5 outcomes to Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes at WWE Backlash 2023

Night 2 of WWE's WrestleMania extravaganza left us with many unanswered questions.

The event left fans shocked, as The Beast Incarnate betrayed Cody Rhodes and proceeded to give him a Texas-sized beatdown.

What was supposed to be a tag team bout that pitted Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa against Lesnar and Rhodes turned out to be a Brock Lesnar heel turn at the expense of the American Nightmare.

With controversy surrounding this new rivalry, it's up for debate as to what WWE should do with regard to the scheduled match at this year's Backlash.

Here are a few possible outcomes.

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#5 The WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns makes a surprise run-in and costs Cody Rhodes the match

There's no sugarcoating the fact that WrestleMania's night 2 main event wasn't the storybook ending that fans hoped to see.

Instead, the bout between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns turned out to be a classic 5-star match with a lackluster ending, as Rhodes' story transitioned from living out a dream to waking up amid a colossal nightmare.

Pretty much everyone and their grandmother expected Cody to be the one to dethrone Reigns and WrestleMania would've been the perfect time to do such. If WWE still has plans for Rhodes to be champion, this might come to fruition if Reigns makes a surprise run-in, as it may serve as a sign that their feud isn't over.

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#4 Cody Rhodes weathers the storm in the form of a massive-sized F5 and picks up a surprise victory

For what it's worth, this feud has been a lopsided affair, as Rhodes has been one-upped or beaten down by Lesnar almost every time they've come face-to-face. Alas, the match itself may be no different, for the most part!

Lesnar could be booked to dominate Rhodes for the majority of the match, with the American Nightmare keeping the fans' hopes alive by catching the legend off guard a few times.

With all hope lost, and just as The Beast delivers the finishing blow, Rhodes rolls him up for a surprise victory. It might be underwhelming, but hey, at least it's a victory.

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#3 Paul Heyman costs Cody Rhodes the match and proclaims that he and Brock Lesnar are back on the same page

It's been made clear over the years that smarmy, conniving, and underhanded business practices are a sure thing when you're dealing with Paul Heyman, but perhaps this time, things get a bit dicier.

Instead of Heyman swerving Reigns, it's The Bloodline swerving us.

While it would certainly elicit a massive amount of heat (for better or worse), a Brock Lesnar alliance with Roman Reigns would definitely get people talking.

If you're still not convinced, this past Monday Night Raw featured a brief standoff between The Judgment Day and The Bloodline.

Despite their apparent differences, the two factions agreed to work together for what they believed was the greater good. As you might remember, Heyman played the negotiator and eased the tension between the two of WWE's biggest stables for this to happen.

Who's to say Wiseman stops with just them?

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#2 The Judgement Day attacks Cody Rhodes only for Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and Matt Riddle to make the save, thus allowing Rhodes to win

Speaking of Judgment Day, it was implied that this partnership was only temporary, but as we've seen in the past, that doesn't always have to be the case.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens have been feuding with The Usos for quite some time now and WWE may attempt to plant the seeds of a new rivalry.

Instead of Lesnar and The Bloodline being in cahoots, their newfound unholy alliance with The Judgment Day may be more than temporary.

In this scenario, Rhodes is on the cusp of defeating Lesnar. He's then blindsided by The Judgment Day for a moment before backup arrives. This leaves room for Lesnar to recover, but Rhodes beats him to the punch for the win.

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#1 Brock Lesnar wins emphatically with several F5s, many fans in the audience looking pissed, and a rubber chicken finds its way into the ring

And so, we end this article on a somber note. Despite it being a huge missed opportunity, there's a sad possibility that WWE isn't seeing the same superstar in Cody Rhodes that many fans do.

While fans see him as Roman Reigns' successor, WWE may see the wrestler as a flash in the pan. Many would view Rhodes dethroning The Head of the Table as the passing of the torch. However, WWE may have someone else in mind for that job.

If that's the case, Lesnar may very well pick up the win. But if this happens, there's a good chance it will probably take a lot more than one F5 since Rhodes' persona is built around a never-say-die kind of attitude.

Alas, in this scenario, Brock picks up the win and Rhodes is left lying there decimated and defeated.