But the twists and turns on Rhodes’ road back to WWE – and his successes and even failures since – certainly seem to have lined up nicely for “The American Nightmare.” With a win over Lesnar at SummerSlam, it stands to reason that he’d be in line for another shot at Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, though World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins recently expressed a desire for Rhodes to challenge him instead.

With those opportunities lying in front of Rhodes, something seems to have been guiding his path and he isn’t ruling out a sort of mystical orchestration that would be hard for most to explain.

“The more I’ve gotten used to being back at WWE, the more I’ve settled in,” Rhodes said. “It can’t be a coincidence, right? There’s gotta be somebody out there, some ultimate booker who’s pulling the string who’s not Vince, not Hunter, not Dusty, not any of those bookers.”

With legions of fans behind him, no matter who has helped carve the path both behind and in front of him, Rhodes appreciates the masses that are along for the ride.

“A lot of people want to see the story finish and that’s the greatest honor to have them all on board even after having dropped the ball once. You gotta look at that and not take it for granted.”

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Busted Open” with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.