On the latest edition of Foley Is Pod, WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley discussed why Cody Rhodes absolutely must dethrone Roman Reigns and win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship tonight in the main event of WrestleMania 39.
At SummerSlam ’93, an incredibly hot Lex Luger challenged Yokozuna for the WWE Championship. Yokozuna’s manager/spokesperson at the time was Jim Cornette, who had played a pivotal role in building up the feud and therefore, Lex Luger’s “necessity” to win the title as the conquering babyface.
Citing Cornette’s promos building up to the match, Foley said,
“I think it’s pivotal. Again, we’re quoting Jim Cornette. Should we put the Lex Luger comment in context? This was James E Cornette, prior to the Summerslam where Lex had been heavily, and very well built. The Lex Express, the slam on the USS Intrepid. It was a really good build, and Cornette did a really good interview, I think it was a Torch interview, where you put the guy in a position where if he doesn’t win the title, he looks like a ‘plateful of piss.’ I wouldn’t go so far as to say that’s the way Lex came out of it, but he never regained that momentum.”
It is noteworthy that while discussing what happens if Rhodes does not beat Reigns for his Undisputed Championship at WrestleMania, legendary manager Jim Cornette, having been so heavily involved in the storyline, has used the Lex Luger at SummerSlam analogy on a number of occasions on his own podcast over the last few months.
Emphasizing the importance of timing and momentum in wrestling, Foley said,
“It’s so valuable. In so many ways, succeeding in WWE is an exercise in constantly keeping your head above water. But in some ways, it’s not enough just to survive, there’s a moment in time from which you might never come back from, if they don’t do the right thing. Whereas I don’t think wins and losses are as important as some people do; there is a time for a win. And I think it’s this ‘Mania for Cody.”
Cody Rhodes is set to challenge Roman Reigns for his Undisputed Championship just a few hours from now. Can The American Nightmare finish the story?
