WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship Charlotte Flair is once again back on top, but her win came out of the blue.
Flair returned to WWE programming on the December 30, episode of WWE SmackDown on FOX, where she dethroned Ronda Rousey.
The match came after Rousey had already retained her title against Raquel Rodriguez, and marked Flair’s first appearance on WWE TV since May 2022.
Out of the Blue
Flair’s win was a shock to fans, as there had been no inclination of her return, but it also came as a shock to Flair.
Speaking to Ryan Satin on the Out of Character podcast, Flair recalled learning of her latest championship victory.
“I didn’t find out I was winning the title until I got there. I didn’t have gear with me. My amazing cleaning lady brought me my gear. I should have known better. I’m coming to a wrestling show, I just brought my outfit.
“I thought it was just going to be a walkout surprise because I had been gone for so long, I really didn’t need to be any major fireworks, but when I got there they were like, ‘You need your gear.’ I got the call at maybe 5ish that I needed gear, right before I got to the arena. She got to the arena around 7, 7:15.”
The final SmackDown of 2022 took place in Tampa, Florida, not far from Flair’s residence where her gear was in Orlando.
The Future
Flair did not expect to be SmackDown Women’s Champion at this point in time, but the Queen is on the Road to WrestleMania 39.
During this week’s Raw, Rhea Ripley, the winner of the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble match, selected Flair as her WrestleMania 39 opponent.
The two previously faced off at WrestleMania 36, where Flair dethroned the Australian to capture the NXT Women’s Championship.