We noted before how Erick Rowan suffered an injury during his SummerSlam match with the New Day though at the time, WWE was yet to officially confirm that he was injured.
The company confirmed his status after Bludgeon Brothers’ No Disqualification match with The New Day on SmackDown with the following statement, revealing that he is scheduled for a surgery later this week:
“Rowan of The Bludgeon Brothers has suffered a torn right bicep, WWE.com has learned. The former SmackDown Tag Team Champion is currently scheduled to undergo surgery to repair the injury this week.”
Charlotte Made History At SummerSlam
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte made history when she defeated Carmella and Becky Lynch in a triple threat match at the SummerSlam PPV for the title, by becoming the female Superstar with the most Women’s title reigns.
Flair is on her 8th reign now after winning the Women’s title 4 times on Raw, 2 times on SmackDown, 1 time in NXT and winning the Diva’s title one time as well.
Hall Of Famer Trish Stratus also has 8 title reigns, but one of them was with the Hardcore Title. With her win, Charlotte now also holds the record for the most PPV wins at 24.
There’s potential for a massive WWE women’s match down the road.
On SmackDown Live, it’s arguable that Charlotte Flair is the brand’s biggest female star. There’s no argument as to who is the biggest female star on Monday Night RAW, however. That spot is reserved for ex-UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.
Both women will challenge for titles at tonight’s SummerSlam pay-per-view (PPV) in Brooklyn, New York. It’s possible they find themselves standing across the ring from one another at some point down the road.
Flair recently appeared on ESPN’s “Get Up!” to promote SummerSlam. During the interview, Flair was asked by NFL player Keyshawn Johnson who in WWE she hasn’t faced yet that she wants to.
Flair Calls Out Rousey
“The Queen” responded by naming Stephanie McMahon and Ronda Rousey. Flair then elaborated on what it would be like sharing the ring with Rousey. She challenged the notion that Rousey is the “Toughest Woman On The Planet”:
“They keep saying she’s the toughest woman on the planet; but, I think I’m the toughest woman on the planet.”
Flair was then asked if she thinks she could headline a WrestleMania with Rousey. She admits it would be the right storyline, but is adamant about headlining a WrestleMania regardless of the opponent:
“Headlining WrestleMania is definitely a dream of mine. Who the opponent is, it really doesn’t matter because I’m headlining WrestleMania; but, I think it would be the right story.
“She says that she’s a 4-Horsewoman and I’m like, ‘Wait, I’m a Flair. I’m blood.’ So it’s 4 on 4? I don’t know.”
“That’s what’s amazing about our job is that we do have a platform to make a difference and voice our opinions on certain things like that. In terms of her appearance being criticized, I just go, ‘Aren’t we past that?’
“You wouldn’t see someone sitting here saying, ‘Roman Reigns’ hair is phenomenal, or Seth [Rollins’] abs,’ or people wouldn’t be like, ‘AJ Styles on TNA looked better than WWE.’
“It shouldn’t be a topic of conversation and I know that we’re Superstars and people see us as untouchable; but, we’re human and when you see negativity like that, it’s gotta hurt her.
“I just wanted to touch her [Peyton Royce] and be like, ‘Listen, ignore that.’ My Dad always said that if they’re talking about you, you must be doing something right and that’s what they were doing.
“They were talking about her. Whether it’s her looks or not, you would think that we’re passed that.”
Discussion: Would you be interested in seeing a match between Flair and Rousey? Should it headline WrestleMania? Sound off in the comments below!
WWE posted a video on their official Twitter page from their live event in North Charleston, South Carolina. In the video, Bobby Roode & Kevin Owens brawl outside the ring. “The Glorious One” wound up defeating Owens when it was all said and done.
Owens is currently feuding with Braun Strowman on Monday Night RAW. He will face “The Monster Among Men” at SummerSlam on August 19th. Should “KO” emerge victorious, he will win Strowman’s Money In The Bank (MITB) briefcase.
