Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes Make Their SmackDown Returns Ahead of Wrestlepalooza PLE on ESPN

Just one week ahead of Wrestlepalooza, Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes made emphatic statements after returning to SmackDown.

Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes Make Their SmackDown Returns Ahead of Wrestlepalooza PLE on ESPN

Brock Lesnar, Cody Rhodes and John Cena (via WWE)

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Last week’s SmackDown in Chicago was a historic episode for several reasons. Most notably, AJ Lee made her long-awaited WWE return after 10 years, reuniting with her husband CM Punk to take out Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch. The two are now set to team up against Lynch and Seth Rollins in a mixed-tag match at Wrestlepalooza.

The night also marked the shocking return of Brock Lesnar, who attacked John Cena during what turned out to be Cena’s final SmackDown appearance. For context, Cena had just challenged Sami Zayn for the United States Championship in Zayn’s debut Open Challenge. The 20-minute clash featured tributes to several of Cena’s legendary rivals, including Edge, Randy Orton, and Kurt Angle. 

But just as the bout was reaching its climax, Lesnar stormed in and delivered crushing F5s to both Zayn and Cena. And it didn’t stop there. Lesnar also opened the September 12 edition of SmackDown, continuing his path of destruction. As Lesnar stood ready to speak, the crowd erupted with chants of you suck. Before he could say a word, R-Truth interrupted and walked to the ring.

Truth welcomed Lesnar back, admitting he used to be scared of him but wasn’t anymore. Lesnar cut him off, saying he didn’t even know who Truth was and repeatedly asked why he was out there. Truth explained he was there to stand up for Cena and joked that he was actually Cena’s younger brother named Ron Cena. 

Lesnar continued to mock R-Truth, questioning his age and how his claim of being Cena’s brother could be true. But after Truth warned that the 17-time World Champion was coming to take him down at Wrestlepalooza, Lesnar decided it was time to end the nonsense.

He joked about Truth missing a tooth before hitting him with a brutal F5, so hard that Lesnar actually ripped his pants in the process. Laughing it off, he showed off his blue underwear to the crowd and even told the cameraman about the tear as he made his exit, capping off a memorable opening segment.

For those who missed it, Lesnar made a shocking WWE return at SummerSlam after a two-year absence. He immediately made a statement by attacking Cena, who had just gone through an all-time classic battle with Cody Rhodes for the World Championship.

Last week, it was officially announced that these longtime rivals will face off one final time at WrestlePalooza, marking WWE’s debut on ESPN following the company’s $1.6 billion broadcast deal.

Cody Rhodes makes his triumphant return to SmackDown and challenges Drew McIntyre for the WWE title

The September 12th segment of SmackDown came at a time when WWE officially announced WrestleMania 43 for Saudi Arabia in 2027. And so the blue brand’s show in Virginia also ended in a big way as Cody Rhodes made his long-awaited return to the company during the main event between Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton. 

Last month, McIntyre interfered in the WWE Champion’s business, putting him on the injured list. The main event was a decent affair with both men hitting their finishers, but they rolled out of the ring to avoid pins. Just as Orton set up for the punt, the referee’s delay gave ‘The Scottish Psychopath’ enough time to counter with a Claymore Kick for the win.

Cody Rhodes as Guile
Cody Rhodes as Guile (via The Ring Report)

Afterward, McIntyre threw Orton outside, ready to smash him through the commentary table like he did to Rhodes a few weeks ago. But ‘The American Nightmare’ returned just in time, saving Orton and taking the fight to McIntyre. 

As SmackDown went off the air, Rhodes declared that the champ is back and promised to face McIntyre on September 20 at Wrestlepalooza, with the gold on the line. However, the WWE Champion stuck around for a brief promo after the show from Virginia concluded. 

He spoke about the birth of his new baby girl and his upcoming role as Guile in the live-action Street Fighter reboot, which also stars Roman Reigns as Akuma. His recent absence from television had given him the flexibility to focus on the film. After finishing his promo, Rhodes kissed the WWE logo on the mat, fired up the crowd one last time, and then made his exit, leaving fans buzzing for Wrestlepalooza.

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