Charlotte Flair suffered an injury during the December 8th episode of WWE SmackDown, but she still finished out her match with Asuka. Afterward, it was a much different situation as WWE’s medical staff tended to The Queen.

Charlotte Flair raised significant concern when her match with Asuka abruptly concluded last Friday on SmackDown. After Flair’s defeat to Asuka, thanks to interference from Bayley, various live audience members shared photos and footage on social media depicting medical staff huddled around the former Women’s Champion. It was later reported that Charlotte Flair’s injury is indeed legitimate, and serious.

What’s next for Charlotte Flair after her injury?

The exact nature of Charlotte Flair’s injury remains unknown, but she was heard saying “my knee” as WWE officials assisted her backstage, indicating potential damage to the area around her knee. Further updates on Flair’s injury will be provided as more information becomes available.

It was later reported that Charlotte Flair was pulled from WWE live events, ones where she was previously advertised to compete.

According to PW Insider‘s latest report, Charlotte Flair has been removed from WWE’s live events scheduled for this week, events for which she was initially set to appear. As we mentioned, the extent of her knee injury is currently uncertain, causing concern within the wrestling community about the severity of the issue.

We will keep our eye on Charlotte Flair’s status, or if she is spotted taking any trips to Birmingham, Alabama to visit Dr. James Andrews’ world-renowned clinic which has helped many WWE Superstars get fixed up in the past. With no diagnosis report, we do not know the extent of her current knee damage.

Welcome to Monday Primer, our Monday morning feature that lays out what’s on tap for the week ahead in the world of professional wrestling. Get caught-up on what’s trending and what to expect from the world’s top wrestling promotions.

Here are some of the top stories in wrestling we’re tracking as we start the week:

CM Punk’s Decision

Fresh off an appearance on SmackDown and NXT last week, CM Punk returns to Raw tonight to make a decision on his future brand as a “free agent.”

With Orton having signed with SmackDown recently, it would be stunning for Punk to choose anything other than Raw. Well, and also because he’s going to be on Raw to announce his decision. Plus, there’s the fact that he’s got this storyline with Seth Rollins that seems destined for a title match at either the Royal Rumble or WrestleMania. 

AEW Continental Classic Rolls On

AEW’s Continental Classic continues to be a bright spot for the promotion, with a stellar edition of Collision (and Rampage) closing last week. This week’s edition of Dynamite includes one particularly spicy matchup, as Swerve Strickland takes on Jon Moxley in the Gold League.

Brody King, Bryan Danielson, and Andrade El Idolo are currently tied at the top of the Blue League with 6 points each. Swerve and Moxley are tied at the top of the Gold League with 9 points each, making this Wednesday’s match between them very noteworthy.

Charlotte Flair Injury

Charlotte Flair appeared to tweak her knee during a match on Friday night SmackDown with Asuka.

Since that time, it’s been reported that Flair has been pulled from all live events this week. It’s not known to what extent she is injured, though obviously it is severe enough for her to take some time off. We will keep monitoring the story closely. 

Kazuchika Okada’s Future

One of the biggest wrestling stars of this generation in Japan, Kazuchika Okada, will reportedly become a free agent in early 2024 and will test the waters when it comes to negotiating with both WWE and AEW.

Okada has been announced to appear at TNA Snake Eyes, though we don’t know anything more about his future beyond that. Some have been speculating about a possible Royal Rumble appearance, though there’s nothing more than rumors to report on that front. 

Whatever Okada chooses, whether it is coming to the U.S. or staying put in NJPW, will have ramifications for both AEW and WWE moving forward. 

SEScoops Live Shows This Week

The SEScoops Podcast, hosted by SEScoops Managing Editor Zack Heydorn and Tyler Sage, airs live Tuesday night on YouTube. Join the show live or catch it via your favorite podcasting platform afterward.

Top Rope Nation, hosted by SEScoops Site Manager Ryan Droste, Justin Joynt, and Jesse Velasquez, airs live Thursday night on YouTube. Join the show live or catch it via your favorite podcasting platform afterward.

Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google News to stay up to date.

Monday Primer for December 11 – December 16

Monday (December 11)

WWE Raw: CM Punk chooses which brand to sign with. Drew McIntyre vs. Jey Uso, Cody Rhodes vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Rhea Ripley vs. Maxxine Dupri (Non-Title Match), Becky Lynch will call out Nia Jax.

Tuesday (December 12)

NXT: Deadline Fallout. Men’s Breakout tournament begins. Eddy Thorpe vs. Dijak and The Meta-Four vs. Josh Briggs, Brooks Jensen & Fallon Henley.

The SEScoops Podcast airs live on the SEScoops YouTube channel at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

Wednesday (December 13)

AEW Dynamite (Winter Is Coming): The Continental Classic includes Swerve Strickland vs. Jon Moxley, Jay White vs. Mark Briscoe, Rush vs. Jay Lethal, Samoa Joe speaks, Ruby Soho vs. Riho, Hangman Adam Page vs. Roderick Strong, the Golden Jets speak, and the Von Erichs return to Dallas. 

Thursday (December 14)

Impact Wrestling: Final Resolution fallout. 

MLW Fusion: Airs on the MLW YouTube Channel.