Roode is also involved in a feud of his own on RAW. He has been butting heads with Mojo Rawley lately. They will square off on tonight’s show from Jacksonville, Florida.
Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair Fire Back At The IIconics
Peyton Royce and Billie Kay, The IIconics, recently mocked Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair on Twitter. The pair pretended to act like Flair and Lynch, even mimicking their “tea time” gesture.
They also said that Lynch only won her matches on SmackDown Live while Flair was away nursing her injuries. The IIconics also took issue with Flair getting thrown in the SummerSlam SmackDown Live Women’s Title match for doing “absolutely nothing”:
Lynch and Flair offered a video response of their own. They noted that The IIconics haven’t defeated anyone of merit during their run on SmackDown Live. Flair and Lynch ended off by saying “isn’t that iconic?” Here’s the video:
Since joining Instagram, The Undertaker has been revealing a lot more about his real personality. It turns out “The Dead Man” is actually a pretty big gun enthusiast. He took to his Instagram and revealed a gift his wife, former WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool, got him for Father’s Day.
Taker showed off a new custom safe, with one of his guns, for his “2a toys” (second amendment toys). The safe reads “Deadman Inc.” and also has Taker’s logo under it:
Carmella Reacts To Charlotte’s Addition To SummerSlam Title Match
On this week’s episode of SmackDown Live, Charlotte Flair was added to the SmackDown Live Women’s Title match at SummerSlam. Carmella will now defend her strap in a Triple Threat match against Flair and Becky Lynch at “The Biggest Party Of The Summer.”
Carmella took to Twitter and voiced her displeasure for Charlotte’s addition to the match:
Former SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair was recently interviewed by Instinct Culture at the Sports Humanitarian Awards, and discussed her involvement in ESPN Magazine’s Body Issue.
“The Queen” first discussed getting a black eye during her match with Asuka at WrestleMania 34 just before the shoot, but she turned out to like it because it shows the raw physicality of what WWE Superstars do inside the ring:
“Okay so I got a black eye at WrestleMania,” Flair said. “I was like, ‘of course I would get a black eye before the Body shoot. But I actually think it made it that much more raw and real and natural and it really goes to show that what we do as Superstars isn’t fake.
“Like I walk around with my battle scars all the time. I was really nervous at first but after an hour I was like, ‘I’m in the ESPN Body Issue as the first WWE Superstar. I’m gonna rock it.'”
One of the most famous photos of Flair’s shoot is her nude moonsault inside the ring. She revealed that she had to do 45 nude moonsaults to get the shot right, and discussed how awkward it was:
“Doing forty-five naked moonsaults was awkward. Which it’s like a backflip in the air. I’m like, ‘ah this is my worse nightmare.’ You know when you wake up and you have forgotten you like shoes or something for work, I forgot my ring gear.”
Charlotte Flair has revealed she’s currently out of action due to rupturing both her breast implants. The 5-time WWE Women’s Champion appeared on the Conversations With Maria Menounos SiriusXM radio show on Monday and provided intimate details about the injury.
Charlotte says when she began wrestling, her saline implants ruptured during during a match. When she woke up the following morning, they were gone. She later had them ‘redone.’ A few months ago, she began experiencing pain behind her shoulder blade.
She spoke to her trainer about the injury and tried to relieve the pain through exercises, but the discomfort persisted. Upon visiting a doctor and undergoing a mammogram and ultrasound, Charlotte’s doctor found that she had free floating silicone in her chest due to the ruptured implants.
At the time, Charlotte had several big things on her schedule, including WrestleMania 34 and her photo shoot for ESPN’s Body issue She kept the situation hidden until recently, when she went under the knife once again to get the situation resolved around 4 weeks ago.
Charlotte said she is medically cleared to get back in the ring on July 31st. She joked that she does not consider this to be a “legitimate” injury and can’t believe she’s missing ring time due to her enhancements.
