INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)  
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue X October 2025  
The Language of Pro Wrestling: A Speech Act Analysis on a Promo  
between a “Face” and a “Heel”  
*1Muhammad Hariz bin Mohammad Hafiz  
Universiti Teknologi MARA: Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Alor Gajah,  
78000, Melaka, Malaysia  
*Corresponding Author  
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.910000506  
Received: 02 November 2025; Accepted: 08 November 2025; Published: 17 November 2025  
ABSTRACT  
The research examines how language functions as a performative tool in professional wrestling by analysing a  
WWE promo between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns using Searle’s (1969) Speech Act Theory. The research  
had two main objectives: (1) to identify the types of speech acts used by both wrestlers, and (2) to compare the  
frequency of the speech acts used by each. A qualitative content analysis approach was used, and the promo was  
transcribed and categorised into Searle’s five types of speech acts. The results revealed that both wrestlers used  
four speech act types which were assertive, directive, expressive, and commissive and declarative speech act  
was absent. Cody Rhodes, as the face, relied more on assertive and expressive acts that reflected humility and  
respect, whereas Roman Reigns, as the heel, used more directives and insults to show authority and dominance.  
These findings suggest that professional wrestling promos use speech acts not only for entertainment but also to  
construct moral contrast and narrative tension between characters.  
Keywords: Speech act theory, professional wrestling, WWE, discourse analysis, sports communication  
INTRODUCTION  
The role of language and communication in sports is important in many ways which can serve both instrumental  
and performative purposes. From one perspective, besides having the capability to perform at a high level,  
athletes are also expected to be able to communicate effectively especially when they are working in a team  
(Kim et al., 2021). This will help their team to coordinate and perform at their best to achieve the best possible  
results. On the other hand, language and communication also play a critical role to give make sports entertaining  
and engaging to capture the viewers’ attention (Xia et al., 2024).  
Among the many forms of sports, this research focused its attention on professional wrestling. It provides a  
unique opportunity for discourse of language on sports as professional wrestling relies heavily on two  
combinations, which are athletic performance and storytelling. Unlike other sports such as football, basketball  
and mixed martial arts, the nature of professional wrestling is scripted because the outcome of a match is  
predetermined by its writers. Despite that, audience still has no idea about the outcome of the match, and this  
makes it as exciting as any other sports. As for the professional wrestlers, they must rely on their physical skills,  
timing and verbal performance to engage with the audience to deliver the storyline effectively (Azunwo, 2024).  
In professional wrestling, there are “heroes” and there are “villains”. These opposing character types are  
commonly referred to as the face and the heel (BBC News, n.d.). Face or babyface is a term used to describe the  
performers which the crowds cheer for, while heel refers to performers who the audience despise. The contrast  
of moral between these characters defines the core of wrestling’s storytelling.  
The biggest wrestling company in the world is World Wrestling Entertainment or more popularly known as  
WWE with million of viewers worldwide across television, streaming and social media (Hale, 2025). Hence,  
this study focuses a face-off between two current top WWE performers Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns which  
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took place in an episode of Smackdown before their match at WrestleMania 40 through the lens of Searle’s  
(1969) Speech Act Theory. According to Altikri (2011), analysing through this aspect will help us to understand  
how language can influence listeners’ actions and behaviour. In the context of professional wrestling, performers  
are not only talking to each other, they are also talking to the audience and almost every utterance could garner  
reactions whether it is positive or negative. This research has two main objectives:  
1. To identify the types of speech acts used by both professional wrestlers  
2. To compare the frequency of the speech acts used by each professional wrestler  
LITERATURE REVIEW  
Austin (1962) first laid out the foundation for speech act theory when he introduced three components which  
locutionary act (the speaking act), illocutionary act (the act of intention to speak) and perlocutionary act (the act  
of responding to speaking). Searle (1969) then attempted to perfect the concept by focusing more on illocutionary  
act by speakers in any context. He then classified the speech acts into five components which are assertive speech  
act, directive speech act, expressive speech act, commissive speech act and declarative speech act.  
Table 1: Searle’s (1969) Speech Act (Adapted from Hofmann et al., 2023)  
Types of illocutionary Description  
act  
Assertive  
(Stating,  
1. Illocutionary point: commit speaker to the truth of the expressed proposition  
2. Direction of fit: words to world  
reporting,  
denying, claiming)  
3. Psychological state: belief  
Directive  
1. Illocutionary point: getting the interlocutor to do something.  
2. Direction of fit: world to words.  
(Orders,  
suggestions,  
requesting, commanding)  
3. Psychological state: wish  
Commissive  
1. Illocutionary point: committing the speaker to a future action  
2. Direction of fit: world to words  
(Promising, guaranteeing,  
offering, threatening)  
3. Psychological state: intention  
Expressive  
1. Illocutionary point: expression of a psychological state  
2. Direction of fit: none  
(Congratulating,  
thanking, complimenting.  
