Cody Rhodes has spent years performing in one of the most physically demanding forms of live entertainment, but the WWE star says his professional wrestling background did not mean he could simply walk onto the set of Street Fighter and immediately execute movie stunts the right way.
Speaking about his work on the film, Rhodes addressed the assumption that wrestlers are naturally equipped for stunt-heavy roles because of the athleticism, timing and physical contact involved in their usual profession. His answer made clear that there is a major difference between working inside a wrestling ring and performing action designed for a camera in a controlled film environment.
“Well, I think everyone assumes that the pro wrestling guys might know how to do some stunts, and then when we get out there in the stunts, and John Valera, JV, who put all the stunts together for the whole movie, they realized really quickly, we’re idiots, where you want to teach us the right things to do.”
Rhodes’ remarks were delivered with humor, but they also underline an important point about the crossover between professional wrestling and acting. Wrestling performers are trained to protect themselves and their opponents while creating the illusion of a competitive fight for a live crowd. Film stunt work has its own technical demands, however, including camera placement, specific choreography, repeatability and the particular safety measures needed for a scripted scene.
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For Rhodes, the transition meant listening to the stunt team rather than relying purely on what he has learned throughout his wrestling career. He identified John Valera, also known as JV, as the person who assembled the stunt work for the entire movie. The preparation was necessary because the setting and objective were fundamentally different from a WWE event.
A Different Kind Of Physical Performance
WWE superstars perform in front of large audiences on a regular basis. Their work requires conditioning, coordination and the ability to communicate a story physically in real time. A wrestler must also be ready to adapt if something changes during a match, all while maintaining the energy needed to connect with an arena full of fans.
That does not automatically make a wrestling ring interchangeable with a movie set. Rhodes explained that the work on Street Fighter called for preparation suited to a more intimate production environment.
“So we spent a lot of time prepping for more intimate, to your point. We’re not in arenas, not thousands of people.”
The contrast is central to Rhodes’ description of the experience. In wrestling, a performer’s movements are designed to be seen by spectators positioned all around the ring and, in modern WWE, by television cameras serving a worldwide audience. On a film set, the camera can be much closer to the action. The shot may focus on a precise movement, a reaction, a fall or a carefully staged impact. What reads effectively to an arena may not be what a scene needs when viewed through a camera lens.
Rhodes did not reveal specific details about the action sequences he filmed or the extent of his stunt involvement. Still, his comments establish that the production invested time in preparing its performers for the requirements of the work. Rather than presenting wrestling experience as a shortcut, he emphasized the value of being taught the proper approach.
Rhodes Brings A Wrestler’s Perspective To Acting
The relationship between professional wrestling and acting has always been a natural one in some respects. Wrestlers are accustomed to portraying characters, working with dialogue or promos, reacting to an audience and telling stories through body language. WWE television in particular places its performers in highly visible roles that demand confidence before cameras.
At the same time, Rhodes’ comments show why the two industries should not be treated as identical. A wrestling match is its own specialized performance art. Film work, especially action performance, has a separate vocabulary and process. An actor or stunt performer may need to recreate the same beat several times from different angles, hit exact marks and tailor movements to the needs of the scene rather than the volume of a live venue.
Rhodes’ willingness to characterize himself and other wrestling performers as needing instruction reflects a practical approach to that distinction. The WWE star did not suggest that wrestling had left him unprepared for physical work. Instead, he acknowledged that a different setting requires a different skill set, and that the people coordinating the action were there to guide the performers through it safely and effectively.
That perspective is especially notable considering Rhodes’ extensive experience in wrestling. He has performed at the highest level of WWE, where every major match brings physical expectations and immense scrutiny. Yet his comments about Street Fighter focus on learning, preparation and respect for the specialists handling the stunt design.
Preparation Matters Beyond The Ring
The details Rhodes shared are a reminder that physical entertainment depends on preparation regardless of the medium. Wrestling training develops an athlete’s ability to take falls, work with a partner and perform demanding sequences under pressure. Movie stunt preparation is built around a different set of production needs, even when the action may appear similar to viewers.
A cinematic fight scene is not simply a wrestling match transferred to another location. It must fit the story being told, the framing selected by the production and the desired pacing of the final edit. The performers also have to work within the stunt coordinator’s plan. Rhodes’ reference to Valera’s role in putting the stunts together for the entire film highlights the scale of that responsibility.
For wrestlers entering acting projects, this kind of preparation can be as important as any preexisting athletic ability. The fundamentals learned in a ring may provide a useful base, but they do not eliminate the need for instruction. Rhodes’ comments make that case in straightforward fashion: the wrestlers involved had to be taught “the right things to do.”
It is also a useful distinction for fans who see WWE performers make the move into movies and assume their on-screen fighting will be effortless because of what they do each week. The physical confidence is undoubtedly part of the appeal, but stunt work is a specialized craft. Rhodes’ experience on Street Fighter reinforces that performers are expected to adapt to the process rather than assume their existing background covers every aspect of action filmmaking.
What Rhodes Has Said About His Acting Path
Rhodes has also recently discussed his future in acting, making his comments on the Street Fighter set part of a broader conversation about his work beyond WWE. The new remarks do not provide a detailed roadmap for his acting plans, nor do they offer further information about his role in the film. They do, however, show him engaging seriously with the demands of the opportunity in front of him.
That measured outlook fits the message of his stunt-work comments. Rhodes is not presenting movie action as an extension of the ring that requires no adjustment. He is presenting it as another professional environment in which experienced people can teach him the required techniques.
For WWE fans, the prospect of seeing Rhodes in a major action project adds another dimension to a career already defined by high-profile performances in wrestling. His account of the preparation process suggests that his involvement was not limited to simply showing up with the physical tools he developed as a wrestler. It required time, training and an understanding that a movie set operates under different rules.
Street Fighter gives Rhodes another setting in which to apply his comfort in front of cameras, but his own words point to the importance of humility in making the transition. The skills that make a WWE superstar compelling are valuable, yet Rhodes says the stunt team still had to teach the wrestlers how to approach the action properly. In his view, that education was an essential part of moving from the scale of a packed arena to the close-up demands of a film set.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.