Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s latest Hollywood outing has hit the canvas.The Smashing Machine, Johnson’s much-hyped biopic about MMA fighter Mark Kerr, marks a significant shift in tone for the former WWE Champion.The Rock plays former UFC heavyweight Kerr in The Smashing MachineThe Smashing MachineIt’s a bruising, stripped-back performance that earned praise from critics but, in its early days, struggled to draw big numbers from fans.For a man once billed as ‘the most electrifying’ in both wrestling and entertainment, it’s a stark reminder of how quickly momentum can change.Johnson remains one of the most recognisable figures in sport and entertainment, balancing red carpets and main events for more than two decades. His return to WWE earlier this year underlined that pull, teaming with Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40 and reminding fans that few can control a crowd quite like him. Now on WWE’s Board of Directors under the TKO banner, wrestling clearly remains tied to his future.Even as he continues to assert his influence inside WWE, Johnson’s ambitions on screen have moved in the opposite direction – toward awards recognition rather than action spectacle.The Rock tipped for Best Actor Oscar for movie roleIn September, Variety described The Smashing Machine as “one of the unlikeliest Oscar contenders in recent memory,” praising Johnson’s ‘transformative turn’ and suggested he could be the future Best Actor winner.The publication drew comparisons to Mickey Rourke’s performance in The Wrestler and predicted that Johnson’s reinvention could “reshape how Hollywood views one of its most bankable stars.”But fans have noticed something else: the early numbers.After years as one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading men, Johnson’s recent box office form has shown signs of slowing. Black Adam grossed $393million worldwide in 2022.His follow-up, the festive action-comedy Red One, finished at $186m. Together, those releases amassed $579m at the global box office, solid totals by most standards but below the towering expectations that once came with his name.Johnson’s portrayal of MMA great Mark Kerr wowed criticsGettyAnd now The Smashing Machine has blazed into its opening weekend, and the contrast could barely be greater – the movie opened to just $6m in the United States, the lowest debut of the veteran grappler’s storied movie journey.People labelled that opening figure as ‘a career low for Johnson.’ Variety reported that the figure fell below projections of $8m to $15m, lower even than his 2010 thriller Faster, which debuted to $8.5m.The Rock ‘ready for WWE return’ after latest movie flopsWrestling fans, as ever, found the humour in it. One viral post read simply: “The Rock is definitely coming back to the ring,” as figures showed a sharp decline in his recent movie fortunes.It’s an ironic twist for a performer who built his career on timing. Johnson first departed WWE in 2003, returning sporadically before making a full comeback in 2011. That run produced record-breaking pay-per-view sales, rivalries with John Cena and CM Punk, and cemented him as one of the most successful crossover acts in the business.Those scenes feel a world away from the subdued box office returns that greeted The Smashing Machine over weekend. Despite strong reviews for his portrayal of Kerr, the film’s gritty realism may have proven a tough sell to audiences used to seeing Johnson in larger-than-life roles.Rock’s most recent WWE performances also divided opinionWWE VIA GETTYA return to the wrestling ring might suit Johnson, who remains a huge icon in the industryGettyAs ever, the parallels between Johnson’s two careers are hard to ignore. When his early wrestling persona failed to connect with fans in the 1990s, he reinvented himself as The Rock and changed the industry.When Hollywood initially typecast him, he built his own production empire and turned disaster flicks into event cinema.This latest stumble could yet prove the start of another reinvention.In wrestling terms, it’s a setback rather than a defeat. Johnson remains one of entertainment’s most recognisable faces, a figure who continues to draw headlines whether he’s in the ring, on a film set, or behind a boardroom table.If The Smashing Machine underperforms commercially, it may still remind fans and studios alike what Johnson does best: inhabit characters defined by struggle, grit, and determination. Those same qualities built him into a phenomenon long before Hollywood came calling.And if recent history is any guide, it’s rarely wise to count him out for long.