Cody Rhodes Story Falls Flat, Becky Lynch's Best Promo in Years, More WWE Raw Takes

WWE Raw did not have to do much to solidify the hype for Night of Champions. With a hyped "triple main event," all that mattered was to keep the biggest stories moving.

The build for Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar was the centerpiece of the night, opening and closing Monday's show. The American Nightmare sold a possible broken arm from The Beast Incarnate's attack but refused to give up on the match in Saudi Arabia at the weekend.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens found a familiar ally in Matt Riddle to battle Imperium. Once again, they won together, but the undisputed WWE tag team champions don't need The Original Bro anymore.

Becky Lynch came out on top in a battle of words with Trish Stratus during their Night of Champions contract signing.

The rest of the women's division could not get much of a spotlight, though. Rhea Ripley stood on the sidelines for Dominik Mysterio, while Raquel Rodriguez vs. Sonya Deville and Zoey Stark vs. Candice LeRae were squash matches in length and execution.

The story of the night was building the top of the card, but what truly stood out was the possible direction of the midcard.

WWE Whiffs on Final Build For Rhodes vs. Lesnar

Cody Rhodes arrived in WWE at WrestleMania 38 with major hype. He was the rare star to truly jump out from the moment his music hit.

The American Nightmare built his aura even more when he competed at Hell in a Cell last year with a completely torn pectoral muscle.

That hype reached its zenith when he fought Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, but he lost.

Setbacks happen in wrestling. There is serious story in rebuilding a hero up through adversity, but WWE is walking a fine line with Rhodes.

His first big match after the loss was a scrappy effort against Brock Lesnar with a somewhat fluke victory. He is now set to fight The Beast again, but this time with "broken arm."

That was the story told on Raw, though WWE could never allow a wrestler to compete with a broken arm.

Stories like this set a dangerous precedent of trivializing injuries. Injuries are inevitable in the sport, but it is important that pro wrestling companies highlight the necessity to protect talent.

Liv Morgan injured her shoulder on the May 12 edition of SmackDown and had to vacate the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. There is no timeline for her return. Dakota Kai tore her ACL in the same match and will be out for the rest of the year.

If Rhodes actually broke his arm, he would be out for months. Even if the talent do not feel their real injuries are trivialized by over-dramatic fake angles like this, WWE is still going overboard to sell an easy story between the second-generation star and The Beast.

Fans will start to turn on The American Nightmare if he is overcoming even a "broken arm" to defeat a top star like Lesnar. The only fair option at this point is an emphatic squash and a redemption angle for Rhodes in the coming months.

Becky Lynch Cuts Her Best Promo in Years

Becky Lynch has not looked or sounded this energized as a performer since the build to WrestleMania 35. The biggest star WWE has ever produced in the women's division, she has lost some hype over the past four years.

The Man is still a major talent, though, with the ability to reheat herself with the right angle. And her feud with Trish Stratus is her perfect angle.

Lynch has found a heel who can keep up with her. She has a swagger about her that has grown infectious. Perhaps she is simply energized by finally having a new milestone to overcome.

Whatever it was, her promo on Monday was the highlight of the night. She threw out stone-cold truths that redefined this rivalry.

This is now about the veteran heel who is terrified that the business has passed her by, fighting the woman who embodies the ideal of the women's division's growth.

The result is undetermined, especially since this feud should continue past Night of Champions. However, Lynch may have won on the mic so soundly that Stratus will need to win on Saturday to stay at The Man's level.

Zoey Stark is WWE's Next Breakout Women's Star

Zoey Stark picked up her first win on Raw, setting a new path from her time in NXT. While she was a respected name in the gold brand, she never could quite rise to the top.

That should change on the main roster. The 29-year-old has the highest upside of any woman drafted from NXT in 2023.

Stark did not get much time to show it against Candice LeRae, but WWE put time into her pre-match vignette. She was set up as a top name, ready to run through the lower card of the women's division.

She will face her true test when she gets time against the top names. How will she perform with 10 minutes fighting Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch, Raquel Rodriguez or Liv Morgan?

For those who saw her best in NXT, it's clear she has the talent. She just needs the resume and fan investment.

Once she has fans chanting "Zoey is angry" as they did in NXT, she can become that true breakout act and follow in the footsteps of her current peers.

Time For Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to Move On from Matt Riddle

WWE promised a mystery partner for Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn but delivered the most predictable result. Matt Riddle continues to back up the undisputed WWE tag team champions beyond The Bloodline feud.

This is a fine angle on the surface, but the dynamic does not work. KO and Zayn seem to tolerate The Original Bro more than actually like him.

Riddle is better on his own unless he is working with someone who "gets him" such as Randy Orton. He did benefit from this spotlight to start building a rivalry with Gunther after Night of Champions, so that would make the most sense for him in the long term.

On Monday, a more impactful move would have been pairing Mustafa Ali with KO and Zayn, He is an afterthought ahead of the most important match of his life, but he has always competed at a high level in the ring and would have kept up in the main event.

By marginalizing him, WWE has made Gunther vs. Ali an also-ran on the card for Saturday. Riddle has supplanted him preemptively as the rightful challenger for the Intercontinental Championship.