Brock Lesnar to attack 13-time champion, NOT John Cena, on SmackDown and send him packing? Chances explored

The Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar, is back, and he is expected to be in attendance on tonight's episode of Friday Night SmackDown. Also advertised for the show are John Cena and new WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. The two megastars engaged in a war for the ages at SummerSlam, one that was followed by an embrace and some touching words.

With Lesnar's attack on Cena post the SummerSlam main event, the two are expected to lock horns with each other at Clash in Paris, but how the Triple H-led creative team builds their feud will be quite interesting to observe. With Cody Rhodes set to film Street Fighter soon, the 13-time WWE champion may be used as a pivotal plot device to further the angle. The American Nightmare is a two-time Undisputed WWE Champion, a two-time Intercontinental Champion, a one-time Men's Crown Jewel Champion, and an eight-time tag team champion.

Tonight on SmackDown, Brock Lesnar could decimate Cody Rhodes, the last man he faced in WWE. The two, of course, had an incredible feud in 2023 that culminated at SummerSlam, The Beast Incarnate's last WWE appearance until his stunning return this past weekend.

Lesnar could go after Cena first, which would prompt Cody Rhodes, the ultimate white meat babyface, to make the save for one of his mentors and foe-turned-friend. However, The Beast could inflict brutality of an even higher degree on Rhodes, much like he did on the RAW after WrestleMania 39, as John Cena watches helplessly.

This could set up a storyline, according to which, The Greatest of All Time decides to repent and make up for his behavior these past few months and looks to avenge the man who forced him back into his senses.

Depending on how the Lesnar-Cena match plays out, the dynamics could reverse when Cody comes back and looks to avenge Cena's loss, should Brock Lesnar end up going over at Clash in Paris in the rumored match.

How the entire story plays out would, of course, be contingent on whether Rhodes needs time off in the first place, but if he does, an attack by Lesnar as he tries to help Cena could make sure the crowds don't start turning on him anytime soon.

It may also set up an intense feud for the WWE Championship with all the heat on Brock Lesnar and fans behind Cody Rhodes, as he looks to avenge John Cena in a potentially incredible underdog story. However, this is mere conjecture at this point.

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The latest update on Cody Rhodes and Street Fighter, and what that could mean for the possible Brock Lesnar angle

After dancing with John Cena in one of the greatest Street Fights of all time at SummerSlam, it is almost poetic that Cody Rhodes is set to play the role of Guile in the upcoming Street Fighter movie. The same movie will also feature Roman Reigns as Akuma.

Per a recent update by Fightful, the principal photography is set to begin sometime between the next few weeks and September, but it won't affect the new WWE Champion's upcoming schedule in any major way. If that is indeed the case, then any sort of injury angle involving Brock Lesnar and John Cena would obviously not make sense tonight on SmackDown.