequent ban on "ultimate fighting" by most major cities forced the UFC underground and into near bankruptcy.
Kerr makes a financial decision to jump to the more lucrative Pride Fighting Championships in Japan. Whereas the UFC was forced to hold shows in small towns in the deep south with little TV exposure, Pride held their shows in Japan's largest stadiums averaging around 50,000 people a show and were shown on national television. Kerr continued where he left off in the UFC, dominating the competition in Pride. Kerr emerged as the number one heavyweight in the world and became an international star. The documentary then introduces us to Kerr's girlfriend Dawn. We then see the depths of Kerr's reliance on painkillers and other narcotics including a graphic scene of Kerr shooting the drug into a vein in his arm.
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