By Will Pickworth
Updated May 24, 2024 00:53, May 24, 2024 00:53
- Oleksandr Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world last week.
- The Ukrainian is set to star in a new Hollywood movie this December.
- Usyk, 37, is expected to play a key role alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Oleksandr Usyk has landed a role in Hollywood ahead of his acting debut.
Usyk is currently recovering from his big bout against Tyson Fury last Saturday, in which the 37-year-old won by split decision with the judges scoring the bout 115-112, 113-114 and 114-113.
The Ukrainian’s victory saw him stripping Fury of the WBC title, in addition to the WBA (Super), WBO, IBF and IBO titles, and becoming the first boxer to unify the heavyweight division since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
But Usyk’s fame will soon reach a new level when he makes his Hollywood debut opposite Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in December’s “Smashing Machine.”
The film, which Johnson is producing, is a biopic about former UFC fighter Mark Carr, who made a name for himself with his brutal fighting style.
Johnson’s character, Carr, was a boxer from 1997 to 2009, winning 15 of his 27 fights, and his nickname is used in the film’s title.
Usyk is scheduled to face former Ukrainian mixed martial arts star Igor Vovchanchyn, who had two memorable bouts with Kerr.
The American from Ohio won the rematch in 2000. The first bout was ruled a no contest after Carr was knocked out by an illegal knee strike from Vovchanchyn.
This will be Usyk’s acting debut, but he has already made some career changes, having signed with Ukrainian Premier League club FC Polisia Zhytomyr in 2023.
Meanwhile, Usyk won’t be the only fighter appearing in the film, with former UFC heavyweight contender Ryan Bader set to star as Kerr’s mentor, Mark Coleman.
Oscar-nominated actress Emily Blunt will also star as Kerr’s ex-wife Dawn Staples, and the film will be directed by Benny Safdie.