You can listen to a clip from Charlotte’s conversation with Maria Menounos here:
Three years ago today, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair made their main roster debuts on RAW. Nikki Bella was delivering a “State of the Divas Address” alongside Alicia Fox and Brie Bella. Stephanie McMahon interrupted and was soon joined by Paige, Tamina Snuka, Naomi, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair.
Stephanie said it was time for a real change in the division and provoked the Superstars into a brawl. The brawl culminated in Becky, Sasha, and Charlotte all locking in their finisher submission holds as Stephanie McMahon looked on from the entrance ramp.
All three Superstars have already accomplished a lot in the short time they have been on the main roster. Each has played an integral role in the women’s revolution and helped change the divas division into the women’s division. Charlotte and Banks main-evented WWE Hell in a Cell 2016 and Becky Lynch became the first-ever SmackDown Women’s Champion. Below is a recap of their time on the main roster so far and their accomplishments.
Becky Lynch (1-Time SmackDown Women’s Champion)
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Becky Lynch teamed up with Paige and Charlotte to form Team PCB. The trio didn’t last long, as Paige insulted Charlotte the RAW after she won the Divas Championship at Night of Champions 2015. Lynch tried to remain friends with Charlotte at the time, but the power had gone to Flair’s head and she became a heel.
Ric Flair started getting involved in Charlotte’s matches to ensure that his daughter stayed atop the women’s division. On RAW 1/4/16, Becky Lynch overcame Ric’s interference and defeated Charlotte Flair via a roll-up while holding onto Charlotte’s tights. Charlotte then attacked Lynch from behind after the match.
Lynch then battled Charlotte on SmackDown later that week. Becky had the match won with the Dis-Arm-Her submission applied, but Ric Flair pulled his daughter’s leg to the bottom rope just before she tapped out. Charlotte then rolled up Lynch and used the ropes for leverage to retain the title. Becky got another shot at the Divas Championship at Royal Rumble 2016 but came up short once again.
Becky Lynch then aligned with Sasha Banks to battle Tamina and Naomi at WWE Fastlane 2016. Lynch and Banks won the match but wound up in a feud against each other to determine the #1 contender for Charlotte’s Divas Championship. Charlotte wound up defending the title against both Superstars in a Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania 32. Charlotte retained and the Divas Championship was rebranded as the WWE Women’s Championship.
Lynch was the first female Superstar to be drafted by SmackDown on July 19th, 2016. At Backlash 2016, Lynch defeated Natalya, Nikki Bella, Naomi, Carmella and Alexa Bliss in a Six-Pack Challenge to become the first-ever SmackDown Women’s Champion.
Becky Lynch lost the SmackDown Women’s Championship to Alexa Bliss in a Tables Match at WWE TLC 2016. She has not captured the title since but WWE has been pushing her on recent episodes of SmackDown. Becky has been on a winning streak as of late and tapped out Charlotte Flair last month.
Sasha Banks (4-Time Raw Women’s Champion)
Sasha Banks
Sasha joined Tamina and Naomi to form Team B.A.D. on the main roster. Banks defeated Divas Champion Nikki Bella on the 8/17/15 episode of RAW in a non-title match. She competed in #1 contender Beat the Clock challenge to determine the #1 contender to the Divas Championship. Banks wrestled Paige to a time limit draw and Charlotte Flair ultimately won the competition.
Sasha attacked Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair after their title match at Royal Rumble 2016. On the following week’s episode of RAW, Sasha wanted it to be known that she was no longer a part of Team B.A.D. and was on her own now. She had her sights set on the Divas Championship and was scheduled to face Becky Lynch later that night. During her match with Lynch, Naomi and Tamina attacked Banks. This led to Banks teaming up Lynch to defeat Team B.A.D. at WWE Fastlane 2016. Charlotte Flair then defeated Banks and Lynch at WrestleMania 34 in a Triple Threat Match.
Banks was drafted to RAW on 7/19/16 and made an immediate impact. She defeated Charlotte on the July 25th episode of RAW and captured her first WWE Women’s Championship. Banks dropped the belt back to Charlotte 27 days later and the title was rebranded to the RAW Women’s Championship.
