Cody Rhodes Responds to Brock Lesnar's Fake WWE Retirement

The Beast Incarnate seemingly retired at WrestleMania 42 only to return a few weeks later.

Brock Lesnar | WWE

What does Cody Rhodes think of Brock Lesnar retiring at WrestleMania 42, only to return a few weeks later?

At WrestleMania 42, Brock Lesnar was humbled and defeated by former NXT Champion Oba Femi. A result that was universally loved by the WWE Universe, which put another young talent on the fast track to superstardom. Following the match, Lesnar shocked the world by removing his gloves and boots, seemingly retiring from professional wrestling.

It was a moment that would have gone down in history as a great WrestleMania moment, but instead, Lesnar returned a month later on the May 18 episode of WWE Raw to attack Femi, setting up a rematch between the two men this weekend at Clash in Italy.

Brock Lesnar | WWE

Cody Rhodes compares Brock Lesnar's recent retirement to the 1990s

WWE Champion Cody Rhodes was a recent guest on ESPN's UNSPORTSMANLIKE. While discussing Brock Lesnar's fake retirement at WrestleMania 42, Rhodes admitted he hopes the industry can return to the 1990's when retirements really didn't mean anything, noting that Lesnar has certainly helped make that a reality.

"I want to get back to 90's style retirements, anyway, where we just say we're retired and then we're not," Cody Rhodes admitted. "Brock has kind of started that out. Terry Funk was retired for 20 years, I think? Flair retired a bunch, Savage kept retiring. So I'm good with it if we're not doing big, absolute definitive retirements anymore. Just say I'm taking a break."

Despite the fake-out retirement at WrestleMania, reports had previously suggested that Lesnar was looking to wrap up his career at some point this year.

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Will Brock Lesnar retire twice in one year?

When the host brought up the idea that this all could be leading to a third match between The Beast Incarnate and The Ruler in Lesnar's backyard at SummerSlam, Rhodes noted he hopes that Lesnar makes it all the way to SummerSlam, as he believes that would be a great place for him to call it a career.

"And I hope to your point, he's from Minnesota, having won two national championships there at the university. I hope Brock gets all the way to SummerSlam, because that would be a really great place," Cody Rhodes said. "It's two nights, it's going to be amazing, as far as just looking at the preliminary, what that PLE could be."

Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar | WWE

Many fans are already predicting that Lesnar will go over Femi this weekend at Clash in Italy, only for the two men to have a rubber match at SummerSlam in Lesnar's backyard of Minnesota.

If this is ultimately the direction WWE decides to go, it will be interesting to see how the WWE Universe in Minnesota reacts to Femi if he retires Lesnar for good this August at SummerSlam.