That's particularly important for the former given what transpired at SummerSlam. Rhodes could feasibly carry the gold into Survivor Series: WarGames in November and then through the Royal Rumble to set the stage for one of the WrestleMania 42 headliners.

At one point, Cena came up through the elevator shaft on the entrance way with Rhodes on his shoulders and walked him back to the ring. That exhausted him enough for Rhodes to take advantage. He removed a bottom turnbuckle and blasted him over the head with the steel piece.