What's Next for Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar After WWE SummerSlam 2023?

WWE SummerSlam 2023 is officially in the books and this year's show definitely delivered some memorable moments.

The only title to change hands was the WWE Women's Championship. After Bianca Belair defeated Asuka and Charlotte to win the belt, Iyo Sky cashed in her Money in the Bank contract to win it from her.

We also saw a fantastic showing from Logan Paul and Ricochet, some hard-hitting action from Gunther and Drew McIntyre, and LA Knight scored a much-deserved win in the Battle Royal.

However, the two arguably biggest bouts on the card were Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso.

With one match offering a definitive ending to a feud and the other opening up a new avenue to explore in an ongoing storyline, there is a lot to discuss. Let's look at what might be next for these competitors.

Cody Rhodes Can Keep Telling the Story

The American Nightmare not only scored a definitive victory over The Beast on Saturday, but he also earned a rare show of respect when Lesnar offered his hand and a hug to the victor.

This looks to be the end of their four-month storyline that started right after WrestleMania 39 when Lesnar turned on Rhodes before they were scheduled for a tag team match.

With his biggest challenge now in the rearview mirror, Rhodes can finally go back to focusing on finishing his story and winning a top title in WWE.

However, it feels like WWE may want to keep that rematch in its back pocket until closer to WrestleMania 40, so Rhodes is going to need a feud or two until then.

Pairing him up with someone like Bronson Reed or Shinsuke Nakamura for a short program would give us a fresh combination, but those aren't the only options. Young stars like Grayson Waller and Austin Theory would also benefit from a short program with him.

Rhodes and Reigns won't be back at each other's throats for a bit, so The Tribal Chief has plenty of time to deal with his own family drama.

Brock Lesnar Can Take Another Break

Lesnar is not a full-time performer even though he has been appearing most weeks during his storyline with Rhodes, and since he has been so active already this year, there is a good chance he takes a hiatus and heads back to his farm.

The Beast is a special attraction. He doesn't need a title for his storyline to feel like one of the biggest on any card, but for that same reason, he shouldn't be overused.

Having Lesnar disappear for a little while will also allow him to go right back to being a heel when he returns and ignites a new rivalry.

He put on a good show at SummerSlam and gave Rhodes the biggest boost he could with the way he ended things. The Beast did his job, so now he can return to hibernation until it's time to hunt again.

When he returns, feuding with somebody new would be his best option. Reed would provide him a good physical challenge, but it would also be fun to see him reignite his old feud with Shinsuke Nakamura.

Roman Reigns and Jey Uso Are Nowhere Near Done with Each Other

The main event of SummerSlam could have been the culmination of everything this Bloodline story has been leading to, but it ended up taking another turn to send us down a different path.

During the closing moments of the match, Jimmy appeared out of nowhere to cost his own brother the win and possibly rejoin his cousin. Reigns seemed surprised by Jimmy's actions, but there is a good chance this leads to Jimmy falling back in line, at least for the time being.

The other interesting tease was the tension we saw forming between Reigns and Solo Sikoa. The youngest member of the family appeared to feel disrespected by Reigns at one point, but the moment was interrupted by a Spear from Jey.

Reigns is still the Tribal Chief and the top champion on SmackDown, and at this rate, he will probably have that belt until at least 'Mania 40. What WWE needs to do now is figure out how to get him there without losing interest from the WWE Universe.

The first order of business needs to be addressing what happened with Jimmy. WWE can stretch that out for a week or two before figuring out who the next challenge will be for the Undisputed Universal Championship.

With Jey and Jimmy likely being occupied with each other for a bit, Reigns will need his own program before we get through the fall. Now that Bobby Lashley seems to be forming a group around himself, it wouldn't be surprising if he set his sights on Reigns and the universal title.

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What did you think of SummerSlam and what do you think is next for the competitors in these two matches?