Top Rope Nation airs live on the SEScoops YouTube channel at 9:30 p.m. Eastern.

Friday (December 15)

WWE SmackDown: Nothing announced as of press time.

ROH Final Battle: AEW Women’s Title: Athena (c) vs. Billie Starkz, Keith Lee vs. Shane Taylor, Tony Nese vs. Ethan Page, Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson) vs. Mark Briscoe and FTR.

AEW Rampage: Nothing announced as of press time.

Saturday (December 16)

AEW Collision: Nothing announced as of press time. 

WWE Superstars put their bodies on the line every time they step in the ring. Sadly, now a top Superstar seems to be out of action, but it’s unknown how long that hiatus will last for Charlotte Flair.

On the December 8th episode of WWE SmackDown, Charlotte Flair faced Asuka in a singles showdown. With Damage CTRL ringside, the battle was intense, but in the end, The Queen fell short against The Empress of Tomorrow.

What followed raised concerns among fans and WWE talent alike. Reports started circulating that Charlotte Flair might have sustained an injury during the match. In a distressing moment, she was seen clutching her knee and crying out, “My knee!” Medical personnel rushed to her side after the match, adding to the apprehension surrounding her condition.

In the first video, it appears as though Charlotte Flair’s top rope moonsault to the outside is what caused the injury.

In the second video, you can see referee Charles Robinson talking in length with both Flair and Asuka, and she proceeds to stay grounded for a bit.

As the… pic.twitter.com/UetaW7KqUF

— Fog Jones, of PW Nexus (@thefogjones) December 9, 2023

The latest update, as reported by PW Insider, is that Charlotte Flair has been pulled from WWE’s live events scheduled for this week, events for which she was originally slated to appear. The extent of her knee injury remains uncertain at this point, leaving many in the wrestling community worried about the severity of the issue.

There is video of the spot where it is believed Charlotte Flair suffered her injury. It’s hard to watch, especially knowing that it took The Queen out of action.

Now, Charlotte Flair is off the road, but there is also no public injury report on her status. We are hoping for the best, because WWE is gearing up for the road to WrestleMania very soon.

We’re sending our best to Charlotte Flair as she hopefully makes a speedy road to recovery. For more updates, please keep checking back with SE Scoops.

Charlotte Flair faced Asuka during the December 8th edition of WWE SmackDown. After contending with Damage CTRL’s presence, The lost her singles match, but she may have paid an even bigger price.

We also provided the video of an unseen angle of Charlotte Flair’s apparent injury. This was not a good situation for Charlotte Flair. 

In the first video, it appears as though Charlotte Flair’s top rope moonsault to the outside is what caused the injury.

In the second video, you can see referee Charles Robinson talking in length with both Flair and Asuka, and she proceeds to stay grounded for a bit.

As the… pic.twitter.com/UetaW7KqUF

— Fog Jones, of PW Nexus (@thefogjones) December 9, 2023

Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select that Charlotte Flair’s injury on SmackDown was legit. She needed to be helped to the back after her match, but no injury prognosis was given.

Unfortunately, we’ve confirmed that Charlotte Flair’s injury is legit. She had to be helped to the back and appeared to be in pain.

It looked like Charlotte Flair hurt her knee during that match with Asuka. There were a couple of spots that could have done the damage. In the end, The Queen needed to be escorted to the back after the match.

We’re hoping that Charlotte Flair was not seriously injured during that match, but many fans are concerned. Keep checking back with us at SE Scoops for updates on this story.

Charlotte Flair yelling “my knee” to Charles Robinson. Via @SteveFall pic.twitter.com/gmnP1eCiKN

— Wrestling News (@WrestlingNewsCo) December 9, 2023

What’s your take on Charlotte Flair suffering an injury during the December 8th episode of WWE SmackDown? Let us know what you think by engaging on social media! 

More has come to light about Charlotte Flair’s situation and potential injury during this week’s episode on SmackDown. 

This week’s show was WWE’s annual Tribute to the Troops show and saw some of WWE’s top Superstar appear on the broadcast. Raw’s Cody Rhodes thanked the troops in attendance and around the world while CM Punk made reference to his AEW firing in an explosive promo. In the main event of the show, Randy Orton teamed with LA Knight to defeat The Bloodline’s Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa.

Update on Charlotte Flair

During the latter part of her match with Asuka, Flair was obviously hurt and was seen being tended to by WWE’s medical crew after the match. PW Insider reports that Flair was setting up for a move but slipped and got caught on the ropes, wrenching her knee and striking her head. The move was not shown on TV as it took place during a commercial break. When WWE returned to the live broadcast, the commentary team said that Asuka had taken Flair out. 

While the incident was not broadcast, fans at the show in Providence, RI caught the incident, which you can see above. 

Flair was walked out by officials after the match and was seen telling senior WWE referee Charles Robinson about her knee. It’s been reported that “there was absolutely some concern among others talents about her knee specifically.” At this time, WWE has not given an update on Flair’s situation and it is unclear if she will miss any time. 

WWE brought a loaded show for the December 8th episode of SmackDown. CM Punk shocked the world with a pipe bomb of a promo. Sadly, it appears that Charlotte Flair didn’t have quite as good of a night.

