Why was Brock Lesnar away from WWE after Night of Champions? Simple reason in a complex rivalry

Brock Lesnar recently returned on this week's WWE RAW and immediately attacked Cody Rhodes, reigniting the feud between both men. There could be several reasons for his absence, but it all boils down due to a trilogy match.

Fans last saw Brock Lesnar against Cody Rhodes at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia. At the time, the latter had a "broken arm," which resulted in him wearing a cast, a weapon he utilized against The Beast. Despite this, Lesnar emerged victorious via technical submission after Rhodes passed out from the pain of the Kimura lock.

The simple reason why Brock Lesnar was absent after NOC was because WWE most probably wanted their trilogy to conclude at SummerSlam next month. The Money in the Bank card was also already stacked as it was, especially with the returns, including Drew McIntyre and John Cena.

The Beast's short hiatus also gave Cody time to heal his arm, especially after removing his titanium-enforced glass. In this way, fans could see that The American Nightmare is back to 100% and will be more than ready to face his opponent in The Biggest Party of the Summer.

What stipulation is rumored for Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar's match in WWE SummerSlam?

Cody Rhodes' efforts were not enough against The Beast in Night of Champions

Both men already have a win against each other, but their manner of doing so is quite different. In Backlash, Rhodes got a pinfall victory over a bloody Lesnar. As mentioned, Brock won in their second bout after Rhodes passed out from the pain. For their third bout, the Stamford-based promotion may be planning to elevate the stakes.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes may face each other at SummerSlam. However, this was only one of the ideas still being discussed.

Who else could join Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes for WWE SummerSlam?

SummerSlam is one of the major events of the Stamford-based promotion. With this in mind, it's no wonder why the reported match card for the August event is filled with top stars.

Aside from Brock vs. Cody, another rematch rumored to occur is Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch. Joining them is a long-awaited rematch of Roman Reigns and Jey Uso.

Gunther and Drew McIntyre are also set to take place, as well as Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler. Finally, a triple-threat match is also said to occur between Asuka, Charlotte Flair, and Bianca Belair.

It remains to be seen when fans can see The Beast Incarnate again and what that will mean for Cody Rhodes.