Dwayne Johnson has received a lot of attention in recent months from fans who’ve noticed he’s become remarkably smaller since the last time he was seen in a WWE ring.
Now, The Rock has opened up about the drastic physical change, noting that he lost approximately 50 pounds in preparation for a film role.
In a video posted on his Instagram account, Johnson said that he had gotten up to 282 lbs for The Smashing Machine, in which he portrayed MMA legend Mark Kerr. He said he’s now slimmed down to 235
lbs for his part in Benny Safdie’s Lizard Music, which is currently filming.
In August, Johnson, 54, told Deadline that he plays a man in his 70s in Lizard Music. He also revealed that preparation for the character, known as “Chicken Man,” required him to sit for “five hours of makeup every day.”
Johnson said in his Instagram video that his current weight of 235 lbs is the smallest he’s been since he was a senior in high school and a freshman at the University of Miami. Regarding his size entering the college football program during his youth, Johnson joked he was “light in the ass” for a defensive tackle.
“I stepped on the set of Smashing Machine at 282 pounds, approximately. I had to maintain that for three and a half months, and that’s hard to maintain, because I gained almost 30 pounds of muscle. A little bit of fat in there too as well. Gotta have some fat. I figured I’d take some of the fat between my ears and put it other places,” he said.
From The Smashing Machine, Johnson moved on to the set of the live-action Moana for a couple of weeks. He said he would have dropped some size at that time if it hadn’t been for his “chunky, hunky” Moana character, “because it’s a lot of weight to carry on your joints, on your system. It’s hard.”
He also injured his calf and elbow while filming The Smashing Machine, which contributed to him carrying all the additional weight for around eight and a half months. When it came time to get leaner, Johnson said he decided to take his time.
“I took about a year to drop the weight,” Johnson said, adding that while he’s worked with coaches and pro athletes in the past, he really “wanted to do this one on my own.”
In the caption for the video, Johnson wrote: “I wanted to take my time, drop the weight in a smart, wise and healthy way – nothing extreme. I also focus on partitioning my carbs strictly around my training and tapering off from there. What’s also made a HUGE impact in my progress was completely cutting out all refined sugars. For an athlete who was constantly battling a calorie surplus.”
He also wrote that “at this current weight and body composition, I’ve never felt better – strength, endurance, cardiovascular, metabolic health, inflammation, joints, insulin sensitivity, stress hormones, immune function, incredible pumps etc.”
What Johnson did not mention in the post was the question on wrestling fans’ minds: “Will we see The Rock at WrestleMania 43?”
With WWE’s biggest event taking place in Riyadh next year, there’s thought that they want The Final Boss on the card for what would surely be a big payoff for him.
Last month, Cain A. Knight of Cageside Seats reported that The Rock’s rumored schedule for filming the final Fast & Furious movie could mean the timing won’t work out for a WrestleMania 43 appearance. Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer also said reaching a deal with Johnson might not happen since the Saudi Arabian government is reportedly not as willing to spend as heavily on major sports events as it had in the past.
What do you think of The Rock’s drastic weight loss? Do you think he looks ring-ready? If he does make it to WrestleMania 43, how would you book him? Let us know in the comments.
