WWE star Roman Reigns discussed the intense physical demands and martial arts training required to portray the character Akuma in the upcoming Street Fighter movie during an exclusive interview with Men’s Health. The wrestler explained how his professional wrestling background helped ease his transition into the role, while noting that mastering the character’s distinct combat disciplines presented unique challenges.
Roman Reigns Details Physical Preparation for Akuma Role
Reigns noted that Akuma’s muscular, bodybuilder-esque physique aligned well with his established physical regimen. However, incorporating traditional martial arts techniques required him to adapt his movement, footwork, and overall physical presentation within a limited timeframe. According to Reigns, the role demanded extensive isometric work and strict body control, comparing the physical discipline to ballerina training.
“I got lucky because Akuma, his physique is kind of bodybuilderesque. He’s a big brother, so he’s very muscular. But that helped me out to kind of stay in my regiment,” Reigns told Men’s Health. “When you add in the martial arts, when you add in those different disciplines, the fighting disciplines, and being able to have your legs in a sumo squat, but then you can pop up on your toes and then also hit a unique pose with your arms… there’s so much isometric work in that. There’s so much just that body control, almost like a ballerina type of work.”
Martial Arts Parallels Between Wrestling and Stunt Work
Addressing the specific movement requirements of the film, Reigns explained that learning how to move like a ninja, slide his feet, and hold precise stances mirrored practices found in Pilates and yoga. He highlighted the difficulty of maintaining strict postures to preserve authenticity across various fighting styles.
“Me and my cousins always watched all the martial arts films and Bruce Lee movies, but I never understood exactly how hard it is and to be able to hold those poses,” Reigns said. “I mean, it’s very much like Pilates and yoga-ish, the way you have to be able to hold your body and then hold that posture in order to keep that authenticity for each discipline.”
While acknowledging the differences between performing in a wrestling ring and executing cinematic martial arts stunts, Reigns pointed out that the underlying physical disciplines share significant overlap. He credited his long-term training in professional wrestling with bridging the gap for the film production.
“There were a lot of parallels for me to be able to transition,” Reigns stated. “I mean, they’re obviously different being the different things that you’re asked to perform within wrestling and martial arts, but I think the physical disciplines have that. They’re a little bit adjacent to each other to where it wasn’t as big of a gap for me to try to figure out. So, I think it helped me, the fact that I’m in professional wrestling and I’ve trained in this for a long time.”
Reigns also expressed appreciation for action stars like Jason Statham and Chuck Norris, noting that his own training gave him a new perspective on the difficulty of executing cinematic stunts.
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