Sasha Banks recaptured the RAW Women’s Championship on the October 3rd episode of RAW, only to once again lose it back to Charlotte 27 days later at in the first-ever women’s Hell in a Cell Match at WWE Hell in a Cell 2016. Sasha won the title for a third time after defeating Charlotte in a Falls Count Anywhere Match on the November 28th episode of RAW. Banks quickly lost the title back to Charlotte at WWE Roadblock in a 30-minute Iron Man Match.
Banks would then help Bayley defeat Charlotte to capture the RAW Women’s Championship on 2/13/17 episode of RAW. Sasha came up short against Bayley, Charlotte and Nia Jax in a Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match for the title at WrestleMania 33. Sasha won the RAW Women’s Championship for a fourth time at WWE SummerSlam 2017 after defeating Alexa Bliss. Her fourth title reign only lasted 8 days as she dropped the title back to Bliss on the August 28th episode of RAW.
Sasha was the #1 entrant in the first women’s Royal Rumble Match this past January. She lasted over 50 minutes in the match but was eliminated by Nikki & Brie Bella. Sasha also competed in the first women’s Elimination Chamber Match but lost to Alexa Bliss in the finals. During that match, Sasha Banks betrayed Bayley and that feud has been on and off ever since. Banks and Bayley are currently in counseling as demanded by RAW GM Kurt Angle.
Charlotte Flair (4-Time RAW Women’s Champion, 1-Time SmackDown & Divas Champion)
Charlotte joined Becky Lynch and Paige to form Team PCB after joining the main roster. Flair made her PPV debut at WWE Battleground 2015 and defeated Brie Bella and Sasha Banks in a Triple Threat Match. Team PCB went on to defeat Team B.A.D. and Team Bellas at SummerSlam 2015
Flair captured the Divas Championship at Night of Champions 2015 by defeating Nikki Bella. The following night on RAW, Paige insulted Charlotte and Becky Lynch and claimed that Flair only won the title because of her father. Charlotte retained the title at Hell in a Cell 2015 by once again defeating Nikki Bella. The following night on RAW, Paige attacked Charlotte and Becky Lynch. Flair went on to successfully defend her title against Paige at Survivor Series 2015, the next night on RAW and WWE TLC 2015.
Charlotte had hinted at turning heel for a bit but it became official on the 1/4/16 episode of RAW. Flair lost to Becky Lynch and then attacked her after the match. Ric Flair then helped Charlotte retain the title against Lynch three days later on SmackDown. Charlotte held onto the Divas Championship by retaining against Brie Bella at WWE Fastlane 2016 and Natalya at WWE Roadblock. Charlotte became the first inaugural WWE Women’s Champion after defeating Banks and Lynch at WrestleMania 32.
Flair then entered a feud with Natalya on the RAW after WrestleMania 32. This led to a title match at WWE Payback 2016, Bret Hart and Ric Flair were ringside for that match. In an homage to the infamous Montreal Screwjob, referee Charles Robinson called for the bell while Charlotte had Natalya trapped in the Sharpshooter.
Charlotte defeated Natalya once again at Extreme Rules 2016 in a Submission Match. Ric Flair was banned from ringside but Dana Brooke interfered in the match. The next night on RAW, Charlotte scolded Ric Flair and informed him that she no longer needed him. Flair lost the title to Sasha Banks on the 7/25/16 episode of RAW following the draft. As written above, the two played hot potato with the title for a couple of months but Flair ultimately won the feud.
Bayley and Charlotte then entered a feud and Charlotte defeated her at Royal Rumble 2017 to retain the title. Charlotte then dropped the title a couple of weeks later on RAW to Bayley and then lost her rematch at WWE Fastlane 2017, which ended Flair’s PPV singles match undefeated streak at 16. Flair once again battled for the RAW Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 33 in a Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match. Bayley retained the title by eliminating Charlotte in the finals.