Charlotte Flair went after Asuka this week on SmackDown, but she had quite an uphill climb with Damage CTRL around. The two had a singles match, and that did not end well for Flair.

Flair needed to be helped out of the ring during WWE SmackDown according to multiple fans who were in attendance.

Real ugly spot toward the end, rushed to the finish. Charlotte Flair says “My knee” as she’s helped out of the ring. Seemed to hurt her neck, too. Just awful, wishing her the best. #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/kjMFIyOQix

— Graham "GSM" Matthews (@WrestleRant) December 9, 2023

Here’s footage of Flair being helped backstage after the match:

Charlotte Flair getting walked back stage after her match. Looks like she got hurt frfr #Smackdown pic.twitter.com/5Bpb2LpwNN

— Swaggy Dr Kush (@SwaggyDrKush) December 9, 2023

How the injury occurred

The end of the match went down as Charlotte Flair looked for the Figure-8, but then Bayley emerged through the crowd. Flair ran over and knocked her off the apron. Bayley’s distraction allowed Asuka to secure the win. With a happy expression, Bayley exclaimed, “YES! I did that!” as Asuka celebrated her victory.

It appears this is the spot where the injury occured:

This is the unaired #SmackDown spot where Charlotte Flair apparently injured her knee #WWE #TributeToTheTroops #CharlotteFlair #WWESmackDown pic.twitter.com/mzwCNb6ARL

— Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) December 9, 2023

Of course, injuring Charlotte Flair was not the intended outcome of this match. We’re hoping that Charlotte Flair is okay. Keep checking back with SE Scoops for more updates.

What’s your take on Charlotte Flair and Asuka’s match during the 12/8 WWE SmackDown? You can also check out a video of Charlotte Flair being helped off this week. Let us know what you think by engaging with us on social media.

The question as to which match will headline WrestleMania 39: Night One has been on the mind of fans for some time.

This year will mark WWE’s fourth two-night WrestleMania: a concept that the company adopted in 2020 in the wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

The two-night format has allowed more Superstars to have a WrestleMania main event to their name, including AJ Styles, Bianca Belair, and Kevin Owens.

WrestleMania 39: Night One

With WrestleMania 39 going Hollywood (given its LA setting) WWE has been releasing parody trailers for popular films and TV shows featuring the Superstars.

This week, WWE featured Rhea Ripley in a Stranger Things parody, with the Judgment Day member playing Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven.

In the video, an unseen (but very recognizable) voice all but announced that Ripley will be headlining Night One, stating:

“Feeling that pressure, huh? Of being the main event of WrestleMania? Is it triggering you right now, Rhea? You want some? Then, go get some!”

At WWE WrestleMania 39, Ripley (the winner of the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble match) will face SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.

This will make Flair the first and only woman in WWE history to headline two WrestleManias (after previously closing out WrestleMania 35 in 2019.)

It had previously been reported that this match was the favorite to headline Night One, with Night Two being headlined by Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns Vs. Cody Rhodes.

While not confirmed by WWE yet, Logan Paul told listeners of his popular ImPaulsive podcast that his match with Seth Rollins will be on Night One.

That show will take place on April 1, which will mark Paul’s 28th birthday.

With WWE WrestleMania 39 taking place in just a matter of weeks, WWE has put the build for some of the top matches on the card into high gear including a match involving Charlotte Flair. 

Flair is slated to defend the SmackDown Women’s Title against Rhea Ripley at the upcoming event in Los Angeles. 

On Friday’s episode of SmackDown, WWE booked a segment with Flair and Ripley where they went face-to-face after Flair had scored a non-title match victory over Shotzi. 

The Segment

The segment on the show didn’t go down as originally planned, according to a report by Fightful Select. 

It was said the promo segment ‘deviated a little bit off the original plan’. However, the report didn’t specify exactly how the segment was different from the original plan. 

WWE is using Raw stars on SmackDown and Smackdown stars on Raw in certain cases due to the cross-promotional feuds being booked such as Ripley vs. Flair. Another instance of this is The Judgment Day, a Raw act, appearing on SmackDown in recent weeks to continue to have Dominik feud with his legendary father, Rey. 

On Friday’s show, Finn Balor, Dominik, and Damian Priest defeated Legado Del Fantasma.

Despite being the daughter of Ric Flair, Charlotte Flair had no interest in a wrestling career during her childhood. Even when she started in the business, it wasn’t because of her father. The SmackDown Women’s Champion actually got into the wrestling business because of her late brother Reid Flair.

The WWE star told the story of her start in wrestling during an appearance on LeBatardShow. She mentioned that her brother was in talks with WWE back in 2012. It was at this time that someone presented the idea for Charlotte to join the business as well. The wrestling star said yes to the idea, thinking she may be able to motivate and help her brother. She got emotional recalling how her brother passed away the same night he was supposed to see her wrestle for the first time:

“Well, he had a really bad drug addiction and I thought that if I somewhat started what he wanted to that it would get him motivated, almost like jealous in a way. Like ‘My sister’s doing this, I’ve got to do it too. I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to stay on the right course.’ So when I started, he still didn’t pass the test [with WWE].

