WWE Champ Cody Rhodes Explains How Street Fighter Role Made Him A Better Wrestler

Fans can usually find Cody Rhodes in a professional wrestling ring, but next year, "The American Nightmare" is also bringing the fight to the silver screen as he stars in a live action adaption of "Street Fighter" as Guile. While appearing on "Bertcast," Rhodes opened up about his experience on the movie set, which he says actually helped him become a better performer in the ring as well.

"The cast with 'Street Fighter,' [Andrew] Koji who's Ryu, Noah [Centineo] is Ken, Callina [Liang] is Chun-Li. The three main characters of the Street Fighter game, they were there early. They were really looking into everything, breaking down these scenes, this is fun action comedy, but taking it incredibly seriously," Rhodes said. "When the rest of us got there, 50 Cent is going to be Balrog, Andrew Schulz whose performance is unbelievable as Dan Hibiki, which is Street Fighter's joke character.

"All of us get there, myself, Roman Reigns, we're all from outside worlds and coming in, leaders in our field, but he had us all sit down, the group I was with, and we watched a sizzle reel of edit they had already made. I felt like I was on a little league sports team. The way he was leading it, it felt like that's my coach. Kitao [Sakurai], the director, that's my coach. They're asking us, 'Hey, look at what we've made in three weeks. Step up, guys.' I felt like I was ready to run through a brick wall."

According to Rhodes, his first-hand viewing experience of fellow "Street Fighter" actors in action inspired him, so much so that he feels that he's improved as a pro wrestler since returning to WWE television afterward. Rhodes credits this to his peers' amazing story-telling abilities.

In his return on the September 12 edition of "WWE SmackDown," Rhodes challenged Drew McIntyre to a match at WWE Wrestlepalooza. He'd go on to defeat "The Scottish Warrior" there as well as WWE Saturday Night's Main Event, both of which marked Undisputed WWE Championship bouts.

As he previously confirmed, Rhodes performed most of his own stunts as Guile in "Street Fighter," though a professional stunt crew was on-site to film extra takes afterward just in case. For his fighting scenes, Rhodes was attached to wires. Still, the motions were said to be fierce.

"The fights, his name's JV, whose stunt team is there in Sydney, those fights it started to feel like 'Are we fighting anybody for real?' Because these are intense," Rhode said. "Up again, go again, go again. Just a really wild situation.

"... I'd never been on wires, again wrestler, they're going to think, 'Oh, he can do some of this stuff.' Then you're like, 'Yeah, I don't know, maybe.' But Guile's flash kick, if it's in that movie, I wanted to get a shot at the flash kick. And I'd watched [Jean-Claude] Van Damme do it from the old school Street Fighter. I think Vanam was off wires, literally just that good. But yeah, I wanted to get the flash kick in there. There it is, full rotation, but I'd never been on wires. The whole experience was really, really unique."

During his personal off days, Rhodes spent additional time taking in the sights around him, including a "big centerpiece" of several Street Fighter characters gathering in the middle of the movie. Though aware of it being fictional, Rhodes admittedly felt like he walked into something real.

"Street Fighter" is set for a theatrical release on October 16, 2026. Starring alongside Rhodes is former Undisputed WWE Champion Roman Reigns as Akuma and NJPW star Hirooki Goto, who portrays E. Honda.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Bertcast" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.