This Friday, Kevin James steps into the ring with a new family comedy, Here Comes the Boom , directed by Frank Coraci (The Wedding Singer, Click) and co-starring Henry Winkler, Salma Hayek, Bas Rutten and, playing himself, Joe Rogan.

James plays former collegiate wrester, Scott Voss, now a 42-year-old apathetic biology teacher in a failing high school. When cutbacks threaten to cancel the music program and lay off its teacher (Winkler), Scott begins to raise money by moonlighting as a mixed martial arts fighter. Everyone thinks Scott is crazy – most of all the school nurse, Bella (Hayek) – but in his quest, Scott gains something he never expected as he becomes a sensation that rallies the entire school.

ComingSoon.net sat down to speak with James and Winkler about their roles in the Sony Pictures release, which included quite a bit of physical training on the part of the former to give the illusion of Voss believably going toe-to-toe with some top MMA fighting talent.

Check out the interviews in the player below and catch Here Comes the Boom in theaters October 12.