Summary

WWE has set five featured items for the April 17 episode of SmackDown from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, including a Cody Rhodes appearance, the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, and a WWE Women's United States Championship match.

The show is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET. It will air on USA Network in the United States and on Netflix internationally.

Announced lineup for SmackDown

The advertised card includes Giulia defending the WWE Women's United States Championship against Tiffany Stratton, Cody Rhodes speaking on the show, and Jacob Fatu addressing Drew McIntyre.

WWE has also locked in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and a street fight between The Wyatt Sicks and MFTs. That follows the earlier announcement that the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and the street fight were being added to the show.

What Cody Rhodes and Giulia mean for this SmackDown

Cody Rhodes being positioned for an in-ring promo gives this episode a clear top-line segment, especially on a show that already has Jacob Fatu responding to Drew McIntyre. Giulia's title defense also gives SmackDown a championship match with real weight on the same night, which helps the Las Vegas card feel like more than a routine bridge episode.

With the Andre battle royal on the lineup as well, WWE is loading the show with both storyline advancement and a multi-person attraction. That creates a fuller preview than a one-match card and gives several parts of the roster a reason to matter on the same night.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.