During last year’s WWE Superstar Shake-Up, Charlotte joined SmackDown and has been a part of the blue brand ever since. Charlotte once again became a fan favorite as she battled the Welcoming Committee (Carmella, Tamina Snuka and Natalya). Charlotte competed in the first-ever women’s MITB Ladder Match last year but Carmella emerged victorious due to outside interference from James Ellsworth. At WWE Battleground 2017, Charlotte battled Natalya, Becky Lynch, Tamina and Lana in a Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match to determine the #1 Contender for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Natalya emerged victorious in the match after pinning Charlotte.
Charlotte then stepped away for a couple months as Ric Flair was battling health issues. She returned to SmackDown on 9/19/17 and defeated Becky Lynch, Tamina and Naomi in a Fatal 4-Way Match to become the #1 contender for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Charlotte battled Natalya at WWE Hell in a Cell 2017 and won the match by DQ, thus Natalya remained SmackDown Women’s Champion. Flair wound up winning the title on the 11/14/17 episode of SmackDown in her hometown. After the match, Charlotte celebrated with her father on the entrance ramp. Flair successfully defended the title against Natalya at Clash of Champions in a Lumberjack Match.
Flair, Naomi and Becky Lynch then entered a feud with the Riott Squad. Charlotte wound up retaining her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ruby Riott at WWE Fastlane 2018. After the match, Asuka confronted her and made it known she wanted to face Flair at WrestleMania after winning the first women’s Royal Rumble. Charlotte went on to hand Asuka her first loss at WrestleMania 34 and retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Two days after WrestleMania 34, Charlotte lost the title after Carmella cashed in her MITB briefcase. Carmella went on to defeat Charlotte at WWE Backlash 2018 to retain the title.
Charlotte has been off of SmackDown due to injury recently but is expected to return within the next few weeks. All three Superstars have had success on the main roster, but Flair seems to be the one consistently at the top. She will most likely be back in the SmackDown Women’s Championship picture upon her return to the ring.
Discussion: While Charlotte Flair has had the most impressive run on the main roster so far, which Superstar do you think will accomplish the most going forward?
Seth Rollins Could Join Elite Company Tonight On RAW
Tonight, Seth Rollins invokes his rematch clause for the WWE Intercontinental Championship against Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler defeated The Architect for the strap last week on Monday Night RAW.
According to WWE’s Instagram account, Rollins could join some Hall Of Fame company tonight. If Rollins defeats Ziggler and reclaims the Intercontinental Title he’ll be one of a few names to have held both the Intercontinental and WWE Championship several times each:
Stephanie McMahon Congratulates Charlotte Flair On ESPN Honor
SmackDown Live star Charlotte Flair has been featured in ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue. Flair has already teased her shoot on her Instagram account with a few pictures:
WWE’s Stephanie McMahon recently took to Twitter to congratulate Flair on the ESPN honor:
Congratulations @MsCharlotteWWE for becoming the first-ever @WWE Superstar featured in @ESPN Magazine’s Body issue. Charlotte exemplifies beauty and strength, both inside and out, and I couldn’t be more proud. #Body10#WomensEvolution
ESPN has confirmed that Charlotte Flair will be appearing in this year’s edition of the sports organization’s annual The Body Issue magazine. The Body Issue features athletes posing nude and semi-nude.
No designer clothes, no makeup, no filters. Nothing to hide. Everything to be proud of. Every woman is a queen, never forget you wear your crown everyday.
Former SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair was previously scheduled to appear on WWE’s upcoming tour of Japan. Events were set for Sumo Hall on June 29th and 30th, however, The Queen has been pulled from those appearances.
According to a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Flair is scheduled for surgery after this weekend’s Money In The Bank (MITB) pay-per-view (PPV). The surgery it due to a ruptured breast implant that she has been working with for months now.
Flair has reportedly been putting the surgery off as she didn’t want to miss WrestleMania 34 in April or the MITB PPV. She will likely miss a few weeks to recover from the procedure and will likely return around late July to begin her build-up for SummerSlam.
