After the first six matches on the SummerSlam card came and went without any real surprises, with the booking decisions drawing more headlines than the “surprise debuts” that really only came down to Machine Gun Kelly, fans buckled in for the main event match between Cody Rhodes and Solo Sikoa, as nearly anything could have happened in the match.
Would a new member of the Anoa'i-Fatu/Haku family make their debut on the show, be it Zilla Fatu or Hikuleo? Or maybe Rhodes would get some help from the Motor City Machine Guns, who he shared locker rooms with on the indies? Could Roman Reigns return – *spoiler alert* he did – and which side would he be on if he did?
Well, if you had Arn Anderson on your SummerSlam prop bets list, you'd better collect your jackpot, as the “Enforcer” made his triumphant return to The Fed during Rhodes' entrance, and while he did let it slip that the cavalry was on the way, his return instantly garnered massive pops both in the arena an online.
Asked what it was like to reunite with Double-A on the second-biggest WWE show of the year during the SummerSlam press conference, Rhodes celebrated his return, as he's often used the former Four Horseman as a stand-in for his father.
“For people who follow just the general story and the road I've been on, Arn is a huge part of it; I had made that decision. When I was with AEW, I'd made the decision that, ‘Hey, I can't have my dad for this stuff. He's not here physically. I want someone who was with him.' They didn't have to be an ally, they could have been an adversary. He came in and he was such a piece of sanity for me during a really chaotic time,” Rhodes told reporters via Fightful.
“Arn is one of the smartest people you'll meet in pro wrestling/sports entertainment. But he's also so ahead of the curve in the sense like, ‘Hey, I see where this is going.' Arn has always been able to be there. For me, it was just special to have a moment with him. Particularly one where he wasn't threatening to shoot me or something of that nature. It was nice because he means he means a great deal to me. I hope we see more of Double-A.”
Originally signed to WWE for a year from 1988-89, Anderson is most well known for his runs in WCW, first from 1984-88 and again from 1989-2001. Joining WWE as a producer commentator and occasional in-ring talent at the turn of the century, Anderson was released from his contract in 2019, where he joined AEW and eventually became part of The Nightmare Family. While only time will tell if Anderson is back back or just in WWE on a per-appearance deal for big shows when Rhodes needs him, it's safe to say it's very nice to see him return.
Cody Rhodes has long hinted at wanting a reunion with Arn Anderson
While Rhodes and Anderson largely kept their big moment secret heading into SummerSlam, the duo have spoken pretty openly about their desires to get back together in 2024, with the former stopping by Busted Open Radio to note that his current schtick could benefit from having a “classic wrestling manager” like Double-A in his corner.
“One of the reasons I liked having Arn Anderson around me, it was nice to have a guy over my shoulder say what you just said, say we're not apologizing for greatness. Mediocrity loves company, and we're not joined in that company. It was something I actually missed when Logan and I were doing this contract signing,” Cody Rhodes told Busted Open Radio via WrestleZone.
“To see him flanked by so many people, I don't know. Maybe I'm looking for the classic wrestling manager to join me on this title reign. I don't know who that is or what that is. It just felt like I wouldn't mind someone to holler the stuff that you just did.”
Anderson, too, commented on the prospects of working with Rhodes again in his own separate appearance on Busted Open Radio, and while it isn't his top priority, he wouldn't mind sharing the stage with his former AEW client once more.
“I'm 65, and my liver is 127. I am on short time, and I probably don't have a lot of time on the planet, much less in the business. I am dedicating whatever time I have left, one way or another, to helping my son Brock [Brock Anderson], who is breaking in, get a spot in the business with some company and get established and help him get to a position where he can make a living and can contribute and he can be a valuable asset to whatever company uses him. That's what I want to dedicate whatever time I have left. If that means what we're doing now, we're running around and driving to some indies. Whatever shows are in driving range and are plausible. I don't want to get on a plane these days unless I have to. If I can drive it and he can drive it, let's do it. We'll just go around and exercise our name to help these young independent promotions maybe draw a few more people,” Arn Anderson explained on Busted Open Radio via 411 Mania.
“Would I comeback in the right situation for a short-term something with Cody? If anybody out there thinks it's a good idea, let me know, I don't know. It would be something. He and I have never had that conversation. After [his comments] blew up, I sent him a text and asked how everything was. We had a couple texts back and forth, and it never came up. I went, ‘Maybe that was just him testing the waters himself' when he threw it out there. I was honored and flattered of the things he said. That's the way I am with Cody. ‘You're the star of the show, go out there and act like one.'”
Fortunately for Anderson and Rhodes, they got their moment in front of 50,000+ fans in Cleveland Browns Stadium. The former gave the latter one of his signature pep talks, and while he didn't pull out the very hypothetical glock, he got his point across with the fans in the know. If WWE plays their cards right, who knows, maybe the duo will have more moments to come in the future, too.
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