Then he went off to Japan [and] started wrestling in Japan. They brought him home from Japan to see me for the first time at WrestleMania Axxess almost a year after I signed. He passed away that night when they brought him home to see me wrestle for the first time. So, like, ever since then I just think it’s gonna be that first time he sees me.”

‘It Just Keeps Me Ticking’: Charlotte Flair

Charlotte Flair has since become one of the most successful pro wrestlers of all time. According to her, she was just trying to continue her brother’s dream and she never thought that she would achieve so much. Though despite all her accolades, Flair still feels she has something to prove:

“Yeah, I think I kind of deal with that now because I’m like, ‘Wait, I’ve done all this. What’s next?’ I wasn’t really sure what I was working towards. It was all just continuing my brother’s dream, right? I spent so much time trying to protect him and help him and get him on the right path when really, he set me on this course that I could have never imagined. So sometimes when it’s all like over at the end of the night, I’m like, ‘Well, what am I fighting for now? What’s next?’ I still feel like I have something to prove. I don’t really know what that next big thing is because I never thought I would have accomplished all this. It’s just cause I worked hard and I happened to be good at it.

[I] wasn’t 16 and was like, ‘I’m going to be the last Divas Champion or I’m gonna be the first woman to main event WrestleMania. I’m gonna be the first woman to main event Raw, Smackdown, Pay Per Views, and WrestleMania.’ All these things just keep happening. I’m just like, ‘Why did I get to be so fortunate and he never got to see me do any of it. I don’t know. It’s one of the things I guess, it just keeps me ticking.”

You can check out Charlotte Flair’s full interview in the video below:

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If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley have proven to be quite the duo on WWE programming, and have caught the attention of those outside of the promotion.

In the run-up to WWE Clash at the Castle, Ripley repeatedly targeted Dominik, who at the time was aligned with his father Rey Mysterio and Edge.

After turning on his father and the Hall of Famer, Dominik and Ripley have been inseparable and have appeared together both at WWE events and away from the ring.

Reactions

During this week’s SmackDown, Dominik made a rare appearance on the blue brand to confront Charlotte Flair, who’ll defend the Women’s Title against Ripley at WrestleMania 39.

Mysterio went on about how he and Flair were both generational superstars, that they often get compared to their fathers but surpass them anyway

When Dominik tried to smooth talk the record-breaking champion, Flair was quick to shut him down, saying that she “has a real Latino man at home that calls me mami.”

On Twitter, Ripley’s real-life boyfriend, AEW star Buddy Matthews, reminded fans that ‘Mami’ has her own ‘Papi.’

Flair’s reference to her husband Andrade El Idolo, did not go unnoticed by the former NXT Champion, who reacted on Twitter with a single emoji.

Charlotte’s father Ric Flair also reacted to Dominik’s smooth-talking and encouraged the Judgment Day member to steer clear.

Ripley, the first woman to win the Women’s Royal Rumble from #1, will challenge Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 39.

An AEW star was referenced on Friday Night SmackDown this week during a segment by Charlotte Flair while building to her WrestleMania 39 showdown. 

The SmackDown Women’s Champion came out to the ring for a promo segment and she gave an early Happy Birthday shout to her father, Ric Flair. She also referenced another Papi.

Flair was exchanging words with Dominik Mysterio when she referenced her real-life husband, Andrade El Idolo as a way to make it clear that she had no interest in Dominik or his shenanigans when he answered her call for Rhea Ripley to come to the ring for their advertised showdown.  

The Moment

Flair told him that she has a real Latino man at home that calls her Mami who does it with a much thicker accent.  Once Flair squared up with the son of Rey Mysterio then Ripley came out to the ring where they had a staredown before Ripley got out of the ring and went to the backstage area. 

Andrade and Charlotte were married last summer, the original reason why Charlotte went on hiatus from WWE TV. 

If there’s been a difference in Triple H and Vince McMahon’s creative within WWE, Charlotte Flair hasn’t noticed it.

Flair recently took part in an interview with The Daytona Beach News Journal, and was asked about what differences she’s noticed since Triple H has taken over WWE creative for Vince McMahon.

“The Queen” noted that she hasn’t noticed much of a difference in all honesty, but mostly because she feels it’s more so up to her to make something work on-screen rather than the person coming up with the idea.

“I haven’t really noticed a difference because I feel, as a performer, that my job is just to make my boss happy. Whoever is in the seat is your boss,” Charlotte Flair said.

“Maybe if I was new, I would feel a difference, but I’m on more of the seasoned vet side. I don’t feel like there is as much maneuvering or trying to build a new character.”

McMahon was forced to step down from his position of head of WWE creative late last year in the midst of the sexual misconduct investigation against him. This left his son-in-law, Triple H, to step up and take over the creative helm.

Since, Triple H’s creative decisions have been hailed as being far more in-tune with the professional wrestling crowd than McMahon’s. Especially after a great Elimination Chamber event this past weekend from Montreal.

Now that McMahon is back with the company in an executive role, it remains to be seen if he ever eventually decides to return to run WWE’s creative process again.

Charlotte Flair is slated to be in another title match at WWE’s biggest event of the year when she defends the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 39 against Rhea Ripley. 

