Though WWE announced before RAW that Brock Lesnar would be in Atlanta to answer Cody Rhodes‘ challenge for a match at SummerSlam, that didn't stop the “American Nightmare” from requesting the opening segment of WWE's flagship show to discuss the match folks have been waiting to see, but not without making things incredibly personal for his hometown fans in Atlanta.

“So Atlanta, my home, what do you guys wanna talk about? But we really don't have to talk, because there's this large shadow that looms over this sold-out State Farm Arena tonight; it's the same shadow that looms over every arena we go to, we're talking, of course, about Brock Lesnar. One thing's for sure, when Brock Lesnar is called to this ring, when his card has been pulled in the past, he indeed shows up. So again, we don't have to talk; Brock Lesnar should come to this ring, should accept my challenge for SummerSlam. You heard um, Brock; come out here right now!”

Unfortunately for Rhodes, Lesnar didn't answer his call, but honestly, that's okay, as Rhodes clearly had more things he wanted to get off his chest than a mere minute-long promo before a staredown and/or a beatdown in the middle of the ring. No, Rhodes wanted to take a page out of his father's book and get down to business about what it's like to go through “Hard Times.”

Cody Rhodes wants to give Brock Lesnar the old Dusty special at SummerSlam.

After waiting with bated breath to see if the “Beast” would answer his call, Cody Rhodes laughed off his opponent for his perceived slight before turning back to the crowd, letting them know why this match, this city, and both sides of his family means so much to him.

“Really? Now Brock Lesnar is apparently here tonight, I haven't seen him, but this is the old MO, right? Brock's going to be fashionably late, is that the plan? Okay Brock, if that's the plan, if you're gonna be late, if you're going to show up, say, at nine o'clock then guess what? I'll be in the ring waiting for ya. Or wait, Brock might show up at 10 o'clock or wait until the end. Guess what, Brock? I'll be in this ring waiting for you. Oh Brock Lesnar, he might wait until the end of the night, well mark my words; I'll still be in this ring waiting for you. But I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up that this is the house that built me but what you may not know, is that the woman who built me is in the front row, that's my mom.

“And here's the thing about my mother, right? There's a reason why at the Nightmare Factory and for my own personal use, my catchphrase isn't ‘Let's get funky like a monkey.' There's a reason, I wish I could do it like that, I wish I could do it like him, but the other side of my family, the one that trained me, the one that taught me to get out of the mud, the one that made me somebody who fights is a fighter herself, my mother, Michelle.

I'll say one thing about Brock Lesnar, our relationship has been complex, there's really only two words that could be used to describe it. It's two words I don't use too often because it's not my hit single or representative of my life, but my relationship with Brock Lesnar, the only two words I can think of are ‘Hard Times,' but that's okay, because tonight, Brock Lesnar, as I previously stated, when you show up tonight, it won't be ‘Hard Times' for me, not in my home state, not in my home town, not in front of my people; it's “Hard Times” for you.”

Officially proud to have the entire WWE Universe at his back, Rhodes walked back to the locker room like a conquering hero but didn't actually make it off the entrance ramp, as Lesnar's music hit – twice actually – before the “Beast” arrived with a chair in his hand and one thing on his mind: violence. After beating down on the “American Nightmare” with his mother looking on, Lesnar left Rhodes and the fans in Atlanta with a message: “Challange accepted, I'll see you at SummerSlam, b**ch.”

Folks, make sure your Peacock subscription is up to date; after building this story up for the better part of four months, this is about to get really, really, really, really good.