Summary

Rhea Ripley is scheduled to speak on Friday's episode of WWE SmackDown after Jade Cargill attacked IYO SKY on Monday Night Raw.

WWE announced that Ripley will respond to Cargill following the Raw angle, where Michin and B-Fab held Ripley back during the assault. The segment adds Ripley to a SmackDown lineup that already includes appearances by Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Pat McAfee, Drew McIntyre, Jacob Fatu, Sami Zayn and Trick Williams.

Ripley was already part of WWE's loaded April 3 SmackDown lineup, and this week's appearance now puts her directly in the middle of one of the brand's biggest women's storylines heading into WrestleMania.

What Rhea Ripley's response means for SmackDown

Ripley's promo gives WWE a clear chance to build on the fallout from Cargill's attack on IYO SKY and clarify where Ripley stands in that situation before WrestleMania. Even if no match is made official on Friday, putting Ripley in front of the audience keeps the issue active and gives the women's division another major segment on the show.

It also gives SmackDown a direct follow-up to a Raw angle, which is usually a sign WWE wants the story to carry weight across its weekly programming rather than fade after one night.

Announced lineup for WWE SmackDown

As of WWE's announcement, the following segments and appearances are set for the April 10 episode:

  • Royce Keys to debut
  • Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Pat McAfee to appear, with McAfee teasing a major announcement
  • Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu to appear
  • Sami Zayn and Trick Williams to appear
  • Rhea Ripley to address Jade Cargill

Sources

As reported by Fightful.