They previously wrestled each other at WrestleMania 36 in 2020 with Charlotte defeating Ripley to win the NXT Women’s Championship. Ripley earned this title match at WrestleMania 39 by winning the women’s Royal Rumble match. 

Just like in past years, WWE will have WrestleMania take place across two nights. The second night is expected to be headlined by Roman Reigns defending the Undisputed WWE Universal Title against Cody Rhodes. Charlotte believes her bout should headline one of the nights, most likely the first one. 

Charlotte Flair on WrestleMania Bout

“Rhea and I are main event quality, it’s a main event story, and I want to be in the main event with her. I know it’s going to be that good,” she told Kevin Raphaël and Pat Laprade on Les anti-pods de la lutte.

No other matches have yet to be confirmed for WrestleMania 39. H/T to Fightful for the transcription

Kamille will be the first to tell you that she isn’t the same pro wrestler she was more than 600 days ago when she first won the NWA women’s championship. “The Brickhouse” has evolved and taken from every experience in the ring. 

With every defense, confidence grows for the impressive athlete. Chelsea Green, KiLynn King, Taya Valkyrie, Max The Impaler, Jennacide, and the list goes on and on. Coming up is one of the former softball standout’s biggest tests to date in the form of veteran and multi-time women’s champion Angelina Love at Nuff Said on pay-per-view. 

Despite a long travel day to Tampa a few days before the show, Kamille made the drive to WWE superstar couple Natalya and TJ Wilson’s training space for a last-minute session. 

“It was great,” she said. “Me and Nattie, it’s one of those things where we have been friends on Instagram but never really gotten the chance to sit down and talk. Being able to get in the ring with someone like her. First off,  her family lineage with the Hart family. To learn from her not only in the ring but hear what she thinks about the business side of things. I’m very grateful they let me join in.”

Kamille’s Road to Greatness

Kamille certainly came in with a tremendous look, but she knew early she’d have to put in the work to succeed. She really entered pro wrestling seven years ago. Cutting her teeth on the independent scene and joining the NWA at the end of 2018 as Nick Aldis’ insurance policy. 

“I didn’t start wrestling matches until 2020 and then COVID. Then really getting into it at the beginning of 2021,” she contends.

It has been an on-the-job training experience for Kamille. NWA head Billy Corgan had given her the ball in the form of the women’s championship, and she has been running with it ever since. Momentum continues to build as Kamille continues to put in the work to be her very best. 

“I went from having four squash matches in NWA to now having these championship-worthy matches,” she said. “I won [the championship] from Serena Deeb. Getting in there with someone who had been in the business for so long. Not only is she an amazing wrestler but an amazing person. 

“I actually texted her to just say thank you for setting me up for my entire run. Every match I’m learning something new. I’m working with someone different. And different styles. It is on-the-job training. There are going to be hiccups but you learn from them and keep going. I definitely think now I can go in there with anyone in the world.” 

She cites facing Leyla Hirsch at EmPowerrr and Taya Valkyrie at NWA 74 in the main event as benchmarks. The latter made her feel, “You can do this. You were meant for this.” Speaking of EmPowerrr, Kamille wants to see a sequel but also believes absence makes the heart grow fonder. 

“I think the fact it didn’t happen last year will make the next one more special because people want it now,” she explained. “I can’t wait to see what sorts of talent are out there. You have talent from all different companies coming together. I hope we have that same dynamic of everyone working together and seeing matches you wouldn’t normally see.” 

Kamille on Charlotte Flair being a Dream Opponent

And if that proverbial “forbidden door” opened, Kamille has one particular opponent in mind. A WWE queen. 

“Businesswise and putting butts in seats and people wanting to see it, it would have to be Charlotte Flair,” she responded when asked who she would face if she had her way down the line. “She is the best in the world. I think we would have a good backstory and story that could lead into it. Getting in there with someone who is so talented could help me learn and grow. And it’s something people would want to see. I believe we are around the same size, so I think the dynamic of that would be very interesting.” 

Angelina Love and NWA Nuff Said

Despite having that dream match in mind, Kamille remains focused on her next big defense against Angelina Love. Respect remains for the challenger. 

“The fact is Angelina is a veteran. She has been doing this for a long time. When she was part of TNA, she was a needle mover. She got people watching,” she said. “I think she surprises a lot of people because not only is she beautiful but so talented as well and intense. Her as my opponent, I know I’m bigger and have the advantage in that way. But she has that veteran status. I’ve never been in a no-DQ match. I’m sure she has been in a few scuffles here and there. She might have that advantage over me. I think it will come down to who wants it more. It is going to be a fight.” 

NWA Nuff Said is available exclusively through FITE TV. It is available for preorder now for $24.99.  

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.

h/t – Fightful

Ric Flair believes the upcoming SmackDown Women’s Title match between Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley should headline one of the two nights of WrestleMania 39.

Ripley punched her ticket to WrestleMania by winning this year’s Women’s Royal Rumble match. Now, she has opted to challenge Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Live Women’s Title at “The Show Of Shows” in Los Angeles.

Speaking on his podcast, “To Be The Man,” Ric Flair explained why he believes his daughter’s match should one a main event for one of the two night’s cards.

