Brock Lesnar Accepts Cody Rhodes' Challenge For WWE SummerSlam 2023
Trilogy between The Beast and the American Nightmare will conclude at WWE's summer classic.
After weeks of avoiding Cody Rhodes' direct challenge, Brock Lesnar made a very pointed statement in Rhodes' hometown in front of his friends and family on Monday Night Raw... and finally accepted the offer for a match at SummerSlam.
Lesnar baited Rhodes into charging backstage, feeding on an impatient Cody who wanted an answer from Brock. Two false starts of the Beast's entrance music was enough to lure the American Nightmare backstage, where Lesnar attacked with a chair, beating him back into the arena and eventually putting him down with a Kimura lock in the ring.
Afterward, Brock made it clear he accepted the challenge and would see Rhodes at the summer classic.
"CHALLENGE ACCEPTED."@BrockLesnar will see @CodyRhodes at #SummerSlam for their rubber match! pic.twitter.com/9kBEuquxhQ
Advertisement— WWE (@WWE) July 18, 2023
The Rhodes/Lesnar feud is knotted at one win apiece, with Cody beating Brock at Backlash, and Lesnar getting the win at Night of Champions. Rhodes has managed to turn what could easily be construed as a distraction feud to pull him away from the world title picture into an obstacle he must overcome to get back to his quest to "finish the story." Lesnar is a wall he needs to climb.
There are strong rumors that there will be a stipulation added to this third installment, which would make sense. Both men had trilogies last year that ended with stipped-up matches. Brock had a memorable Last Man Standing match at SummerSlam 2022 against Roman Reigns that involved Lesnar lifting the ring with a tractor. Rhodes concluded his rivalry with Seth Rollins by defeating him in Hell in a Cell with a torn pectoral muscle.