The American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes, declared himself the first man to enter the Royal Rumble in 2024 on last week’s Monday Night Raw. Suddenly, he faced an unexpected attack from Shinsuke Nakamura, who had been hinting at his target in background promos for the past few weeks. It became evident that Nakamura was targeting Rhodes.
The reason for Nakamura’s attack last week has been a mystery till now. The segment continued in this week’s Monday Night Raw episode with Rhodes responding to the attack he faced on last week and Nakamura appeared on the TitanTron, a haunting image projected onto the screen and gave a warning to Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes to face Shinsuke Nakamura on 12/11 WWE RAW
After the War games match Cody, kicked off last week’s Raw by declaring himself the first entrant in the 2024 Royal Rumble. However, before the congratulations could even begin, the arena lights flickered and plunged into darkness. Suddenly, Nakamura made his way into the ring and attacked Rhodes with his red mist.
Addressing Cody directly, his voice dripping with malice, Nakamura spoke of shared paths, wasted potential, and how Cody needed to “awaken.” It was a cryptic message, but one thing was clear: Nakamura was not just challenging Cody to a fight but to a reckoning.
The segment ended with palpable tension, the air thick with anticipation. After the show, WWE officially announced a match between Rhodes and Nakamura for next week’s Monday Night Raw. After two weeks of an unsolved mystery, the match is finally happening next week.
Shinsuke Nakamura taunts Cody Rhodes
Cody was expecting Nakamura in the ring tonight but Nakamura preferred the theatrics. He appeared on the TitanTron, a haunting image projected onto the screen. He spoke about Cody’s road being similar to his own five years ago, how he never got to finish his story, and how he would finish Cody’s for him.
Shinsuke Nakamura’s assertion that he and Cody Rhodes share a common experience of winning the Royal Rumble only to fall short at WrestleMania highlights their shared struggle. Both men have tasted the elation of winning the Rumble, a prestigious match that guarantees a main event slot at WrestleMania, the pinnacle of WWE.
However, their dreams of becoming WrestleMania champions were ultimately shattered. Nakamura’s reference to their shared “humiliation” underscores the pressure and expectations that come with winning the Rumble. The anticipation for their WrestleMania victories was immense, and their subsequent defeats were undoubtedly humbling experiences.
Nakamura, on the other hand, failed to win the WWE Championship from AJ Styles at WrestleMania 34 despite being the winner of the Royal Rumble match. Nakamura’s unpredictable in-ring style has made him a fan favorite, yet he has struggled to consistently reach the top of the mountain.
Despite never competing against each other one-on-one, Rhodes and Nakamura share a common thread that they won the Royal Rumble but could not win a world title at WrestleMania. Nakamura’s rivalry with Rhodes is an opportunity for him to prove his mettle and reclaim his position among the elite.