“It’s gotta be one of the main events. It’s gonna be spectacular. Rhea has matured so much. That match they had in front of no people a couple years ago was fantastic. I can only imagine, I mean ‘The Queen’ is in a place where… she just plain and simply is the best worker in the business, in the company.

“I’m sure that she and Rhea will tear the joint down. If I were the guys, I wouldn’t want to follow them, and I would be hope that they’d be on last. As much as I enjoy that group she [Rhea]’s with, which worked out really nice, I’m really happy that she’s going out on her own now again. I like that.

“Win, lose, or draw, I don’t know whether she’ll stay with that group or not, but she is such a great singles attraction. She and ‘The Queen’ will just tear it down. I’m so excited for both of them.”

Flair returned to WWE back in December on an episode of SmackDown after a lengthy several month layoff. She challenged Ronda Rousey for the title in an impromptu match, winning the bout and re-capturing the title in the process.

With the win, Flair became a 14-time World Champion in the process.

Quotes via NoDQ.com

Charlotte Flair just returned to WWE after eight months out of the spotlight. That’s a long time in the fast-moving world of WWE.

During a recent chat with Ryan Satin on the Fox Sports’ Out of Character podcast, the reigning SmackDown Women’s champion says she had no concerns about being “replaced” by someone else during the hiatus.

WWE is an extremely competitive environment in and out of the ring. There is no shortage of performers eager to be featured in main events and holding championships. This can lead to some people being protective of the spots, but not Charlotte. When asked if she was worried about someone replacing her in the eyes of management, she confidently replied, “No.”

“If anything, I feel like the longer you’re away, the more important you become.”

– Charlotte Flair

Focused on Personal Development

Charlotte admits she’s a bit of a control freak. This characteristic serves her well in some respects, such as her training and how she presents herself. On the flip side, her career was on hold while the WWE machine moved forward.

“I never worry about somebody replacing me or taking my spot,” said Charlotte. “What I was feeling was like, ‘What am I doing? It’s been eight months and I haven’t done anything. Realistically, I got married. I had all these dental procedures. I was able to travel the world. But professionally, what am I doing?’

One day I’d be like, ‘You’ve been non-stop since like 2012. Relax. Maybe this is a growing period.’ But then I’d be like, ‘No, I’ve gotta be doing something.’ I went back and forth, back and forth.

“I’m someone that likes to be in control, and I didn’t feel like I was in control. So that’s more what I worried about, was not progressing at something, whether personally or professionally. But someone taking my spot? No.”

She has every reason to be this confident. While some roles are interchangeable, Charlotte Flair is a once-in-a-generation performer. She’s determined to be remembered as one of the greatest of all time and is well on her way to taking that crown.

• Charlotte Flair Eying Champ vs. Champ Match with Bianca Belair

Charlotte Flair made a triumphant return to WWE on the final SmackDown of 2022. She beat Ronda Rousey in an impromptu match on December 30, the same woman who took the title off her in an ‘I Quit’ match seven months prior at ‘WrestleMania Backlash.’

A lot happened during her hiatus. She married AEW star Andrade El Idolo. She also underwent dental surgery. Now that she’s back on top, the Queen looks ahead to the latest chapter of her storied career.

Charlotte is the latest guest on Fox Sports’ Out of Character podcast with host Ryan Satin. During their discussion, she reveals the moment she decided to return to WWE, her dental procedure journey, details about her wedding day and much more.

During her time away from WWE, she took inventory of her WWE career. She strived to gain a renewed understanding of character’s motivations and what’s left for her to accomplish.

Major Dental Issues

Charlotte WWE absence was primarily due to her needing to undergo dental surgery. In fact, she had 22 stitches in her mouth during her wedding.

“I have three implants and one of them failed. Like a week before the wedding, literally a week before the wedding, the implant failed,” she said. “So actually, during my ceremony, I had like 22 stitches [in my mouth], because they had to cut out the .. when it failed, it was an infection.”

“So over the summer, [I had] bone graphing, two gum graphing procedures. I mean, everyone was like, ‘Why were you gone? Why were you gone?’ Dental issues are hard to explain. It’s still not done. I’m probably going to have to replace that third implant that we tried to save.”

She’s experienced dental issues her entire life. When she was six years old, she fell off her bike and knocked out four teeth. They were only able to salvage two of them. During her days as a cheerleader in middle school and high school, more teeth got knocked out. Even as a WWE Superstar, she’s lost teeth in the ring, including several years ago during a match against Carmella in Germany.

Getting Married by Nacho Libre

Charlotte also spoke about her wedding to Manny [Andrade]. She says the wedding was awesome, in part because it was officiated by famed luchador Fray Tormenta, who was the inspiration behind the 2006 movie Nacho Libre. Tormenta lived a wild life during his days as a wrestler, but has reformed himself and is now one of the most sought after priests to officiate weddings in Mexico.

“I did not understand the service completely, but Manny was whispering everything the guy was saying,” she said. “It wasn’t just, your typical service or ceremony. The priest was talking about how he was a luchador and participated in negative things that hurt his marriage, but changed his life, [learned about] happiness and loyalty and respect, how when he found god, it changed his life. It was really cool.”

It was very special for them to have their families together, even if just for one day. Andrade was way more stressed than her, because he had more family at the wedding than she did.