Greeting)  
3. Psychological state: diverse  
Declarative  
1. Illocutionary point: bringing the institutional facts  
2. Direction of fit: both  
(Naming,  
appointing,  
announcing, nominating)  
3. Psychological state: none  
Past studies which have applied Searle’s (1969) speech act theory have been done on various settings such as  
short stories, speeches, classroom and sports. In a literary study by Khanfar et al. (2023) researchers applied  
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Speech Act Theory to analyse how fictional characters perform communicative acts within narrative texts. Out  
of the five Searle’s (1969) speech act theory, it was found that directives were the most frequent.  
The speech act studies have also been done towards speeches. Hashim and Safwat (2015) conducted a study on  
political speeches by John Kerry and George W. Bush. They found commissive speech acts was the most  
dominant speech act used by the two politicians. In another study on speech settings, Suprihana et al. (2025)  
found assertive speech act was the most dominant speech act used by 20 international exchange students.  
In classroom settings, Yulian and Mandarani (2023) conducted a study on the forms of illocutionary acts used  
by teachers when interacting with seventh-grade students and found directive was the most frequent speech act  
used. Similarly, Afifuddin (2024) also did a study on classroom communication between 24 students and their  
lecturer. The study found assertive was the most frequent speech act used. Sports speech acts have also been  
studied. Jose Mourinho's post-match interviews were examined in a study by Putro (2014), which revealed  
distinct speech act patterns in winning and losing situations. While directive speech acts questioned the decisions  
made by referees, expressive speech acts expressed feelings.  
As can be observed based on the outcome of the various studies, results could differ under different settings. For  
example, not all studies on speech act show that assertive speech act is the most common one. It could be  
influenced by the setting like the study on speech where it was found that commissive was the most frequent  
speech act. Hence, a study on professional wrestling setting could provide a great opportunity to systematically  
examine the wrestling promos through Searle’s (1969) speech act theory. This could also help us to better  
understand how linguistic choices help performers elevate themselves to the next level.  
METHODOLOGY  
Research design  
This study uses Searle's (1969) Speech Act Theory and a qualitative content analysis methodology to analyse a  
WWE promo. While content analysis is especially useful for determining how words and phrases operate within  
particular settings (Crossman, 2020), qualitative research allows for a thorough investigation of communication  
patterns and meanings (Creswell, 1994).  
Although this study included a simple comparison of speech act frequencies between the two wrestlers, the main  
focus was on interpretation rather than numbers. Future research can involve more than one coder to improve  
consistency and reduce subjectivity in the analysis as this study did not use inter-rater validation.  
Population and Sampling  
The promo between the two wrestlers Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns was chosen using a purposive sampling  
procedure, which enables the researcher to specifically select data that satisfy particular requirements pertinent  
to the study's goals (Etikan et al., 2016).  
In the chosen promo, Cody Rhodes played the role as the face which could be seen as the hero figure based on  
the way he won the crowd’s support. Throughout the promo, he showcased respectful manner and his focus on  
personal belief and family legacy. Roman Reigns, on the other hand, played the role as the heel. This could be  
seen from the way he adopted a more arrogant and dismissive attitude. The clear contrast between the two  
performers is a classic wrestling storytelling which can keep the audience emotionally invested in the story  
between the hero and the villain.  
Data Collection Procedure and Data Analysis  
The data collection process began with choosing a wrestling promo between a face and a heel. The researcher  
chose a promo between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns and this was taken from the WWE official channel.  
The video titled “Reigns and Rhodes Come Face to Face Before Wrestlemania”  
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvOE-Qcwbw4).  
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After watching the video, the researcher transcribed the promo and made sure that every line could be captured  
as accurately as possible. The researcher went through the video a few times to ensure that there are no missing  
parts. Once the transcription was completed, the dialogue between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes was then  
analysed using Searle’s (1969) speech act theory by identifying the speech acts which are assertive, directive,  
commissive, expressive and declarative. The results were then organised based on the two objectives of the  
study.  
RESULTS  
Types of speech acts used  
After the study was conducted on a promo between Cody Rhodes (Face) and Roman Reigns (Heel), it was found  
that only four out of five speech acts were used which are assertive, directive, commissive and expressive. The  
results of this objective are presented in five sections below.  
