Last night provided a pretty surprising crossover between the WWE and Capcom announcing that the wrestling star Thea Trinidad (known in the ring as Zelina Vega) is featured in Street Fighter 6 as an in-game commentator, but it didn’t stop there.
Walking out for her entrance to the WWE Royal Rumble, Zelina came to fight decked out in a full cosplay for Juri’s SF6 design, and she even scored a ringout recreating part of the fighter’s Critical Art.
Her costume itself was about as accurate as possible since Trinidad also had Juri’s custom phone and a lollipop from her victory screen — although they did make her hair white and added some matching purple sneakers.
Zelina didn’t just look the part either, as she also did her best to emulate the crazy martial artist during the big entrance and continued once she got into the ring.
Zelina Vega ‘Juri’ Street Fighter entrance | Royal Rumble 2023 | @ZelinaVegaWWE pic.twitter.com/mX6FVOacDm
— Hina 希望 (@HinatasWish) January 29, 2023
To top it all off, she busted out some familiar stomps while hanging off the side of the ropes and ended up lifting her opponent’s face with her foot before kicking down to the floor below just like the end of Juri’s Critical Art in the game.
🔥 2023 is wild… Juri Han enters the 2023 Royal Rumble at #21! @ZelinaVegaWWE killed it with Street Fighter references and even does Juri’s super art!!? 🕸 This is cross promotion at its absolute BEST. 👀 Epic commentary too! lol #streetfighter6 #fgc pic.twitter.com/VxwLw4ESAW
— 天 Fighters Generation (@Fighters_Gen) January 29, 2023
It’s understandable that she couldn’t recreate the whole animation considering normal people can’t really jump and fly through the air like that.
Although Vega didn’t walk away with the belt, her getting to wrestle dressed up as a fighting game character and getting a role in SF6 is a win in itself.
What an honor. I had happy tears tonight. Thank you @CapcomUSA_ @CapcomFighters @alfonso_thesix @wwe and everyone who made this nerd’s dream come true tonight.
And shout out to Texas! Y’all always show me unconditional love🥲
Guys!! ….I’m in #StreetFighter6 !!!! pic.twitter.com/VNCRHRaTZe
— 👑 QUEEN ZELINA 👑 (@ZelinaVegaWWE) January 29, 2023
This isn’t even the first fighting game cosplay Trinidad has performed in, as she’s previously entered matches dressed as her namesake Vega and Mortal Kombat’s Sindel.
No one is touching Zelina Vega in the gear section! WWE’s own cosplay queen! @ZelinaVegaWWE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/eZDRAmEUdX
— Jugsss ✨ (@itsmejugal_) January 29, 2023
Street Fighter 6 itself enjoyed a big presence at the Royal Rumble event with the game’s logo being featured in a giant digital banner, on Zelina’s entrance screen, and of course the wrestling commentators had to mention the pre-orders plus a reference to E. Honda.
.@ZelinaVegaWWE lends her voice and personality to the Real Time Commentary Feature as a Color Commentator. Listen to her hype up the crowd when @StreetFighter 6 launches on June 2, 2023! pic.twitter.com/m5kqBalmW5
— WWE (@WWE) January 29, 2023
Capcom definitely seems as though they are not holding back in their marketing push to get as many eyes on SF6 as possible, and it being so prominently promoted at a WWE program, that opens the door to more possibilities outside of purely gaming events.
We’re still not sure about Capcom shelling out the big bucks for something like a Super Bowl ad slot, but those chances are certainly higher than zero now.
Thea Trinidad’s inclusion in the game too as a color commentator has us really curious as to who else Capcom could be pulling in for SF6 outside of the typical FGC.
Banner image via WWE.