Right after they got they went to Costa Rica and Tequila, Mexico. Then later had their official honeymoon in Italy and had an amazing time.

Watch Charlotte Flair’s appearance on Out of Character:

WWE has set up two of the bigger matches slated to take place at WrestleMania 39. 

On Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, it was confirmed that Roman Reigns will defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Title against Cody Rhodes and Charlotte Flair will defend the SmackDown Women’s Title against Rhea Ripley. 

Rhodes won the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match while Ripley won the Women’s Royal Rumble Match this past Saturday night. 

The Segments

In the opening segment of the show, Rhodes name-dropped Reigns in his post-Royal Rumble victory promo by noting that they will clash at Mania. He vowed to become the Undisputed WWE Champion Universal Champion. 

Later in the show, Rhea did a promo segment where it was hyped whether she would challenge Flair for the top prize for the women on SmackDown or challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Title. Ripley decided to go to the blue brand and Flair’s title. This is a rematch from WrestleMania 36 where Flair retained the NXT Women’s Title over Ripley. 

WrestleMania 39 is scheduled to be held as a two-night event, taking place on April 1 and 2, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in LA. 

WWE made history in 2019 when they had Charlotte Flair, Ronda Rousey, and Becky Lynch work a triple threat match with the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Titles on the line in the headliner of WrestleMania 35. 

It was a winner take all match. The original bout was Lynch vs. Rousey, but Charlotte was inserted into the match by Vince McMahon. 

Flair recently appeared on Busted Open Radio where she discussed the bout. She agreed with the sentiment that she was the glue in the match. 

The Match

“Yes, I do. You have this hot babyface, Becky Lynch, that the fans love. You’ve got this woman [Rousey] who paved the way and showed that women could main event pay-per-view in UFC. I definitely feel like I made it all come together. Yes, the narrative is fun to say that I was shoe-horned or however the inside circle wants to talk about me, but I know what my purpose was. Looking back now, I’m okay with that.”

Flair continued by noting that she had never put down other talent to prop herself up but sees the constant hate from fans towards her. She said that despite the hate, no one will be able to take away the accolade of headlining WrestleMania. 

Lynch went over to win both titles while Rousey went on hiatus to start a family before returning in January 2022. 

H/T to Fightful for the transcription

Charlotte Flair made her grand return to WWE on December 30, confronting an old foe and reclaiming her gold in the process. But that wasn’t exactly how “The Queen” initially envisioned her comeback to unfold.

In a recent appearance on Busted Open, Flair revealed that she “definitely didn’t think” she’d regain the SmackDown Women’s Championship right “off the bat” as she did. From her surprise appearance in Tampa, Florida, Flair evidently stunned the WWE Universe, and Ronda Rousey, with her resurgence. Moments earlier, Rousey defeated Raquel Rodriguez to retain the SmackDown Women’s Champion, but Charlotte Flair issued a challenge for Rousey to put up her title one more time. Rousey accepted, and Flair finally got the retribution she was looking for.

Despite the shock on immediate her title win, Flair stated that she “knew the direction” she wanted to go upon her return. “It felt weird if I didn’t come back and go after Ronda again. If I had just ignored her, even though we’ve been in and out of storylines the past couple of years, I needed to go back to Ronda,” she said.

Reception To Flair’s WWE Return

“Where I went from there, I just didn’t think I was going to have the same reception every week. It almost gets better,” Flair said. “You always get that one good [welcome back] ‘Yay!’ It’s been that way, even on live events. So, I’m committing to it.”

Flair also recently mentioned that the crowd’s feel-good reaction to her victory “overwhelmed” her.

Prior to her return, Charlotte Flair experienced a near eight-month absence from WWE. At WrestleMania Backlash last May, the company wrote Flair off with a storyline injury after her “I Quit” match with Ronda Rousey. In reality, though, Flair took the time off to commence her wedding with AEW star Andrade El Idolo, and address some dental issues. Multiple procedures later, Flair finally gained her clearance to wrestle again.

WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair wants to get a win over Charlotte Flair.

Belair has goals to defeat all Four Horsewomen(Sasha Banks, Bayley, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair). So far, she has beaten everyone except for Flair cleanly. Her only two wins against the current Smackdown Women’s Champion happened via disqualification. However, Flair holds a clean victory over Belair.

The Raw Women’s Champion confronted Flair on the Jan. 23 episode of Monday Night Raw to tease a future feud. Belair spoke about the confrontation with Lucha Libre Online’s Diva Incarnate.

“I was very excited to get the ring with Charlotte. We all know that my long-time goal, or maybe short-time goal, we don’t know, is to eventually defeat all Four Horsewomen. I’ve defeated three. The last one is Charlotte Flair. I feel like she’s at that mountaintop, and I was excited to get in that ring with her because when I very first got into WWE, she was the first people that I looked up to. I see myself in her so much. Ric Flair is her father, but people sometimes forget that she came in not knowing anything as well. She was a former collegiate athlete just like me, so to be able to be in the ring with the most decorated woman in women’s wrestling, it was an honor, but I still have my goal in sight,” said Belair.

Could Bianca Belair’s Next Feud Be Against Charlotte Flair?

