Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar’s match at WWE’s Backlash pay-per-view on Saturday night left fans a bit confused. Not only did the match see a rare instance of Brock Lesnar getting busted open, but it ended with Rhodes shifting his weight forward while still trapped in the Kimura lock to pin “The Beast” with a quick three-count. The sudden finish left some fans wondering if the match was ordered to quickly wrap up due to Lesnar bleeding, and there was plenty of speculation that the blood might have been the result of a blade job.
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A close look at the footage from the match shows that the latter isn’t the case. Lesnar can be seen running headfirst into the exposed turnbuckle and a cut forms almost immediately after he makes contact.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select also dropped a report on the match on Sunday afternoon, stating it went as planned according to sources (including the blood). Sapp wrote, “Contrary to rumors, Cody Rhodes was never scheduled to be squashed at Backlash. There were discussions of Bad Bunny and Damian Priest headlining the show instead.” He also noted there were no plans for any kind of stretcher or ambulance spot.
While there’s still a chance WWE will continue the feud up through Night of Champions later this month, Rhodes has already been booked to take part in the 12-man tournament to crown the inaugural World Heavyweight Champion beginning on this week’s Raw.
“That’s the title that represents Raw. That’s the title that main events for Raw. That’s the title that is the franchise title for the USA network. So I can’t say I don’t want it. I can’t say that that’s not something that would be, if you look and revise your goals and say, ‘Okay, this is the route we have to go.’ Especially particularly with me being drafted to Monday Night Raw, and that might be more of a case of like I just said a story, a different story,” Rhodes said in an interview with ComicBook last week in regards to pursuing WWE’s new prize.
“The goal is still the same for me, but by no means am I or should anyone be looking down on the new World Championship because it’s one of those things I think in time people will hopefully come to love and revere,” he added. “It’s being positioned as the lead title for the brand itself and it’ll take a lead individual to do it and handle it, and Raw has a stacked roster, so I definitely want to throw myself in the mix.”