Assertive speech act  
Table 2: Assertive speech act by Cody Rhodes  
Speaker  
Message  
1. So if you came alone, I came alone.  
Cody Rhodes  
2. You guys were unstoppable.  
3. You might be right.  
Table 2 shows some of the examples of Cody Rhodes using the assertive speech act. Based on his encounter  
with Roman Reigns, he used utterances such as “So, if you came alone, I came alone.”, “You guys were  
unstoppable” and “You might be right”.  
Table 3: Assertive speech act by Roman Reigns  
Speaker  
Message  
1. "You're here thinking with your heart.  
Roman  
Reigns  
2. He stabbed me in my back.  
3. I thought that he was becoming my brother.  
Table 3 shows the use of assertive speech act by Roman Reigns. Some of the utterances used by him were  
“You’re here thinking with your heart”, “He stabbed me in my back” and “I thought that he was becoming my  
brother”.  
Directive speech act  
Table 4: Directive speech act by Cody Rhodes  
Speaker  
Message  
1. Let me ask you something.  
2. Let’s get real here.  
Cody Rhodes  
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3. Can you trust The Rock?  
In table 4, some of the utterances used by Cody Rhodes which fall under directive speech act include “Let me  
ask you something”, “Let’s get real here” and “Can you trust The Rock?”.  
Table 5: Directive speech act by Roman Reigns  
Speaker  
Message  
1. Where was Seth at?  
Roman Reigns  
2. What do you think is gonna happen to you?  
3. Hear me out.  
Table 5 highlights Roman Reigns’ utterances which fall under directive speech act. Some of the examples here  
show that he asked Cody Rhodes “Where was Seth at?”, “What do you think is gonna happen to you?” and he  
also told Cody Rhodes to “hear him out”.  
Commissive speech act  
Table 6: Commissive speech act by Cody Rhodes  
Speaker  
Message  
1. Well, I'm as much a man of my word as you are.  
Cody Rhodes  
Table 6 shows Cody Rhodes did also use commissive speech act. However, in contrast to both assertive and  
directive speech act, only one utterance by him which has been identified which is “Well, I’m as much a man of  
my word as you are” as he indicated that he is promising something.  
Table 7: Commissive speech act by Roman Reigns  
Speaker  
Message  
1. The wise man has made a promise and the tribal chief has kept his word.  
2. And that's what I am, I'm a man of my word.  
Roman Reigns  
In table 7, Roman Reigns also used some utterances which fall under commissive speech act. The examples are  
“The wise man has made a promise and the tribal chief has kept his word” and “And that’s what I am, I’m a man  
of my word”.  
Expressive speech act  
Table 8: Expressive speech act by Cody Rhodes  
Speaker  
Message  
1. I appreciate this education.  
2. Good luck at WrestleMania.  
Cody Rhodes  
Table 8 highlights the use of expressive speech act by Cody Rhodes. He said to his rival Roman Reigns “I  
appreciate this education” and wished him “Good luck at WrestleMania.”.  
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Table 9: Expressive speech act by Roman Reigns  
Speaker  
Message  
1. You're a fool.  
Roman Reigns  
2. You're stupid to me.  
3. Wait, no, no, no, I mean that with respect.  
Table 9 shows the use of expressive speech act by Roman Reigns speech act. He used expressive speech act to  
tell Cody Rhodes “You’re a fool”, “You’re stupid to me” and “Wait, no, no, no, I mean that with respect”.  
Comparison of frequency of speech acts used by each wrestler  
Once the types of speech acts used was identified, the research focused on identifying the frequency for each  
speech act for each wrestler.  
Table 10: The frequency of speech act by each wrestler  
Speech acts  
Assertive  
Cody Rhodes  
54.3%  
28.6%  
14.3%  
2.8%  
Roman Reigns  
48.3%  
33.3%  
11.7%  
6.7%  
Directive  
Expressive  
Commissive  
Declarative  
0%  
0%  
Table 10 shows the comparison of the frequency of speech acts used by Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns based  
on the promo which they had before WrestleMania 40. Both professional wrestlers used mainly assertive speech  
acts in their promo with Cody Rhodes had a higher percentage (54.3%) than Roman Reigns (48.3%). The second  
most frequent speech act for both Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns is directive speech act. Unlike assertive  
speech act, Roman Reigns used directive speech act more (33.3%) as compared to Cody Rhodes (28.6%). Next,  
Cody Rhodes used more expressive speech act (14.3%) than Roman Reigns (11.7%). The use of commissive  
speech act is fewer compared to the other three speech acts with Roman Reigns using it more (6.7%) than Cody  
Rhodes (2.8%). Lastly, there is not a single use of declarative speech act with both wrestlers having 0%  
frequency.  
