Cody Rhodes defeats Brock Lesnar, gets his respect

It’s time for the biggest party of WWE’s summer, as SummerSlam 2023 is underway in Detroit.

Eight matches will take place inside Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, Saturday, headlined by the long awaited “Tribal Combat” between Roman Reigns and Jey Uso for not only the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, but to be officially recognized as the Tribal Chief of The Bloodline.

Three other titles will be on the line, including Seth “Freakin” Rollins once again defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Bálor. In other action, Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar will face off once more in what could be the end of their months long rivalry.

Follow along with live results and the latest updates from SummerSlam:

Roman Reigns during a last man standing match for the Undisputed Championship during SummerSlam at Nissan Stadium.

Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes

This match had a main event feel to it, even bigger than the two previous meetings between the two. Rhodes got the action started before the bell even rang, and it was high intensity from the start with Lesnar throwing around Rhodes and Rhodes countering with some signature moves of his own.

Lesnar then took complete control, taking Rhodes to suplex city multiple times and an F5 outside of the ring before another F5 on the announcer’s table. But each time, Rhodes got back into the ring to avoid the count out. “The American Nightmare” finally got on the offensive end, and executed a Cody cutter from the top rope, but Lesnar kicked out.

But in the end, Rhodes was able to land three straight Cody cutters on Lesnar, and in straight fashion, pinned Lesnar for his second win against “The Beast Incarnate.” The surprise came after the match in something you thought you’d never see: Lesnar shook the hand of Rhodes in a sign of respect, hugged him and held his arm in the air as the victor.

Logan Paul vs. Ricochet

In what was dubbed as the “most viral match” of WWE, Logan Paul once again proved how good of a heel he is. Paul started the match in control, all while egging on the crowd to continue booing him. Anytime Ricochet looked to get some sort of momentum, Paul was quick to gain control right back, showing off some power that hasn’t been seen much in his time with the company.

After finally getting in control, Richocet performed a fantastic hurricane neckbreaker, and it was stunning displays of athleticism for the rest of the match from both stars.

What was a great match ended in a dud, as Paul got some brass knuckles from one of his friends. Paul was able to connect with a punch to knock out Ricochet, get the pin and most of all, have Samantha Irvin − Ricochet’s fiancée − announce him as the victor.

When is SummerSlam 2023?

SummerSlam is Saturday, Aug. 5 at 8 p.m. ET.

How to watch SummerSlam 2023

The event can be streamed on Peacock, but you must have their premium or premium-plus subscription to watch. Internationally, it will be available on WWE Network.

SummerSlam 2023 match card

Tribal Combat for Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jey Uso
WWE World Heavyweight Championship match: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Finn Bálor
WWE Women’s Championship triple threat match: Asuka (c) vs. Bianca Belair vs. Charlotte Flair
Intercontinental Championship match: Gunther (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
Ricochet vs. Logan Paul
MMA Rules match: Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
SummerSlam Battle Royal

SummerSlam 2023 predictions

Tribal Combat for Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns defeats Jey Uso.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship match: Seth Rollins defeats Finn Bálor.
WWE Women’s Championship triple threat match: Asuka wins.
Intercontinental Championship match: Drew McIntyre wins.
Brock Lesnar defeats Cody Rhodes.
Logan Paul defeats Ricochet.
MMA Rules match: Ronda Rousey defeats Shayna Baszler.
SummerSlam Battle Royal: AJ Styles wins.

Cody Rhodes has high praise for Brock Lesnar

“The American Nightmare” hasn’t had a shot at the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship since WrestleMania 39, and with a matchup Saturday against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, he said he really doesn’t know when he’ll make another push for the title.

It’s the third meeting between Rhodes and Lesnar, with Rhodes winning at Backlash in May and Lesnar winning at Night of Champions weeks later. Beating someone like Lesnar twice puts you in a position where a title shot is the next thing on your mind, Rhodes said.

But it’s easier said than done. Despite their personal feud, Rhodes had high praise for his current rival.

“I think time as it moves on will recognize and realize how dang special Brock Lesnar is in a ring,” Rhodes told USA TODAY Sports. “How special, how almost underplayed it is, the level of expertise that he has in this world.”

Read Anthony Gharib’s feature on Rhodes here.

Becky Lynch throws shade after match pulled

If there’s one person that isn’t hyped for SummerSlam, it’s Becky Lynch.

Lynch had made it clear to USA TODAY Sports she wanted Trish Stratus at the pay-per-view, and it was looking like the match was going to happen, but it ultimately didn’t make the match card. “The Man” referred to her being left out of SummerSlam in an Instagram post Saturday.

“Making lemonade with all these lemons I’ve been given. What’s everyone else up to this weekend?!” she said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WWE SummerSlam live results: Cody Rhodes gets Brock Lesnar’s respect