The Undisputed WWE Champion made an appearance during tonight’s NXT, and no one knew what to expect from the Champ. Rhodes hit the ring and spoke to the crowd for just a second before NXT Champion Trick Williams headed out to join him in the ring. Williams then asked Rhodes a few questions about maintaining that fire after successfully climbing a mountain you’ve worked towards for so long, and Rhodes teased a future battle for Williams for a certain Undisputed WWE Title. Rhodes also had some big news to share, as he revealed that Williams’ next Title challenger will be determined by a 25-man Battle Royal next week, and he then teased that everyone won’t be from the same locker room as Williams.
Rhodes received a warm reception from the NXT crowd, and he then spoke of the challenge that lies in front of him this weekend when he faces AJ Styles. “It’s magical here, isn’t it? Certainly, it’s well-known that there’s a magic here in NXT, and perhaps I needed to be here today. Perhaps I needed to feel said magic as I head to Scotland at Clash at the Castle, towards a Championship defense against AJ Styles,” Rhodes said. “Aj Styles has been a lot of things. He was the IWGP Champion. He was NWA Champion. He was WWE Champion, And one thing you can add to that list is that AJ Styles is going to look at all of Scotland, at the referee, and at me in the eyes and say I quit!”
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Trick Williams then came out and got the crowd even more amped, joining Rhodes in the ring. After getting the crowd to make some noise for Rhodes, Williams had some questions for Cody. “Now, Cody, I feel like we’ve had similar journeys. I mean with all due respect you’re at the top of the game, and I’m doing my thing as well, and we are both Champions, but I feel we had big mountains to climb and chips on our shoulders to get here today,” Williams said. “And I guess what I’m trying to say is, now that we got our Championships, now that we are on the other side of the mountain, everything feels different now. Instead of having something to chase and wanted for so long, we got it now, and now people are attacking us. So I guess what I’m trying to ask you is, how do you deal with all this?”
“How do you deal with going from being the hunter to being the hunted, right? With the fact that all of our peers are watching you, watching me, and they’re not going ‘go get ’em Trick’. They think they can wear that better than you, this better than me. One thing to keep in mind Champ, is even though we’ve conquered certain mountains, there’s always another mountain you can climb,” Rhodes said as he lifted up the Undisputed WWE Championship. The crowd started ย chanting Two Champ Trick, and Rhodes smiled and said, “But I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.”
“I actually have been granted the authority, Ava has granted me the authority, to let you know who your next challenger is going to be,” Rhodes said. “The next challenger for your Championship will be decided on NXT next week in a 25-man over-the-top battle royal. And you may know some of them, but some of them are from different locker rooms. Champ, good luck my friend.”
Willams asked one more question, saying, “It’s very very serious. With the Fourth of July right around the corner, on behalf of all my people, we all want to know, are you coming to the cookout? You want Cody to come to the cookout?” Rhodes looked at the crowd and after a minute said, “Yes, I am coming to the cookout!”
CLASH AT THE CASTLE CARD:
- Undisputed WWE Championship I Quit Match: Cody Rhodes (C) vs AJ Styles
- World Heavyweight Championship Match: Damian Priest (C) vs Drew McIntyre
- Women’s Championship Match: Bayley (C) vs. Piper Niven
- WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships Match: Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill (C) vs. Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn vs. Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark
- Intercontinental Championship Match: Sami Zayn (C) vs. Chad Gable
WWE’s Clash at the Castle streams on Peacock on Saturday, June 15th at 2 PM ET.
What did you think of NXT tonight? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!
