WWE Star Calls On The Rock To Be Given Major Award
The Rock deserves credit for stepping outside of his comfort zone.
When it became clear he wouldn’t be appearing at WrestleMania or returning to WWE, much of the attention around The Rock in 2025 turned to The Smashing Machine.
The film is based on the book of the same name, and follows a particularly troubled time in the life of former MMA star Mark Kerr.
Ahead of its official release, The Rock was heavily praised for his portrayal of Kerr, with some even tipping him to win an Oscar. However, that buzz has quietened in recent weeks after a disappointing run at the box office.
On the latest episode of What Do You Wanna Talk About? with Cody Rhodes, Natalya gave the film some love, highlighting The Rock’s emotional performance.
“By the way, that movie, he’s the most vulnerable I’ve ever seen him. He’s goes to a place where it was — I’ve never seen him crying and sobbing the way that [he was].”
After Rhodes also praised the film, Natalya agreed that The Great One deserves to win an Oscar for his powerful performance.
“He should, I think, win an Oscar for it because you just don’t — especially with somebody that physically, you see how he looks physically and then you see him — I got emotional watching it because especially for the guys that were trying to pave the way from MMA in those early days, there wasn’t much money involved at all and you see him just beside himself with the loss and he’s crying and his relationship is falling apart.
For him, it was a role that he needed to do for himself. I felt like he took that part for himself.”
The Rock Unmoved By Box Office Disappointment
Despite the praise from Rhodes and Natalya, and the general hype around the movie, The Smashing Machine disappointed at the box office.
The film generated just $11.3 million domestically and $20.2 million worldwide against a budget of a reported $50 million.
In response, The Rock claimed he was unconcerned by the box office results, stating that working on the project was about so much more than just the financial results.
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H/t to Fightful