WWE SummerSlam 2023 Post-Show Media Scrum: Cody Rhodes, Dakota Kai Update, Bloodline Story Progress, Vince McMahon

WWE held a post-show media scrum following this past Saturday’s SummerSlam 2023 event in Detroit, Michigan.

Some of the notable highlights included:

• During his portion of the media scrum, Cody Rhodes gave his thoughts about his match with Brock Lesnar and their post-match handshake moment. Rhodes stated “I got asked the question of, right after it was over, we were filming some behind the scenes content. I don’t think it’s dawned on me what a moment like that really means. This run, since I came back to WWE, has been consistently surprising to me in every way. I think that’s why I am so touched by it all. It’s real. It’s as real as it can get in this world. That will be something that I look at and have a very deep appreciation. The guy also hocked a loogie on me in the middle of the match. He had given me more german suplexes, more F5s, F5s through tables, absolutely eviscerated me on many levels. Somehow, some way, I felt like there was this bond by battle in that final moment. I’m very grateful for what’s happened. I don’t want to wrestle Brock Lesnar again, but I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity and to compete at his level. When he’s gone, I don’t know when that’s going to be, because he can go, when he’s gone, I think the world will realize what we’ve got. He’s a unicorn, a very unique, once-in-a-lifetime individual. To have that moment at the end, I thought a lot about Brock, looking at him tonight, and it reminded me of how my dad [Dusty Rhodes] looked at Harley Race. I thought, maybe I’ve got my Harley Race, because there is nobody tougher. That was a special moment. I’ll know what it really meant in the days to come.“
• On the topic of his next plans in WWE, Rhodes stated that “everyone in the room knows what my plans are.” Rhodes also stated that he needs to get back to where he was before so he can finish his story.
• During Damage CTRL’s portion of the media scrum, Dakota Kai gave her thoughts about her surprise appearance after IYO SKY’s WWE Women’s title victory and provided an update on her torn ACL injury. Kai stated “I came because this is such a big moment for [IYO] and us as a group. I’m still a ways away from being in-ring cleared. I had to be here for her tonight. This is such a crazy accomplishment for her, representing Damage CTRL. 2024 is about to be crazy. We’re getting there. I’m squatting heavy.“
• During his portion of the media scrum, Paul Heyman gave his thoughts on how far along WWE’s Bloodline storyline is in terms of being completed. Heyman stated “Bottom of the third. We’re just figuring this stuff out. We haven’t even hit our stride yet. If you want to take the arrogant approach, I’m sure Paul Levesque will tell you all the box office records that have been smashed. Every Friday night when we show up at SmackDown, we’re always told, ‘this is the largest gate of this and the largest gate of that.’ ‘This is the largest premium live event.’ ‘This is the largest WrestleMania.’ Okay, we can sit there and point to what clearly drove all this, and it’s the Bloodline, and when I say the Bloodline, I mean the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns. We’re just figuring this out. There is so much more to learn. There is so much more for us to grasp. There is so much more for us to master. It’s a craft, and it’s an evolving craft. It’s an ever-evolving form of entertainment, and if you sit there and you think, ‘we got this, this is it, we’re cruising to WrestleMania,’ we’re going to be replaced, and we should be. If you don’t come at this with the greatest ambitions to be much better tomorrow than you are today and much better two days from now, then you’re not here to be the greatest of all time. That’s what Roman Reigns wants to be and is determined to be. That’s the only reason why I agreed to have life after Lesnar. How could I have ever topped the run I had with Lesnar? Roman Reigns because he’s that ambitious because he wants it that badly. What inning are we in? Bottom of the third. Wait until you see what we have in the fourth.“
• During his portion of the media scrum, WWE CCO Paul “Triple H” Levesque stated that this year’s SummerSlam event was the highest ever grossing event in SummerSlam history, the highest ever grossing non-WrestleMania PLE in WWE history, and is currently expected to become the most-watched ever SummerSlam event on Peacock in Peacock history.
• On the topic of Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar’s post-match handshake moment, Levesque stated that its was “Completely unplanned, completely in the moment.“
• On the topic of the rumors of matches being cut from this year’s SummerSlam event, Levesque denied that being true and stated that nothing was cut because those rumored matches were never announced. Levesque stated that sometimes there is too much stuff going on and felt that SummerSlam’s card was already long enough for the show.
• On the topic of Vince McMahon’s current involvement in WWE’s creative process, Levesque stated “The reason WWE is what it is, the reason this business, not just WWE, you could make an argument, a very valid one, that without Vince and his vision for this business, maybe it wouldn’t be here anymore. There were things at that time, back in the day, that were very popular, roller derby, things like that, that just disappeared off the face of the planet. The vision of what he did changed the business, changed all of it, for 50 years. An incredible run of success. No greater mind in the business. At this point in time, if all of us, didn’t look in moments of time for counsel from him on thoughts or ideas or if we have a question, to go to him and ask, we’d be silly not to. It’s sitting next to someone that has forgotten more about this than you’ll ever know. To not utilize that in some aspect…is he day-to-day? No. Is he in it all the time? No. If anybody has, he’s earned that right to be able to do that.“
• Levesque also stated that he does not have any update on how long McMahon’s recovery from spinal surgery will be since he is not a doctor.

WWE SummerSlam 2023 post-show press conference full video:

Source: F4WOnline.com, Fightful.com 1, 2, 3, & 4