The confrontation on the Jan. 23 episode of Monday Night Raw was interesting. Both Flair and Belair are champions of separate brands. It doesn’t seem like they will be working with each other soon.

However, Fightful Select reported that WWE’s initial plan for Flair as of early December was to work with Belair. The program changed, and Flair defeated Ronda Rousey for the Smackdown Woman’s Championship in her return on the Dec. 30, 2022, episode of Friday Night Smackdown. WWE could try to make the feud happen between Belair and Flair, but it’s unclear how they could do it with both of them holding titles.

For now, Belair will defend her Raw Women’s Championship against Alexa Bliss at the Royal Rumble on Jan. 28.

The WWE Royal Rumble will take place this Saturday, Jan. 28. The matches are set; however, it seems the company changed their plans for the women’s title picture for the event.

WWE surprised fans with Charlotte Flair’s return and the defeat of Ronda Rousey for the Smackdown Women’s Championship on the Dec. 30 episode of Friday Night Smackdown. Before her match with Flair, Rousey defeated Raquel Rodriguez to retain the title. However, it’s reported WWE didn’t initially plan for the Rousey and Rodriguez match to happen that soon.

Fightful Select reports that the company wanted the Rousey and Rodriguez title match to occur at the Royal Rumble. The report also shared that WWE had thought of having Flair work with Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair.

“…Ronda Rousey Smackdown Women’s Title defense against Raquel Rodriguez that took place on December 30 was actually originally planned to go down almost a full month later. Fightful has gained information that displays that the match was set for the WWE Royal Rumble as of early December,” said the report.

It also added that “…Another interesting note is that several WWE plans have changed as a result of this in relation to it. At the same period, Charlotte Flair was tentatively scheduled on a “suggested matches” list to wrestle Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship. Rhea Ripley was set to take on Rousey, but that’s when Rousey was still Champion.”

What’s Next For Ronda Rousey?

After her defeat to Flair, it’s unclear what WWE has planned for Rousey. The report notes that WWE gave her different creative options before Dec. 30. However, it didn’t work out, and they went with Flair defeating Rousey after her match with Rodriguez. It also didn’t share the options that WWE presented to the former champion.

She isn’t advertised to compete at the Royal Rumble this weekend. This could still change, but Fightful Select reported on Jan. 20 that she isn’t expected to appear at the event.

The company could have Rousey challenge Flair for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. However, Flair is working with Sonya Deville, which could get added it the Royal Rumble card. Rousey will have to wait to see what WWE has planned for her.

WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair made her surprise return to the company last month. She has come out to share that she felt overwhelmed by the crowd’s response to her comeback.

Flair made her return to WWE on the Dec. 30 episode of Friday Night Smackdown, where she confronted Ronda Rousey. She was met with a positive reaction from the crowd, working as a babyface. Before her return, WWE had her acting as a heel. Flair defeated Rousey to win the Smackdown Women’s Championship.

In an interview with Joseph Staszewski for the New York Post, Flair shared her experience from the Dec. 30 return. She spoke openly about how the crowd response had overwhelmed her.

What Kept Charlotte From Returning Sooner?

Flair has stayed off WWE TV since her loss to Rousey at WrestleMania Backlash on May. 8, 2022. Before her return, she had stayed off of WWE TV for several months to enjoy her personal life and take care of dental procedures. She and AEW star Andrade El Idolo got married in May. 27, 2022. During her interview with the Post, Flair shared that time away alongside her husband was a needed break, and she had time to relax.

“Usually I’m thinking, even if I do go to the beach while I’m working, I could go for a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, but I’m thinking, What am I doing on TV Friday, where are my live events,” said Flair. She continued,

“To completely be disconnected and in the moment was so nice, and getting that one-on-one time with Manny [Andrade] that I never have had before, it was priceless.”

Since her return, she has feuded with Sonya Deville. Flair defeated Deville for the Smackdown’s Women’s Championship on the Jan. 6 episode of Friday Night Smackdown. However, it seems WWE has teased that they could have another match.

Charlotte Flair has admitted to being somewhat “jealous” that her father and her husband were able to share the ring last year.

For Flair’s last match in July 2022, the father and son-in-law duo teamed to defeat Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett.

This match marked Flair’s first match in over a decade, when he lost to Sting on the September 12, 2011, episode of TNA Impact.

Jealous

While Ric and Charlotte have both had impressive careers, they have never had the chance to be on the same team in the ring.

While appearing on NBC’s The TODAY Show to promote Saturday’s Royal Rumble, Flair admitted to being jealous that her father and husband got such a special moment.

“Honestly, I was a little jealous (seeing them in the ring together) because I was like, “Oh, I wanna be a part of this,’ because I’ve shared the ring with my dad but not in that capacity.”

Charlotte Flair

Charlotte also spoke about her brother Reid, who died in 2013, and who is the reason Charlotte is a wrestler today.

“I’m like, ‘Man, I wish my little brother could see this.’ My husband is a third-generational wrestler, and then with my dad…it was awesome, picture-perfect.”

Charlotte Flair.

Ric Flair made his first appearance on WWE TV in two years on this week’s Raw when he introduced Charlotte.

h/t – Wrestling News