Cody Rhodes sees very different paths to success for Chad Gable and Jacob Fatu in a hypothetical WWE version of Street Fighter’s World Warrior tournament.
The question arrives as Street Fighter releases worldwide with Rhodes and Roman Reigns among the professional wrestlers featured in its cast. Rhodes plays Guile in the film, while Reigns portrays Akuma. The story is built around competitors pursuing supremacy in the World Warrior tournament, providing an easy opportunity to consider which WWE performers might thrive in that kind of combat-sports setting.
Rhodes initially focused on Fatu’s explosive, unpredictable intensity. But after weighing the idea, he ultimately named Gable as his top pick because of the Olympic-level amateur wrestling credentials and technical foundation that have long defined Gable’s in-ring identity.
“In a good old fashioned World Warrior Tournament? I think you really wanna go with the crafty. Who is in there? Do you have a guess? You got some parallels with a Blanka and a Jacob Fatu, just a madness. You’ve seen Jacob Fatu fire up. I think really you picked the right two guys though, if there was a World Warrior Tournament. Actually no, I stand corrected and you know this, World Warrior Tournament at WWE, Chad Gable. A shooter’s shooter.”
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Jacob Fatu’s intensity makes him an immediate fit
Rhodes’ comparison between Fatu and Blanka speaks to the kind of volatile energy Fatu has brought to WWE. Fatu’s presentation is built around explosive bursts of offense, unusual athleticism for his size, and an unmistakably physical edge once a match turns chaotic. He is not the sort of competitor opponents can easily prepare for, which is precisely why the Street Fighter comparison works as a hypothetical tournament selection.
In a single-elimination format, the ability to overwhelm an opponent before they find a rhythm can be a major advantage. Fatu has repeatedly shown the speed to cover distance quickly, the power to change the direction of a match, and the willingness to embrace a brawl when the situation calls for it. His offense does not depend on patiently working through a long technical exchange. It can instead arrive in sudden, punishing sequences that force opponents to react.
That is the “madness” Rhodes referenced. It is not a comment about Fatu lacking control or discipline; rather, it captures the danger of facing someone who can go from stillness to a full-scale attack in an instant. In the language of a fighting-game tournament, Fatu would be the competitor whose physical presence alone affects the strategy of everyone placed across from him.
Fatu also represents a different type of WWE athlete than Gable. Where Gable is associated with leverage, positioning and grappling precision, Fatu projects force, speed and eruption. A fictional World Warrior tournament would need both kinds of fighters, and Rhodes’ first instinct was to highlight the WWE star whose wild-card qualities could make him difficult to contain.
Why Cody Rhodes ultimately selected Chad Gable
Rhodes’ final answer, however, was Chad Gable. The reasoning was direct: Gable is “a shooter’s shooter.” That description fits Gable’s background and the credibility he brings to any discussion involving legitimate competitive combat skills.
Before becoming a WWE standout, Gable was an accomplished amateur wrestler, including competing at the Olympic Games. That foundation remains central to his WWE work. Whether he is positioned as a singles wrestler, a tag team specialist, a coach-like figure, or a relentless antagonist, Gable’s movement and offense consistently reflect his grappling pedigree. He creates openings through balance, timing and body control rather than merely relying on size.
For a World Warrior tournament, those traits would be especially valuable. A tournament is not only about hitting hard or having an imposing entrance. It is about adapting to different opponents and finding solutions under pressure. A wrestler with Gable’s skill set could theoretically approach each matchup differently: neutralizing a larger opponent’s power, countering a fast striker’s momentum, or dragging a chaotic fight into a more controlled grappling contest.
Rhodes’ answer also recognizes that Gable’s technical ability can sometimes be overshadowed by the entertainment elements of WWE television. Gable is capable of generating crowd reactions through his personality and verbal work, but the foundation beneath it remains serious athletic ability. When the premise shifts from a conventional WWE match to a fantasy combat tournament, that foundation becomes the defining factor.
The distinction is important. Rhodes did not dismiss Fatu; he named him as a natural parallel to a memorable Street Fighter archetype. But when pushed to identify the WWE performer most likely to excel in an all-around fight tournament, Rhodes reconsidered and landed on Gable.
Street Fighter brings wrestling personalities into a new arena
The question has added relevance because Rhodes and Reigns are helping introduce wrestling audiences to a new screen interpretation of the Street Fighter universe. Guile and Akuma are two of the franchise’s most recognizable characters, and their casting places two of WWE’s biggest names inside a world traditionally associated with fighting games and martial arts spectacle.
Rhodes’ role as Guile is particularly notable given Guile’s status as a disciplined, highly recognizable hero within Street Fighter. Reigns, meanwhile, takes on Akuma, a character synonymous with intimidation and immense power. Their involvement underscores the way pro wrestling and fighting-game storytelling can intersect: both rely on strong character identities, rivalries, physical performance and visually distinct combat styles.
The World Warrior tournament is an especially natural bridge between those worlds. WWE has long presented its talent as elite competitors from varied athletic and cultural backgrounds, while Street Fighter’s roster is built on fighters with distinctive styles and motivations. The idea of placing WWE names into that framework is therefore more than a casual fantasy exercise. It highlights how readily certain performers communicate their fighting identity to an audience.
Fatu’s intensity and Gable’s credentials make them logical answers, even though they would approach the challenge from opposite ends of the spectrum. One would bring the disruptive threat of a powerhouse athlete capable of turning a contest upside down. The other would bring the methodical confidence of a decorated wrestler who understands how to impose a technical game plan.
A hypothetical answer rooted in real WWE strengths
There is, of course, no actual WWE World Warrior tournament announced. Rhodes was answering a fun hypothetical tied to Street Fighter’s premise, not previewing a company event or identifying future film casting. Still, the response offers a concise assessment of what makes both Gable and Fatu compelling members of the roster.
Gable’s case is grounded in proven amateur wrestling experience and the sharpness of his technical approach. He is the kind of performer whose credentials invite discussion whenever WWE debates turn to who possesses the strongest pure wrestling background. Rhodes’ “shooter’s shooter” label is an endorsement of that reputation.
Fatu’s case is built on the force of his presence. He has become one of the WWE roster’s most striking physical personalities because he combines aggression with movement that opponents may not expect. Rhodes saw that combination and immediately connected it to the larger-than-life fighting styles that define Street Fighter.
It is also fitting that Rhodes did not settle on only one name at first. Tournament settings reward variety. A competitor like Fatu can create problems through mayhem and raw athletic violence. A competitor like Gable can win through preparation, technique and composure. WWE’s roster contains performers with many different strengths, but Rhodes’ two selections illustrate the contrast especially well.
For Rhodes, the final choice came down to Gable’s legitimacy as a wrestler. Yet his first thought about Fatu shows just how highly he values the danger and unpredictability the powerhouse brings. If WWE ever did stage its own version of a World Warrior tournament, Rhodes has already supplied two very different candidates who would demand attention from the opening round.
Rhodes remains active in WWE while also helping bring Street Fighter to a broader audience through his role as Guile. On the latest episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown, Rhodes punctuated his own on-screen momentum by delivering a punt to Baron Corbin. Whether discussing a fictional fighting tournament or continuing his work inside a WWE ring, Rhodes remains closely associated with competition, combat and the search for the next challenge.
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.