Discussion: Who would you like to see Flair work with when she returns from recovering from her upcoming surgery? And who’s your pick to win the Women’s MITB Ladder match?
WWE has taken a lot of steps into the Women’s Revolution in the past few years and the company has held a number of historic ‘first time ever’ Women’s matches such as the Women’s Royal Rumble or Women’s Money In The Bank in recent times.
During a recent interview with ESPN, Charlotte Flair talked about her victory over Asuka at WrestleMania 34, the best advice her father has given her and more.
While talking about the Women’s Revolution, the former SmackDown Women’s Champion revealed her favorite ‘first’ match saying that it has to be her Hell In A Cell match against Sasha Banks:
“I guess it has to be Hell in a Cell. I can’t say it was my favorite match, but it’s definitely my favorite moment. Sasha [Banks] is someone I came up through the ranks with, and if there’s someone I was going to main event a pay-per-view with, it would be her.”
Charlotte Flair was drafted to Raw during the 2016 drafts and she then started a feud with Sasha Banks over the title later renamed as the Raw Women’s Championship.
The two feuded over the title for a while and during their rivalry, they competed in the first ever Women’s Hell In A Cell match at the PPV of the same name in October 2016.
The match was won by Charlotte and the victory helped her regain the Women’s title then held by Banks, making her a three-time Women’s Champion.
It’s not easy being the queen. Charlotte Flair is going to require dental surgery after an incident that took place at Thursday’s WWE live event from Oberhausen, Germany.
Charlotte wrestled SmackDown Women’s champion Carmella on the show. The match ended abruptly when Carmella got disqualified for refusing the back off when the referee was breaking up her attack in the corner.
A video has surfaced of a fan trying to get a photo with Charlotte after the match, but Charlotte covers her mouth and tells the fan, “I can’t take a pic, I lost my teeth.” (Video below).
This won’t be Charlotte’s first time visiting the oral surgeon this year, as she underwent dental surgery back in March for a mouth infection.
As noted earlier this week, she’s expected to undergo surgery after WWE’s European to repair a ruptured breast implant.
Charlotte: "I can't take a picture I lost my teeth" (from instagram: huglikekim) pic.twitter.com/v9PYY9uZoQ
As noted earlier this week, Charlotte Flair will be undergoing surgery soon to repair a ruptured breast implant. The 5-time WWE Women’s Champion is currently overseas for WWE’s European tour and is expected to have the procedure after she gets back to the United States later this month.
Timeline of Charlotte’s Injury & Surgery
The latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter provides exclusive details regarding the situation. Charlotte kept the injury a secret from most people up until this week.
Charlotte’s implant ruptured before WrestleMania 34. Initially, she decided to hold off on the surgery because she wanted to work WrestleMania 34 against Asuka. When WWE decided to put the SmackDown Women’s Championship on Carmella, Charlotte was asked to work against Carmella at Backlash.
Charlotte decided to put the surgery off until after the European tour, which is lucrative for the performers. The surgery will happen later this month, as Charlotte wants to be 100% in time for SummerSlam.
As of this writing, Charlotte is advertised to compete at Money in the Bank. The Observer report notes that she’s only expected to miss “a few weeks” – but her recovery schedule will dictate that.
Charlotte in ESPN’s The Body Issue
She recently did a photo shoot for ESPN magazine’s annual “The Body Issue” – which depicts athletes nude and semi-nude – and they were able to ‘shoot around’ the injured part of her body.
The 2017 edition of ESPN’s The Body Issue was released in the first week of July, so expect a similar early-summer release for this year’s installment.
WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey posted for The Body Issue back in 2012.
Charlotte is scheduled to undergo surgery soon to correct a ruptured breast implant, according to Bleacher Report.
The former SmackDown women’s champion competed on this week’s show, defeating Peyton Royce in a match to qualify for the upcoming Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match.
At this time, it’s unclear whether or not she will be medically cleared in time for the June 17th pay-per-view.
