DETROIT — Despite the meticulous planning that goes into so many aspects of a show like WWE SummerSlam, some of the most enduring moments still manage to be the ones that aren’t scripted. Case in point: What happened after Cody Rhodes defeated Brock Lesnar in the rubber match of their 2023 series.
Rhodes offered a handshake, to which Lesnar initially acted as expected, refusing it and coming forehead to forehead with the American Nightmare. But then Brock not only shook Cody’s hand, but hugged him and raised his arm in victory.
That off the cuff sign of respect was seen by many as Lesnar giving his stamp of approval to Rhodes as he resumes his quest for a world championship, something expected to be the direction that WWE takes with him going forward.
In the meantime, Rhodes thinks it will take time for it all to sink in.
“I don’t think it’s dawned on me what a moment like that really means,” Rhodes said at the post-SummerSlam press conference. “This run, since I came back to WWE, has been consistently surprising to me in every way. And I think that’s why I’m so touched by it all. It’s real, it’s as real as it can get in this world. That’ll be something that I look at and have a very deep, deep appreciation.”
Musing that perhaps Lesnar was to him what Harley Race was to his legendary father, Rhodes also noted that one more thing that may only be truly appreciated in retrospect was how unique Lesnar is within the pro wrestling industry.
“When he’s gone, and I don’t know when that’s gonna be, who knows, because he can go … when he’s gone, I think the world will realize what we’ve got is a freaking unicorn, you know? Just a very unique, once-in-a-lifetime individual.”
Without saying it in so may words, Rhodes appeared to agree that this chapter with Lesnar is indeed closed. But while he doesn’t want to go through the physical agony of reliving it, he’s very glad to have taken the journey together with a special athlete that ended the way it did in Detroit.
“Somehow, some way, I feel like there was maybe just this bond by battle there in that final moment, and I’m very grateful for what’s happened. I don’t want to wrestle Brock Lesnar again, but I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to do it and to compete at his level.”