Cody Rhodes prevailed in the main event match of SummerSlam to regain the WWE Championship from John Cena.
The main event match cemented Cody’s place at the top of the company and restored Cena’s spot as a babyface for the ages.
Rhodes entered first, with his theme playing after a spliced-together promo in the voice of his father, Dusty, was played.
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Cena then emerged, with the black and white logo quickly disappearing to be replaced with his traditional full technicolor visuals.
During the announcements, Cody smiled as he was booed by the crowd.
The pair then embraced briefly after the bell rang, before exchanging right hands and spilling outside the ring.
Cena grabbed a crutch from injured Indiana Pacer Tyrese Haliburton and used it on Cody, to cheers from the crowd.
He then hauled the lower set of steel steps into the ring and threw them right at Rhodes.
Rhodes recovered, taking the bout back into the ring, where he got in some offense (again, to boos) before being sent outside, where he grabbed a chair.
Cody won a battle of chair swings, swatting Cena’s outside and then setting one up in the corner. But it would be Cody who was sent into the chair, allowing Cena to hit his shoulder tackles and the five-knuckle shuffle.
Rhodes swiftly escaped the Attitude Adjustment attempt and landed a Cody Cutter for a two-count.
Cena came right back with a successful AA, but only for a near-fall.
After an exchange of offense, the pendulum swung Cody’s way as he hit Cena with a piledriver. The announcers noted the move was banned, but legal under street fight rules.
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Cody went in for the finish, but Cena countered him into an AA, leaving both men on their backs.
A pop-up powerbomb on Cena only yielded a two-count, and Cody was then placed in the STFU.
The pair then headed outside the ring again, where Cena blasted Cody with a microphone before hitting a Canadian destroyer.
Cena then hoisted up Cody onto his shoulders atop the main announce desk and delivered an AA through the Spanish table.
After throwing Cody back into the ring, though, Cena could only manage a two-count. A rallying Rhodes then hit his first CrossRhodes of the match for a near-fall.
A huge two-count followed after Cena leapt from the top rope with a kick and hit another AA.
Frustrated, Cena slid a table into the ring and set it up. Cena attempted an AA onto the table but Cody was able to flip it and escape, before placing it in the corner of the ring.
At this stage, the competitors fought into the crowd, with Cena using a metal barricade as a weapon. Cena, though, ended up being suplexed into the barrier.
The pair then fought their way under the stage. Cena slowly emerged onto the main stage with Cody on his shoulders, using the elevator that Rhodes employs for his entrance.
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Cena dumped Cody onto the ramp, and then lifted him into a fireman’s carry all the way to the ring.
As all looked lost for Cody, he threw Cena into the table that was set up earlier, and delivered a CrossRhodes. However, Cena kicked out again.
Rhodes unscrewed a lower turnbuckle, exposing the steel rod that holds the bottom ropes, and blasted Cena in the head. He hesitated as the crowd booed, but did it again. As he went for a third strike, Cena hooked on the STFU and wrapped the loose rope around Cody’s neck.
Rhodes escaped, hit the CrossRhodes three times, and went for the pin. This led to an enormous two-count.
A desperate Cody grabbed the title belt from its plinth and brought it into the ring. As he went for a belt shot to Cena, he was countered into two AAs. Cena then lifted Rhodes onto the second rope for a Super-AA. The crowd bit hard on this one — but Rhodes kicked out.
At this point, Cena brought another table into the ring and set it up in the center. Again, he tried to get Rhodes on the ropes for an AA. Cody countered, hitting a Cody Cutter to Cena through the table.
Rhodes saluted Cena, hit a final CrossRhodes, and got the three-count.
The two embraced after the match, with Rhodes visibly emotional.
