Roman Reigns and his most recent character portrayal as Akuma have striking similarities. Both are stoic men who only look for opponents that can push them to their absolute limit, all while asking for a little acknowledgement for their efforts. Promoting the upcoming live-action "Street Fighter" movie (in theaters on Friday, October 16), "The OTC" describes the preparation he went through to transform into Akuma."I got lucky because Akuma...his physique is kind of bodybuilder-esque. He's a big brother, so he's very muscular. That helped me out, to kind of stay in my regimen," the current World Heavyweight Champion said in his interview with Men's Health. "But when you add in the martial arts, the fighting disciplines...you have to be able to have your legs in a sumo squat. But then, you can pop up on your toes and also hit a unique pose with your arms. There's so much isometric work in that. There's so much to that body control, almost like a ballerina type of work. And the footwork was pretty extensive."Since his role as Akuma taught him a new appreciation towards martial arts, it's fair to say that discipline might come in handy this Saturday, as "The Head of the Table" will return to in-ring action and defend his pinnacle championship against LA Knight at Money in the Bank in New Orleans. His last successful defense came on the September 14 edition of "WWE Raw" against Penta, in Penta's home country of Mexico. This Saturday will mark Reigns' fifth title defense since securing the championship at WrestleMania 42 against CM Punk.If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Men's Health" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
