SummerSlam was another enjoyable WWE PLE, but it was arguably Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar who stole the show.
This final confrontation between the American Nightmare and The Beast ended with Rhodes picking up his second win over Lesnar, further establishing the former AEW star as a top WWE Superstar. However, the match ended on a surprising note.
After being defeated, Lesnar had a stare-down with Rhodes before shaking his hand, embracing him, and lifting the babyface's arm. It was the ultimate sign of respect from Lesnar and a moment which wasn't lost on Cody.
"As I saw him taking his gloves off, I sincerely thought he was going to start swinging," he tells Sports Illustrated. "Then we went head-to-head, and it felt like we were a millisecond away from starting up again. So I didn’t anticipate that handshake coming."
"When I saw his hand, I was grateful. That’s not something he does. Again, this run has consistently surprised me. The torch isn’t passed. You have to take it."
However, if Rhodes had any ideas about thanking Brock backstage, he was in for a surprise. "I came to the back, there was a nice ovation in the Gorilla Position, but Brock was nowhere to be found," he reveals. "I didn’t see him the rest of the night. The way I see it, we didn’t need to speak. Brock left it all in the ring."
Now that he's done with Lesnar, all eyes are on what Rhodes does next. As you might expect, a rematch with Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at next year's WrestleMania is right at the top of his list of priorities.
"I know what I want. I know what I’m working to attain. I had other challenges before. People didn’t think I’d survive Stardust, or that a non-WWE show could sell 10,000 tickets. There have been plenty of times when people bet against me. Getting back, this is the biggest obstacle yet."
"That’s my goal: get back. And that’s what I’m fighting to do."