WWE SmackDown Preview: Why is Cody Rhodes coming to Washington DC?

Cody Rhodes is one of the superstars present for tonight's WWE SmackDown preview. From the looks of it, he is set for a major face-off with his WrestleMania 39 opponent.

The March 3, 2023 episode of WWE SmackDown will take place at the Capital One arena located in Washington, DC, which explains why Cody Rhodes is at the location as he is also set to confront Roman Reigns. Tonight marks the first time both superstars will meet after their championship match was made official. In past episodes, only the challenger and Paul Heyman were the ones exchanging words to heat up the upcoming match.

Prior to tonight's meeting, the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion sent a message to Rhodes. In a tweet, he referenced a previous segment between Paul and Cody where the former talked about the latter's family. During the exchange, The Bloodline's representative even claimed Roman was the son Dusty Rhodes wished he had.

"Tomorrow night, after DC acknowledges their Tribal Chief, we welcome @CodyRhodes to the #IslandofRelevancy. His “Story” vs MY Legacy. #SmackDown #Bloodline #GODMode @HeymanHustle"

Rhodes received a championship opportunity at WrestleMania 39 after he won this year's Men's Royal Rumble match. Now that Reigns has settled his differences with Sami Zayn, he can now fully focus on his WrestleMania opponent.

WWE SmackDown Preview: Another RAW Superstar will be in action tonight

The long-awaited April premium live event is only a few weeks away. The upcoming shows from the Stamford-based promotion continuously tease feuds that could be added to the show, and that doesn't end tonight.

Another superstar from the Monday show advertised for tonight's WWE SmackDown preview is Rhea Ripley. Last week, she and Dominik Mysterio had an intense and personal clash with Charlotte Flair ahead of their April title match. However, for tonight, Rhea will be in action against former tag team partner Liv Morgan.

Another match scheduled for tonight's WWE SmackDown preview is a tag team bout from the women's division. Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey will attempt to defeat the team of Natalya and Tegan Nox. In last week's episode, The Queen of Harts was unable to defeat Baszler and even received a post-match beatdown. Luckily, Nox came to the aid of Natalya against the former UFC fighters.

Fans should expect more action and superstars for the episode despite not being present for tonight's WWE SmackDown preview. It will be interesting to see if any matches will be added to the WrestleMania 39 card.