When Cody Rhodes lost his match against Roman Reigns for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39, a significant portion of his momentum was lost along with it. That may sound somewhat absurd given the crowd reactions Rhodes still receives on a nightly basis, along with his impressive merchandise sales. Nonetheless, Rhodes lost more than just a match that night in Los Angeles that has since lead to an ongoing, arguably failure of a feud with Brock Lesnar, with a SummerSlam match likely.

The feud between Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar has been hollow

The matchup between Rhodes and Lesnar seemed intriguing on paper but has come off as contrived and meaningless. One reason is that Lesnar has yet to provide any explanation for his attack on Rhodes months ago on Raw. While wrestling storytelling is far from perfect, it should at least have some registered motivation behind it to be perceived as plausible. WWE has failed to provide that with Lesnar, making this feud feel hollow and merely a delay tactic to prevent Rhodes from getting near Reigns' title.

This past Monday's episode of Raw is a prime example of how their feud has failed to work.

WWE keeps teasing title matches for Cody Rhodes

In yet another teaser for the fans, Rhodes appeared to be issuing a challenge to Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship on Monday until Lesnar's music hit, distracting the American Nightmare from his previous intentions. This led to a brawl between the two, with Rhodes eventually hitting a Cody Cutter and driving Lesnar away.

WWE will likely continue these contrived teases, which lack spontaneity. Rhodes has made it abundantly clear that the title he covets the most is the one around Reigns' waist, so why tease a match with Rollins? This narrative will likely linger throughout this current Rhodes' run. WWE will briefly tempt the fans by making them believe that Rhodes will challenge for one of the World Titles, despite never actually facing either champion. This approach can only last for so long before fans grow tired of it. If they already haven't.

Cody Rhodes is not a believable opponent for Brock Lesnar

Lesnar has earned the moniker “The Beast Incarnate” due to his imposing stature and overpowering, bullying style in the ring. To have a program with Lesnar, the booking must be precise in its delivery. Look at how Goldberg, John Cena or even Reigns were booked against Lesnar. While each superstar has their unique qualities, they all appeared capable of holding their own against Lesnar. Rhodes, on the other hand, does not.

At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, Rhodes appears meek in comparison to Lesnar's 6-foot-3 and 287 pounds. Lesnar possesses one of the most dominating presences the business has ever seen, with few wrestlers he faces matching his size or appearance, including Rhodes. Rhodes has proven to be a physical wrestler, but coming in as the smaller, weaker babyface against Lesnar, WWE has attempted to put him on the same playing field as the former UFC Champion. The idea, of course, is to make Rhodes look formidable, but there are different ways to build up wrestlers like him without resorting to excessive booking. Then again, this WWE babyface booking we're talking about here.

Once again, Raw provided an example of this, with Rhodes gaining the upper hand on Lesnar, who had been absent for over a month, in a brief skirmish that ended with Lesnar essentially running away. This approach feels inauthentic to both of their characters, which has been a recurring issue throughout this feud.

As WWE looks to possibly conclude this feud at SummerSlam with a special stipulation match, let's hope the resolution of this program is better than its beginning and allows both men to re-establish their characters. These two performers will likely fare much better apart than they did together.

Rhodes is likely to go out on top as he continues his ascension back to the Undisputed Title. The question then becomes, what will be the next feud lined up for him? How will WWE continue to prolong this ongoing adversity angle before it starts to lose its effectiveness? Whoever they choose as Rhodes' next opponent, they must tread lightly with and ensure they don't jeopardize his momentum as the year comes to a close.