Charlotte is scheduled to head overseas for WWE’s European tour, which kicks off Thursday and runs through May 20. PWInsider speculates that Charlotte will wait until after the tour to undergo the procedure.
Charlotte had been scheduled to appear at the ACE Comic Con event on June 22nd in Seattle, but she’s been pulled from that appearance. The @ACEcomiccon Twitter account announced that Carmella was replacing Charlotte due to Charlotte’s planned surgery, but they deleted the tweet about the medical situation.
Cody Rhodes On Bruno Sammartino’s WWE Network Special
Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Cody Rhodes took to Twitter to comment on the WWE Network special on WWE Hall Of Famer Bruno Sammartino.
Sammartino recently passed away last week at the age of 82-years-old. Rhodes seemed to enjoy the special and said he would’ve loved to see Cesaro work with Sammartino in Madison Square Garden back in the 70s:
WWE posted the following video of SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Carmella signing her contract to defend her title against Charlotte Flair at Backlash early next month. The official contract signing was supposed to happen last night on SmackDown – but after Flair signed the contract she attacked Carmella before she could. Carmella signed the contract in the following video backstage with Renee Young:
Carmella is your new SmackDown Women’s Champion after cashing in her Money in the Bank contract on Charlotte Flair, who had just been attacked by a debuting Peyton Royce and Billie Kay.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte came down to the ring and thanked Asuka for making her worker than she ever has before at WrestleMania 34. Charlotte boasted about still being the champ and stated that Sunday was special and magical. Flair then asked who is she going to make magic with next?
The Iconic Duo, Peyton Royce and Billie Kay interrupted and made their way down the entrance ramp. The crowd chanted “NXT!” as Royce and Kay claimed that one of them can make Charlotte’s disappear. Billie Kay said that Charlotte’s match at WrestleMania was good, but it just wasn’t iconic.
Peyton and Kay got into the ring and did an impression of Charlotte thanking Asuka and everybody she has every met in her life. The crowd chanted “Iconic!” as Royce told Charlotte to stop living in the past, when right now she is looking at the future.
Billie Kay and Peyton Royce attacked Charlotte in the ring. Charlotte battled back and threw Royce to the outside, but turned around into a boot to the face from Billie Kay. They then launched Charlotte over the announce table. Billie Kay and Peyton Royce slammed Charlotte into the ring post and laughed at her as Flair slowly tried to get up.
They then launched her shoulder-first into the steel steps and the SmackDown Women’s Champion screamed in pain. Royce and Billie Kay followed that up with a Powerbomb to the floor and then picked her up once again and dragged her into the ring. Billie Kay and Peyton Royce stood over Charlotte in the ring as WWE referees came down to the ring to attend to Flair.
Carmella then ran down to the ring with the MITB briefcase and started shouting at the referee to ring the bell. The referee took forever to actually start the match, but eventually called for the opening bell.
— seiya suzuki enthusiast 🍢 (@Cantguardzach) April 11, 2018
Carmella quickly charged at Charlotte and delivered a boot to the face to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship. This marks the first title reign for the Staten Island native.
– WWE Champion AJ Styles successfully retained his title in a Six Pack Challenge at last night’s Fastlane pay-per-view (PPV) event. “The Phenomenal One” will now go on to defend his strap in a dream match against 2018 Men’s Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania 34. Both men took to Twitter to hype the upcoming title bout:
It’s been called a dream match… A fantasy born in Japan…
Open your eyes, pinch your arms. AJ Styles vs. @ShinsukeN for the @WWE Championship in THE main event of @WrestleMania.
– Speaking of Royal Rumble winners, 2018 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka appeared at Fastlane after Charlotte Flair successfully defended her SmackDown Live Women’s Title against Ruby Riot. She confronted Flair and pointed at the WrestleMania 34 sign, indicating her choice to challenge Flair at the event.
Although she didn’t verbally confirm her decision during the segment, a post-event interview with Cathy Kelly confirmed “The Empress Of Tomorrow” did in fact choose Flair for WrestleMania:
– WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz took to Twitter to congratulate and welcome new United States Champion Randy Orton to the Grand Slam Champions club. Orton defeated Bobby Roode at the Fastlane pay-per-view (PPV) event to capture the United States Title for the first time ever.
