Summary

WWE has added several major names to the April 3 episode of SmackDown in St. Louis, with Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, Jacob Fatu, Rhea Ripley and Jade Cargill all advertised for the show.

The headline attraction is Rhodes looking to spoil Orton's homecoming in St. Louis. That announcement gives the show another high-profile chapter in a feud that recently escalated when SmackDown in Pittsburgh ended with Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes brawling.

WWE is also promoting appearances by McIntyre and Fatu, with the preview teasing possible carnage between the two. On the women's side, Ripley and Cargill are both set to appear as the company asks how Ripley will answer recent attacks.

The currently advertised lineup for SmackDown includes:

  • Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton to appear
  • Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre to appear
  • Rhea Ripley, Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab to appear

What Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton bring to SmackDown

Rhodes and Orton being placed front and center gives SmackDown a clear WrestleMania 42 hook, especially after Rhodes recently said Randy Orton cheers do not bother him before WrestleMania 42. If WWE leans into Orton's St. Louis reception, that could sharpen the crowd dynamic around one of the company's biggest title programs heading into the weekend.

McIntyre, Fatu, Ripley and Cargill on the same card also signals that WWE wants this episode to advance several major stories at once, not just the Rhodes-Orton rivalry. With Ripley and Cargill back in focus and McIntyre and Fatu positioned for confrontation, SmackDown has been framed as a setup show with consequences across multiple top acts.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.