The new Street Fighter movie features two big names from the wrestling world, with Roman Reigns playing Akuma alongside Cody Rhodes as Guile. Both WWE performers are video game fans, and Reigns says that's a hobby shared by many WWE stars backstage. Reigns added that video games have become the go-to downtime activity for the roster, rather than the "extracurricular" exploits of the previous generation of wrestlers.
"I'm not very good at it nowadays," Reigns said to ExtraTV (via Complex) at this week's Street Fighter premiere. "But yes, that has been a positive replacement for some of the other extracurricular activities wrestlers would do. The video games have definitely allowed the guys to stay in and not go and explore the towns too much. But yeah, it's a huge thing in our locker room for sure."
There are several tales of what professional wrestlers got up to when they weren't clobbering each other in the ring, as they'd take a break from the road by getting up to mischief. The late Owen Hart was infamous for his prank calls and uncanny impersonations; an urban legend claims Mr. Perfect fed chocolate laxatives to Yokozuna on a plane, and several infamous stories say a night out on the town led to hijinks. In comparison, WWE performers have often been spotted bringing gaming setups with them, with the Switch being a popular choice given how many days they spend on the road.
Former WWE star Xavier Woods even turned his passion for video games into a side gig with the UpUpDownDown channel, where he and his fellow performers regularly appeared. Longtime star Randy Orton also revealed that he's a huge fan of Elden Ring, having put over 600 hours into the game while recovering from a spinal injury.
Other wrestlers have incorporated video game themes and aesthetics into their ring personas, like Kenny Omega, who has several moves that reference Street Fighter and Final Fantasy 7, like the V-Trigger knee strike and the One Winged Angel finishing move.
In 2023, the Best Bout Machine's entrance at Wrestle Kingdom 17 was themed around Final Fantasy baddie Sephiroth, as he donned an ornate leather jacket, the screen displayed an infamous black angel wing, and he walked to the ring while Sephiroth's Final Fantasy 7 Remake theme played.
Meanwhile, Street Fighter has landed in theaters and reviews for it have been mixed at best. "It’s entertaining for some silly, mindless fun, but also a very messy movie that never quite figures out its tone and fails to sell you on its plot or characters," Lisa Wallen wrote in GameSpot's Street Fighter movie review.