MR. TITO: Wrestling Fans Need to RELAX About Brock Lesnar’s WWE RAW Attack on Cody Rhodes
First of all, Internet Wrestling Community, RELAX… You are getting worked up over nothing or your expectations for perfection are just way too high. Have a little patience and let the storylines play out.
Many of you are rushing Cody Rhodes to the top of the mountain WHILE NOT questioning what he’d actually do at the very top. What, he’d wrestle Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, or the usual gang of suspects who have been with the WWE 10 years or more? Just a few months ago, you tried to do the same thing with Sami Zayn, who, less than a year ago, lost to Jackass’s Johnny Knoxville during Wrestlemania 38 in a completely phony mousetrap. Wee Man also bodyslammed Sami! Sami ran into a giant hand!
Cody Rhodes needs to rid himself of the “AEW Stench”. Following that GREAT 5-Star match with his brother Dustin Rhodes at 2019’s Double or Nothing, it was all downhill after that. Cody soon voluntarily took himself out of any Main Event contention in AEW and was selling for midcarders that most fans never seen or heard about until they began watching AEW. He tried to sell that TNT Title as something special, but we all knew he was bigger than that belt and should have been chasing Jericho, Moxley, or Omega. Furthermore, he was intertwined with many of the antics conducted by his wife, Brandi. While I’m extremely happy for the delivery of their daughter, your fireworks celebration of the expectancy was larger than the exploding ring between Moxley and Omega.
Same can be said about Sami Zayn… He has “Midcard Stench” that will take a long time to scrub off. Again, he just jobbed to the Jackass crew at Wrestlemania 38. Months later, y’all are demanding that he defeat Roman Reigns for the WWE World Titles. ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MINDS? You keep failing to consider LONG-TERM just to get a brief SHORT-TERM memory. Go ask Kofi Kingston how “successful” his World Title run was, as he went straight from the Tag Division to the Main Event. It’s no wonder that Brock Lesnar destroyed that guy, too.
Relax… Cody needs to build-up a WWE portfolio of key wins over top WWE talent, while growing his fanbase too, and THEN he can obtain the WWE Titles. He’ll be a stronger champion.
Many of you just have recency bias with Cody Rhodes. Because AEW is such a dumpster fire, you were excited to see Cody escape and make a surprise return at Wrestlemania 38. Thanks to bump machine Seth Rollins, he looked great in the ring… Then, he had the torn muscle injury and appeared like a hero at Hell in a Cell. You have those 2 heroic events (escaping AEW & working through bad injury) making you actually believe that Cody Rhodes would draw strong as a WWE champion.
BUT if you look within the numbers, rest of April 2022, May of 2022, and June of 2022 Monday Night RAW numbers weren’t great with Cody Rhodes on those shows. Numbers started to only pop during the Summer of 2022 when the Vince McMahon controversy started to bubble. It goes to show you, once again, that the Wrestlemania return pop was nice but what do you have to present next?
However, let’s go back to 2016… Cody Rhodes requested his WWE release and Triple H/Vince McMahon gave it to him without any hesitation.
Can y’all show me which wrestler, that WWE let go early out of their contract, went on to become a major star? You can’t say guys like Scott Hall or Kevin Nash, as their contracts expired and same with Hulk Hogan from 1993. How about WWE releasing Bret Hart early from his contract? That didn’t work out in WCW. Many WWE releases from 2020-2022 haven’t drawn well, at all, in AEW.
Don’t get me wrong, Cody Rhodes DID improve from 2016 through 2019. Getting experience traveling the world with different promotions can help boost your experience and allow you to try new things. In fact, I’d argue that SAME experience made AJ Styles prepared to become a huge WWE star. But unlike AJ Styles, Cody Rhodes kind of regressed in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). In his words on the Rich Eisen show, he was too focused on managing the company and helping others to realize that he wasn’t performing as well inside the ring. Hence, why he rejoined WWE to become a full-time wrestler again. BUT those year in AEW from 2019 to 2022 damaged him, as AEW is a toxic environment without any control or instruction. Tony Khan is clueless.
I 100% agree that the WWE should NOT have given Cody the WWE Title at Wrestlemania 39… He wasn’t ready for it, as winning the WWE Title at Wrestlemania 39 would have been his PEAK of his career. All downhill after that, as he’d be expected to be a babyface draw and push the merchandise that Roman Reigns has been seriously pushing for the past 3 years. Ain’t happening… Instead, Cody keeps the chase going and can push back against adversity. After that attack last night on Monday Night RAW, I’m sure as hell excited to see Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar. Cody has TWO major WWE superstars to get REVENGE on now, and both are two of the biggest WWE draws of the last 10 years.
So Cody is feuding with BOTH Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns/Bloodline… What on earth is wrong with that?
