Why Brock Lesnar must insert himself into Cody Rhodes' reign as the Undisputed WWE Champion

Brock Lesnar made a shocking comeback to WWE after almost two years at SummerSlam 2025. The Beast Incarnate laid out John Cena with an F-5 after the latter lost the Undisputed WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes in a Street Fight. While they did not cross paths at The Biggest Party of the Summer, Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes should find themselves in each other's orbit soon.

Before his shocking return at SummerSlam, Brock Lesnar's last opponent was Cody Rhodes. The former WWE Universal Champion shockingly turned heel by attacking Rhodes on the RAW after WrestleMania 39 and started a long-term program with The American Nightmare. Cody outsmarted Lesnar and defeated him at Backlash 2023. However, The Beast Incarnate evened the score at Night of Champions by getting his win back.

This led to the rubber match at SummerSlam 2023, where the trilogy concluded with The American Nightmare putting away Brock Lesnar. After a fierce rivalry, Cody earned Brock's respect. In a rare sight, the veteran gave his flowers to Rhodes after their SummerSlam bout.

Fast forward two years, and The American Nightmare is on top of the roster as the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion. While their rivalry seemed to have ended on good terms, Cody Rhodes now holds something that Lesnar values a lot, probably more than the mutual respect he shares with The American Nightmare.

By attacking John Cena, who reverted to being a babyface before SummerSlam 2025, Lesnar has established himself as a heel. With Cody Rhodes embarking on his second reign as the Undisputed WWE Champion, the Triple H-led creative team should revisit the rivalry between The American Nightmare and The Beast Incarnate.

The 48-year-old legend has always been a prizefighter throughout his career. With his part-time schedule, The Beast Incarnate makes the most of his limited appearances and finds himself in the title picture one way or another. Moreover, having someone of Lesnar's caliber challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship could give Rhodes' title reign more credibility. Given their history, the changed dynamic, and Lesnar's well-documented desire for gold, Cody Rhodes and The Beast Incarnate must stand across the ring from one another again.

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Before Cody Rhodes, Brock Lesnar must deal with John Cena

While winning gold will always be a top priority for The Beast Incarnate, he has gotten himself a John Cena problem to deal with first. The Never Seen 17 is on the last leg of his Farewell Tour, and he is set to write the last chapter of his iconic rivalry with Brock Lesnar before hanging up his boots.

No match has been made official between the two veterans as of now, as The Beast Incarnate has yet to appear on television after his shocking return at SummerSlam 2025. However, the 48-year-old is set to appear on the September 12 and 19 episodes of SmackDown, where fans can expect the Stamford-based promotion to officially announce Lesnar's match against The Franchise Player.

If Brock Lesnar manages to defeat the former champion, John Cena, it would make the case for his potential title shot against Cody Rhodes stronger. While the reigning champion has his plate full with Drew McIntyre at the moment, he would be wise to keep an eye out for The Beast Incarnate. Only time will tell if the former rivals will cross paths again in the Stamford-based promotion. If they don't, it would be a missed opportunity, to say the least.