During Saturday night’s WWE SummerSlam 2023 pay-per-view event, Cody Rhodes defeated Brock Lesnar in singles action.
Following the match, The Beast went off-script, shook The American Nightmare’s hand, and raised his arm to put him over in a massive way.
Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Rhodes revealed that he genuinely thought Lesnar was about to start swinging at him the moment he took off his gloves.
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On wrestling Brock Lesnar: “Brock hits like a Mack truck. I feel pretty rough. There was one point where I shot a double leg, and the next thing I knew, I was up in the air. Getting thrown around by Brock is like going for a ride on a roller coaster. There is no one like him. He’s a rare athlete. Plenty is gifted by God, but I know he had his strength and conditioning coach with him. He’s back home farming, but he was also preparing. This is what he loves. I don’t talk to him, and we don’t know each other like that, but I get a sense that’s the type of passion he has. He makes this a heavyweight company, but he’s also agile. It gives me even more motivation to go to the gym every day. I have been so consistently surprised that I can’t get used to these moments. First I won the Royal Rumble. Now I beat Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam? They’re once-in-a-lifetime moments in a once-in-a-lifetime run. This is my mega run, and the journey has been incredible. This is a top moment in my career, and it’s also a top moment in my life.”
On the finish of the match: “I wanted to drive it home in the classic Remember The Titans way, which I watch on repeat. The line that always sticks out to me is, ‘Run it up, leave no doubt.’ If you give me the ball, I’m going to run that score up and leave no doubt. That’s what I did with three Cross Rhodes.”
On the post-match handshake: “As I saw him taking his gloves off, I sincerely thought he was going to start swinging. Then we went head-to-head, and it felt like we were a millisecond away from starting up again. So I didn’t anticipate that handshake coming. When I saw his hand, I was grateful. That’s not something he does. Again, this run has consistently surprised me. The torch isn’t passed. You have to take it.”