Go back into your NXT archives and rewatch Bayley coming after then-NXT Champion, Sasha Banks. Sasha refused to wrestle her and practically made her defeat top names just to earn that NXT Takeover Brooklyn 2015 title shot. Bayley defeated Emma, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch to finally earn that shot and then she finally got her hands on Sasha Banks. Think about how rewarding that was for Bayley and practically made her a star. Then, she proved it again by defeating Sasha Banks in the epic 30 minute Iron-Woman match. Bayley has been riding that wave ever since and for a brief time during 2015-2016, she was the #1 merchandise seller among females.
HELL, look at any past WWE Champions… Macho Man Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Steve Austin, the Rock, Triple H, Randy Orton, Batista, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, and John Cena… Each of them fought their way through Tag, Intercontinental Title, and/or United States Title divisions to eventually become World Champions. It was their CLIMB that made them superstars and made fans appreciate them as top stars. Guys like Brock Lesnar, who were instantly pushed to the top, are RARE. They tried to over push Roman Reigns early from 2014 through early 2020 and FANS HATED IT. Remember that? That was just a few years ago, folks… WWE tried to push Sheamus, Miz, Alberto Del Rio, Jinder Mahal, and many others TOO EARLY to the World Title and it hurt the WWE when they didn’t draw. Hell, I’d argue that CM Punk‘s initial 2 World Title reigns were busts in the WWE and then when he won it in 2011, it was so satisfying.
Cody is in the midst of the CLIMB, folks… Relax. He’s feuding with Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns… Would you rather he go back and feud with Seth Rollins again or the many other WWE wrestlers NOT in Roman or Brock’s drawing vicinity?
Now from here, it’s up to Cody Rhodes to succeed inside the ring AND connecting with fans.
But it’s also up to the WWE fans to help Cody Rhodes get there. Want to help Cody Rhodes? Then perform the following:
(1) Buy Cody’s merchandise, both on Shopzone and Live Events.
(2) Buy his theme music on every music platform.
(3) When Cody Rhodes is on television, watch it. Do not change the channel to hurt TV ratings.
(4) Watch and like EVERY video on YouTube where Cody appears.
(5) Talk about Cody Rhodes repeatedly on Social Media
(6) Do the opposite of ANY main eventer who could be Cody’s competition for the top spot.
Furthermore, let’s STOP bashing the WWE Creative Team. For the past 10 years, it has been mostly Vince McMahon and Triple H with a little bit of Bruce Prichard and Paul Heyman sprinkled in… You are OUT OF YOUR MIND if you believe Vince McMahon wasn’t involved from his July “retirement” through late December, as Triple H and Stephanie are his family and Vince is the #1 shareholder. Trust me, his fingerprints were still on the product with some extra freedom granted to Triple H on talent (hence the many failed re-signings of released wrestlers). Let’s STOP acting like Vince just screwed Triple H, as Triple H is entirely grateful for becoming a WWE superstar, making millions, marrying Stephanie, and having a cushy corporate job.
Also, Brock Lesnar is in a unique position as a former UFC fighter and current WWE superstar. Trust me, Endeavor wants MORE Brock Lesnar and he’ll likely be cross-promoted on both platforms. Get used to seeing his mug and I guarantee the Endeavor higher-ups advised Vince to push him. Makes perfect business sense… With that said, I hope WWE fans aren’t tired of Ronda Rousey because she’ll get pushed harder, too. Gee, why did Matt Riddle return last night? He’s a former UFC Fighter, too… GET USED TO IT, as this is what Endeavor is going to do hard moving forward.
UFC = New pipeline for WWE talent, more than ever thanks to Endeavor (hey, that rhymes).
Relax…
Your expectations of the Post-Wrestlemania RAW are WAY TOO HIGH. Besides just a few events, like X-Pac’s WWE return, Bill Goldberg’s debut, Brock Lesnar’s return, and probably a few others that I’m somehow forgetting… Post-Wrestlemania RAWs have been mostly letdowns and I see nothing but complaints by online wrestling fans.
To finish, please answer what you’d rather see:
(a) Cody Rhodes feuding with BOTH Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns (+ Bloodline)
(b) Cody as WWE Champ wrestling the same old tired WWE faces from the last 10 years
(c) Cody still in AEW and suffering through that toxic working environment
I’d choose (a) for me, as long as Cody does indeed vanquish Brock Lesnar and other top WWE names on his way to getting his revenge shot at Roman Reigns.
HOWEVER – If this results in more Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns matches, with Cody getting buried by Brock… I’ll grab a pitchfork and join you.
Cody needs to rid himself of this “AEW Stench” and he may achieve this though battling and grinding his way through Suplex City. If he convincingly defeats Lesnar with great matches, then he’ll be WAY MORE ready to defeat Roman Reigns for the WWE World Titles to finally end that reign of Reigns.
So just chill… till the next episode!