“On His Way” – AEW Personality Reveals His Feelings for Cody Rhodes After a Major “Exclamation Point” at WWE SummerSlam

SummerSlam on August 5, 2023, could be considered a watershed moment in Cody Rhodes’ pro wrestling career. He not only managed to humble Brock Lesnar for the second time in his career but also got approval from The Beast himself. Thousands inside the arena and millions around the world remained privy to a heartwarming moment as Lesnar broke character to hail his opponent after the match. Many have openly gushed about the moment. Now, an AEW personality has joined the bandwagon.

The person, who is also a WWE legend, spoke about Cody Rhodes’ future in the promotion.

Jim Ross shows love to Brock Lesnar for SummerSlam move

Jim Ross needs no introduction to a pro wrestling fan. He’s arguably the voice of pro wrestling for many fans. Ross, who will be completing 50 years in the business in 2024, has been part of many historic moments, some of which he himself called as a commentator.

On his ‘Grilling JR’ podcast, Ross spoke fondly about the SummerSlam match featuring Rhodes and Lesnar. The third and final bout ran for a little over 17 minutes and was a display of Lesnar’s intensity even at 46. By this age, most of his contemporaries have either moved to a lighter schedule or are not competing at the highest level. But The Beast Incarnate is different.

Meanwhile, he showed his softer side after the loss. Lesnar took his gloves off and slowly walked towards a confused Rhodes before shaking his hand and embracing him. This gesture was appreciated by Ross as well.

“The exclamation point to that match [was] Lesnar reaching out, raising Cody’s hand, and shaking hands. You know it was just really a cool moment,” the WWE Hall of Famer said.

He also had words of encouragement for Rhodes as Ross deemed that Rhodes is in the ascendancy. “Cody’s on his way. All he’s building toward is the main event at WrestleMania next year in Philly, so I’m happy for Cody,” the AEW personality said.

Read More: “Much Bigger Star”- WWE Legend Justifies Cody Rhodes’ Biggest Failure as a Blessing in Disguise

While it’s more than likely that Cody Rhodes will face Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, he needs to overcome challenges from others as well.

Potential challenger for Cody Rhodes on RAW

Rhodes’ path to Reigns will take time. One, because they are part of different brands- The American Nightmare is a RAW superstar. Reigns is the ambassador of the blue brand.

Two, Reigns is likely to go on leave. That leaves Rhodes with fewer choices, given that his feud with Lesnar is also done and dusted. Rhodes could have restarted his rivalry with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, but that might not go with the story the WWE is trying to tell.

Also in recent weeks, Rollins has found a new challenger for his belt- Shinsuke Nakamura. After getting kicked by him twice, in successive RAW episodes, the two are set for a match for the gold. 

That leaves us and Cody Rhodes with one viable option. On the August 14 episode of RAW, Rhodes fought Finn Balor. After getting a win over The Judgment Day leader, he was attacked by the faction. Balor kept matters personal by hitting the 38-year-old with a Coup de Grace to end the show.

Given Balor’s run in the company, he is the likely long-term opponent for Rhodes and will potentially have a match at the said PLE. The WWE, however, is yet to make things official and we’ll have to wait and see.

That said, a win over Lesnar has likely rendered Cody Rhodes the legitimacy that he needed to usurp Roman Reigns as the new face of the promotion. Jim Ross seems to agree. What about you? Also, what are your thoughts on the Brock Lesnar moment? Let us know in the comments.

Watch This Story: Brock Lesnar Breaks Character To Share Rare Moment With Cody Rhodes Post Their SummerSlam Encounter