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Cody Rhodes defeated Brock Lesnar by pinfall at WWE Summerslam 2023. The incredibly engrossing match started out reminiscent of Lesnar's 2014 decimation of John Cena, but The American Nightmare found a way to win. Rhodes hit three Cross Rhodes to hand The Beast Incarnate a rare clean loss, becoming just the sixth man to defeat the latter at least twice.
After conclusively ending his four-month saga with The Beast, what's next for The former Intercontinental Champion? Where will the huge momentum from SummerSlam propel him?
Here are three possible directions for Cody Rhodes after his huge WWE SummerSlam 2023 win over Brock Lesnar.
#3: Cody Rhodes could be targeted by a returning WWE Superstar
Prior to WWE Summerslam 2023, speculation was rife that Cody Rhodes would be targeted by a returning Bray Wyatt during or after his match against Brock Lesnar. This didn't come to pass, with The American Nightmare instead receiving an endorsement from The Beast.
What if Wyatt, or a returning heel Randy Orton, interrupts Rhodes on Monday Night RAW? This would be a nice way to deliver a delayed surprise to the WWE Universe and give Rhodes a red-hot feud to continue his momentum.
#2: Cody Rhodes could find himself in group warfare culminating in a WarGames match at WWE Survivor Series
WWE's next big premium live event after Summerslam 2023 is Survivor Series. The show hosted the WarGames match concept for the first time ever last year, earning rave reviews. WarGames, of course, was the brainchild of Cody Rhodes' legendary father, Dusty Rhodes, and the star has expressed his desire to compete in the match.
Could this lead to Rhodes getting involved in a storyline between Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, and The Judgment Day? This is quite possible, given that the Triple H regime likes to build storylines for months.
The American Nightmare could be involved with The Judgment Day through Payback and Fastlane, culminating in a huge WarGames clash at Survivor Series 2023.
#1: Cody Rhodes could be traded to WWE SmackDown to begin his journey to a rematch against Roman Reigns
Cody Rhodes' goal after returning to WWE was to "finish the story" by winning the title his father never held - the WWE Championship. He fell short at WrestleMania 39 and has since been on a path to redemption on RAW. With the gigantic obstacle that is Brock Lesnar out of his way, The American Nightmare arguably has nothing left to chase on the red brand except the World Heavyweight Title.
The only problem with this is that Rhodes himself has stated in the past that the new world championship does not equate to the undisputed world title currently held by Reigns.
Furthermore, both he and champion Seth Rollins have shot down the idea of facing each other again. Where does that leave him? He could potentially switch brands to confront Roman Reigns again, only to be sent to the back of the line to "earn his way" into a title shot.
