Brock Lesnar Beats Cody Rhodes In Epic Fight

Brock Lesnar beat Cody Rhodes in a great match at WWE Night of Champions 2023 centered around Rhodes’ (kayfabe) broken arm. In a ln epic story, and after a valiant effort, Rhodes passed out while trapped in a Kimura Lock for the second and final time.

Cody Rhodes continues to chart a virtually inevitable path back to the WrestleMania main event. There—more specifically in Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field—a showdown with overpowered 1,000-day champion Roman Reigns awaits. For what it’s worth, this week, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (Wrestling Inc.) reported Rhodes vs. Reigns II was the long-term direction for WrestleMania 40. This comes a month after WrestleVotes reported Reigns vs. Rhodes II was on the table for WrestleMania in Philadelphia.

Reigns suffered his first loss to Rhodes in a shocking finish to WrestleMania 39. Since then, Rhodes’ only loss was in a Triple Threat Match in the opening round of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament. Rhodes was not pinned, but instead he was being massacred by a still-terrifying Brock Lesnar.

The Rhodes-Lesnar feud has felt like a four-month clapback to those who (foolishly) claim that Cody Rhodes does not face enough adversity. Rhodes returned from a real-life pectoral injury in January, but not before wrestling a famous match against Seth Rollins with a broken freakin’ pec. Since losing what seemed to be a no-brainer victory, Rhodes has now been on the wrong side of a Brock Lesnar Brawl since the Raw After Mania.

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Despite his win over Lesnar, Cody Rhodes was booked to be an underdog in this match, and it worked. In addition to an onslaught of attacks, the coup de grace was Brock Lesnar targeting Cody’s arm. This storyline for Rhodes vs. Lesnar II is a not-so-subtle recreation of pec-gate, which proved to be Rhodes’ finest hour to date.

Rhodes’ pectoral muscle is developing its own family tree, with multiple copycats in high-profile matches. In fact, all three WWE and AEW shows this weekend feature a wrestler working hurt. In addition to Monday night on Raw with Rhodes, Lyra Valkyria suffered a (kayabe) leg injury after being attacked by Cora Jade. Valkyria will limp into Sunday’s NXT
XT
Battleground as an underdog against destined NXT Women’s champion Tiffany Stratton. Friday on AEW Rampage, Jamie Hayter suffered an art-imitating-life shoulder injury after being attacked by Toni Storm. Storm will challenge Hayter for the AEW Women’s World Championship at AEW Double or Nothing.

A win for Cody Rhodes would have grown his legend, but he was protected in defeat. Rhodes continues to shine as a babyface as WWE is not forcing him upon its fanbase like they did with Reigns in 2015. Once Rhodes finishes his story against Brock, it’ll be done in a way that rewards a WWE fanbase that has fallen head-over-heels for Rhodes.

Let the Cody Rhodes adversity tour continue.