Quick Links
Cody Rhodes has been very busy since he made a return to WWE following a torn right pectoral tendon. After nine months, he returned to the 2023 Royal Rumble. He won the men’s Royal Rumble match but, to the surprise of many, lost to Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 39 Night Two. Since then, he has been feuding with Brock Lesnar. The rivalry has seen both competitors gain a win over each other. With Money In The Bank on the horizon, it would be best that WWE have Rhodes and Lesnar go at it one more time at the show, as opposed to Rhodes actually being in the men’s Money In The Bank match itself. This is due to a couple of different reasons.
A Concrete Ending To The Cody Rhodes Vs Brock Lesnar Feud
On the night after WrestleMania 39, it seemed that Rhodes and Lesnar were going to team with each other to face Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa on RAW. However, Lesnar attacked Rhodes instead. This led to a rivalry that has seen Rhodes and Lesnar face each other at two different events. Rhodes got the first win over Lesnar at Backlash 2023. Lesnar went on to cost Rhodes his opportunity at the World Heavyweight Championship. After further attacking Rhodes, the two eventually faced off at Night Of Champions 2023, where this time Lesnar picked up the win.
On the Monday Night RAW after Night Of Champions, Rhodes addressed what was going to come next. Rhodes never submitted to Lesnar, however, the match ended via referee’s decision. In his promo (h/t Wrestling Inc), Rhodes said, “Brock Lesnar, are you satisfied with this being done?” He then added, “I hope you're not because consider this an open challenge to you. Hopefully, you have social media, cable, or something there in Saskatchewan, because I'm going to post my entire schedule sometime this week. If I am standing in a ring, I'm standing there ready to fight you, Brock Lesnar!” A match between the two at Money Bank In The Bank could produce a good end to the feud. A proper trilogy could help to build-up Rhodes even more in his pursuit of championship gold, and allow Lesnar to work with new opponents in WWE. The rivalry will continue, and it should at Money In The Bank.
A Money In The Bank Cash-In Should Not Be How The Story Finishes For Cody Rhodes
An ever present part of Rhodes’ story in WWE is his pursuit of the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship. At WrestleMania 39, Rhodes lost. It was something that caught many off guard. The Usos had lost the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles to Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. It seemed as if Rhodes was going to beat Reigns and bring about the collapse of The Bloodline. But, that did not happen. While The Bloodline storyline is seeing the group implode from within at the moment, it is highly unlikely that Reigns will lose his title anytime soon.
RELATED: Can WWE Keep Cody Rhodes Hot All The Way Until A WrestleMania Rematch With Roman Reigns?
Reigns is on a historic reign, but it still makes sense for Rhodes to beat him, just not by a cash in. If Rhodes was in the Money In The Bank match and cashed in to win the title, it would not hold the same weight and emotion as if he won at WrestleMania. That is where it needs to happen. It is where Rhodes must “finish the story.” In hindsight, it made sense for Rhodes to lose. This is the time when he rebuilds, reevaluates, and makes his way back to facing Reigns again. A Money in the Bank cash-in will not produce the same moment, even if he does become champion that way.
Cody Rhodes Story Must Continue With Roman Reigns
Since WrestleMania, WWE has also introduced a new world title for RAW in the World Heavyweight Championship. The title’s inaugural holder is Seth Rollins, with whom Rhodes has a lot of history. However, this should also not be the title that Rhodes goes after on his path to becoming a champion. He and Reigns are currently on different shows, which is how it should be until WrestleMania season begins. Not that Rollins and Rhodes cannot produce an incredible story and put on phenomenal matches, they certainly can. But, the story for Rhodes right now is with Roman Reigns and the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
RELATED: Theory: WWE Is Subtly Creating A Cody Rhodes Vs. Triple H/Authority Feud
Ultimately, nothing has been set in stone yet for Rhodes at Money in the Bank. However, Rhodes’ story cannot end with a cash-in on Reigns. It needs to happen on the biggest stage. It will also allow for a concrete finish to his feud with Lesnar. This allows his story to move on and to continue.
