Prolonging the feud, unpredictability - 5 reasons why Brock Lesnar attacked Cody Rhodes on RAW
The heated rivalry between Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes isn't over yet. Following a roll-up pin at Backlash, it seemed like things would continue between The Beast and The American Nightmare.
On RAW after Backlash, the feud is certainly headed for another chapter. Lesnar attacked Rhodes during one of the triple-threat matches to decide who would face Seth Rollins in the main event of RAW.
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While the attack might have put another obstacle in Rhodes' path to a world title, it was done for a calculated reason. The feud was not meant to be a one-off but a heated angle that could keep both men busy until SummerSlam.
So why did The Beast brutally attack Rhodes during his match on RAW? Here are five reasons for the assault.
#5 A triple-threat match allows for outside interference
Besides having an extra person in it, a triple-threat match has no disqualifications as one of its caveats. It's an easy way to have an unexpected finish to protect one or more stars in the match.
Rhodes faced Finn Balor and The Miz in his triple-threat match, so the latter would likely take the pin. The field made it seem like Cody Rhodes would win his match.
With the triple-threat stipulation, an easy way to have The American Nightmare lose was to have something outside of the match prevent him from winning. That something was The Beast.
#4 Brock wanted to take Cody Rhodes out of the title picture
There hasn't been a definitive answer behind why Lesnar attacked Rhodes on the RAW after WrestleMania. Corey Graves mentioned that Lesnar was upset that his match was on first. The Beast never said it himself.
Since The Beast was technically out of the title picture as long as Roman Reigns was champion, Lesnar could do the same thing to Rhodes. A brutal attack on RAW prevented Rhodes from finishing his story.
There always need to be main event storylines outside of major title pictures. The feud between the former UFC Champion and Rhodes is an excellent choice for one.
#3 The attack prolongs the feud between the top stars
With Rhodes falling to Reigns at WrestleMania 39, it seemed like a rematch was the next logical step. With Roman Reigns working a limited schedule, there needed to be something to keep Rhodes busy until his next big title match.
Lesnar attacked The American Nightmare instead of teaming with him, quickly setting up the next feud. The Tribal Chief can stay off-TV for as long as he wants, while one of his top challengers has to fight from the ground up against The Beast.
While the finish of the Backlash match didn't suit being the main event, there was more meat on the bone to tell between Cody Rhodes and Lesnar. The attack on RAW prolongs the feud for the next month or so if it ends up being a trilogy.
#2 It makes Brock look strong after losing via roll-up at Backlash.
Top stars always need to look good coming out of losses. It's why despite losing sometimes, that star assaults their opponent following the loss. Even with the loss, he or she got the last laugh.
Brock Lesnar lost to Cody Rhodes via a roll-up pin at Backlash. There is an element of luck associated with quick pins rather than dominance. The Beast is synonymous with powerful performances, so a brutal assault on Rhodes helps to restore some of Lesnar's dangerous aura.
He was also busted open against Rhodes, making it look like he took more punishment than his smaller opponent.
#1 A finale between Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes was too predictable
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Once the names came out for the RAW side of the World Heavyweight Title tournament, the two frontrunners were Rollins and Rhodes. Both have been treated as top stars on RAW and in WWE.
The Visionary did his part by defeating Shinsuke Nakamura and Damian Priest in the first triple-threat match. Rhodes was up next and looked to be on his way to joining Rollins in the main event.
By only providing one side of the predictable pairing, it adds some unpredictability to the tournament. Most people thought that the World Heavyweight Title was a consolation prize for Cody Rhodes since Reigns retained the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship Show of Shows.
Now that Finn Balor will face Rollins instead, it gives the match-up a clear face/heel dynamic. It also doesn't mean that one of the top faces of RAW will be forced to eat a loss.