“Rest in Peace”- Dwayne Johnson’s Emotional Tribute to Late Father Gets UFC Legend’s Support

The MMA community is bracing for a biopic releasing soon. In just over a month, fans will witness WWE legend and Hollywood A-lister Dwayne Johnson portraying the role of one of the pioneering legends of the mixed martial arts sport, Mark Kerr. It’s not the standard action flick as Johnson is primarily known for, but rather a sports drama movie, and ‘The Rock’ is already getting positive reviews from the trailer of The Smashing Machine.

Well, the movie is set to hit the theatres on October 3, so there’s still time. Meanwhile, Dwayne Johnson recently shared a post on social media, not talking about his movie, which is just a few weeks away from release, but remembering the most influential person in his life, his father, which surprisingly caught the attention of another UFC legend, Mark Coleman.

Dwayne Johnson gets Mark Coleman’s response to his father’s birthday post

Dwayne Johnson has been vocal about the impact his father had on his life from the time he was a child until he took his last breath in 2020. ‘Soulman’ Rocky Johnson was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2008, where he was inducted by his son. ‘The Rock’ shared a late post on his father’s birthday and paying tribute to him with a heartwarming message, remembering all the things ‘Soulman’ taught him.

“Happy Heavenly Birthday, Dad. My dad’s birthday was yesterday, and I thought about him. A lot. I had a good amount of “I wonder if….” thoughts about him and our relationship. He raised me with a tough and complex love. But at least I had love ya know?” Dwayne Johnson wrote on Instagram. “I know a lot men in my life, who never had their father’s love at all. Hard to reconcile stuff with your dad when he’s no longer here – but nonetheless, regardless of challenges or any struggle, my dad was a “life adapter”, and he taught me to be the same. Work hard and adapt.”

While wishing father a happy birthday, who would have been 80 years old if he’d been alive, his message indicated a deep feeling of loss. Emotional Dwayne Johnson added, “I’ll always be grateful for that lesson. Happy Birthday Soulman up there in heaven. You were never shy, so stop by and say hello every once in a while.” This message prompted a response from Mark Coleman, who seemed to have been touched by ‘The Rock’s message on his father’s birthday.

Mark Coleman has always had nothing but praise for Dwayne Johnson, especially due to his portrayal of Mark Kerr, who was one of his longtime friends and rivals. After coming across his recent Instagram post, ‘The Hammer’ decided to drop a wish for ‘Soulman’ Rocky Johnson as well. “Happy birthday rest in peace, enjoy Rock,” Coleman commented.

The exchange resonated with fans, as Coleman himself only recently survived a life-threatening house fire in March 2024, an ordeal that left him hospitalized but also celebrated for saving his parents. His public recovery journey has made his words toward Johnson’s tribute especially meaningful in the MMA community.

Meanwhile, Dwayne Johnson has opened up about what fans can expect from his upcoming movie with Mark Kerr. He even revealed his experience and how he had been afraid of exploring movies of this genre for a long time. Let’s take a look at that front.

The need for gritty and raw roles led to The Smashing Machine, claims Johnson

As we mentioned earlier, Dwayne Johnson has made a name for himself by acting in some of the biggest action movies and franchises of all time. He has been one of the most commercially successful actors of all time. But when it comes to a more dramatic genre, Dwayne Johnson claimed to have been apprehensive about exploring his opportunities there. But when ‘The Rock’ transformed after makeup from himself to Mark Kerr, everything became normal.

“I just sat in front of that mirror for three to four hours and watched it all change… By the time I got to set, I was Mark Kerr and I felt it, from how he walked to how he talked and how he looked at life,” Dwayne Johnson told Deadline in a recent interview. “I realized that maybe these opportunities weren’t coming my way because I was too scared to explore this stuff. I was so hungry for an opportunity to do something raw and gritty and rip myself open. And all of a sudden, Smashing Machine comes along.”

Critics who previewed the trailer at the Tribeca Festival earlier this year praised Johnson for showing a “completely different gear” as an actor, with Variety noting his performance feels closer to classic sports dramas like The Wrestler than to a blockbuster franchise. On X and Reddit, fans echoed that sentiment, calling the role “career-defining” and debating whether this could finally earn Johnson serious awards-season recognition.

While movies will come and go, loved ones always leave a void once they are gone. Rocky Johnson was not only an important figure in Dwayne’s life but also one of the first African-American WWE champions. His 1983 victory alongside Tony Atlas, when they became the first Black tag team to win a WWE championship, remains a milestone that fans and historians continue to highlight whenever his legacy is discussed. Well, let us know what you remember about ‘The Rock’s legendary father in the comments below.