DISCUSSION  
This first objective of this study was to identify the types of speech acts used by both professional wrestlers. The  
findings showed that only four out of five speech acts assertive, directive, commissive and expressive were  
found. There was no declarative speech act found from this study. Declarative speech act refers to utterances  
made by the speaker to change a social reality such as declaring a winner and announcing retirement. In the  
wrestling promo between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, the focus emphasised more on speech acts which  
allowed them to state their claims, challenge each other and many more. For example, this could be identified  
from phrases like “Let’s get real here”, “You’re stupid to me” and “Good luck at WrestleMania”. These  
utterances can get the audience to be emotionally invested in the storyline and look forward to their match.  
The next objective of this study was to compare the frequency of the speech acts by both professional wrestlers.  
The results indicate that both wrestlers relied primarily on assertive speech acts, followed by directive speech  
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act, expressive speech act and commissive speech act. This suggests that both speakers focused on stating beliefs  
and presenting claims to establish credibility and authority. As the face, some utterances by Cody Rhodes showed  
humility when he said, “You might be right” and “You guys were unstoppable”.  
However, Roman Reigns used more directive speech act compared to Cody Rhodes. This reflects his tendency  
to issue commands and assert dominance which can be said is consistent with his heel persona with phrases like  
“Hear me out” and “What do you think is gonna happen to you?”. Both wrestlers also used the expressive speech  
act and it was the third most frequent speech act. "I appreciate this education," and "Good luck at WrestleMania,"  
were used by Cody Rhodes to show expressions of thanks and respect but Roman Reigns, on the other hand,  
called Cody "a fool" and "stupid" to degrade his opponent. This difference demonstrates emotional function of  
their words, even within the same category. The fourth most frequent speech act was commissive speech act  
where both wrestlers used it in an almost identical fashion.  
This supports the idea that professional wrestling uses language as part of its performance, where words help  
tell the story and influence how the audience views each character. The differences in tone and speech acts show  
how language helps create the moral contrast between the hero and the villain. Although this study only looked  
at the dialogue, future research could also study audience reactions or other elements like gestures, tone, and  
facial expressions to better understand how language and performance connect with the crowd.  
CONCLUSION  
This study demonstrates how Speech Act Theory reveals the pragmatic foundations of identity and power in  
professional wrestling discourse. The SmackDown promo between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes shows that  
even scripted language performs real rhetorical work: Roman Reigns’ assertives and directives create  
dominance, while Cody Rhodes’ expressives and commissives project sincerity and moral resolve. The findings  
support the view that wrestling promos operate as microcosms of persuasive dialogue, where linguistic form  
enacts emotion and ideology.  
This research was conducted to identify and compare the types of speech acts used by two profession wrestlers  
from WWE which were Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns. The study found the order of the most frequent speech  
act is in the order of assertive, directive, expressive, commissive and declarative which was non existent in the  
study. The findings suggest that patterns of a wrestling promo between a face and a heel are done deliberately  
to make sure the masses or to be more specific professional wrestling fans stay interested in the product.  
Analysing through the lens of Searle’s (1969) speech act theory allows us to understand the crucial role of  
language in professional wrestling.  
The study’s limited dataset offers focused insight into how wrestlers construct meaning through dialogue, though  
a larger sample which involve more wrestling promos between a “face” and a “heel” under different  
circumstances could enhance generalisability. Future research may also adopt a multimodal or mixed-method  
approach to integrate linguistic, visual, and audience-based analysis. Comparative studies involving multiple  
promotions besides WWE such as All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) or  
different cultural contexts could further reveal how speech acts operate across diverse entertainment  
environments.  
This study included a basic comparison of speech act frequencies between the two wrestlers, but the main focus  
was on understanding meaning rather than numbers. Future studies could involve more than one coder to make  
the analysis more consistent and objective, since this study did not use inter-rater validation.  
To conclude, despite its limitations, the study highlights that language in professional wrestling functions not  
only as dialogue but also as a performative tool to shape character identity and audience perception. These  
findings reinforce the value of linguistic analysis in understanding performative communication in popular  
culture. Future research could expand this study by analysing multiple events, female wrestlers, or multilingual  
promos to explore how performative speech evolves across audiences and contexts.  
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  
The author would like to express his sincere gratitude to Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi  
MARA (UiTM) Cawangan Melaka, for its institutional and moral support. Any remaining errors and oversights  
are the author’s own responsibility.  
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