Orton is now the 10th Grand Slam Champion under the current format. He joins Big Show, Daniel Bryan, The Miz, Chris Jericho, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Edge, Kurt Angle, and Eddie Guerrero:
– Also at Fastlane last night, 2018 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka chose to challenge SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34. She joined Talking Smack after the PPV event to offer her thoughts on whether or not “The Empress Of Tomorrow,” who has remained undefeated in WWE for two years, is overrated. Flair said she’s not underestimating Asuka ahead of their WrestleMania clash, and she doesn’t think the Japanese star is underestimating her either:
Last night’s WWE Fastlane pay-per-view (PPV) event finalized a pair of key championship matches for WrestleMania 34. In the main event of the evening, AJ Styles successfully defended his WWE Title in a Six Pack Challenge match. He will now defend his WWE strap in singles action against 2018 Men’s Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura at “The Showcase Of The Immortals.” Also on the card saw SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair successfully defend her title against Ruby Riot.
After the match 2018 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka, who had yet to announce who she decided to challenge at WrestleMania, came out after Flair’s victory to confront the champion. She pointed at the WrestleMania 34 sign while staring Charlotte down, indicating she had made her decision.
WWE Hall Of Famer and former RAW General Manager Mick Foley took to his Facebook page and suggested he thinks Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka will steal the show at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans next month:
WWE SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair recently did an interview with Hollywood Life to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. Flair was asked about RAW Superstar and the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka possibly picking her to face-off against at WrestleMania 34:
“Streaks are meant to be broken and we’ve never faced each other. I think if she does choose me, then ‘The Empress’ versus ‘The Queen’ is a WrestleMania moment. I want to break her streak. I want to be that woman who can say, ‘I beat Asuka!'”
Flair was asked if she wants a regular match or a gimmick match against Asuka in a possible WrestleMania collision:
“You know, I thought about that. Maybe like a ‘Falls Count Anywhere’ match or an ‘Iron Man’ [match] but I think what will be so special is a regular match. No one has seen us in the ring before and we have such different backgrounds and styles. I don’t think it needs any enhancement or name on the match. I think just seeing us go at it on the biggest stage of all is just as exciting.”
Being the daughter of two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair, Charlotte has learned a thing or two from one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. She discussed what she is still able to learn from “The Nature Boy”:
“The one thing I love about my Dad is he knows who he is and he never second-guesses himself. He is just Ric Flair. I don’t know how really to explain it, but if you watch the 30 For 30, he doesn’t apologize for knowing that he is the best. He wakes up every morning and lives life to the fullest. I appreciate that.
“And him being so honest and not being afraid, and telling me how he did something well or this or that. It’s just a hope that I can get to a point in my life where I don’t second guess myself. That is what I learn from him everyday.”
You can read Flair’s full interview with Hollywood Life by clicking this link here.
– Currently there are only four matches confirmed for WWE NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, as of the last NXT TV taping. One thing that has yet to be confirmed is whether or not Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa would be happening at the event as well. Gargano recently lost a match against NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas, and was forced to leave NXT as a result.
WWE accidentally posted a lineup of matches scheduled for NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, which included a yet-to-be-announced Unsanctioned Match between Gargano and Ciampa. The post was quickly taken down, but not before some screenshots could be grabbed:
– WWE is currently teasing a romance storyline between SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair and United States Champion Bobby Roode. The two are currently paired up together on the Mixed Match Challenge as “The Robe Warriors.” WWE posted an article teasing the romance angle between the two. Here’s an excerpt:
Charlotte Flair’s tweet leads to speculation of romance with Bobby Roode
“Later that night, The Queen tagged Roode in a tweet that included lyrics from Brandy & Monica’s “The Boy is Mine,” leaving many in the WWE Universe wondering if romance could be brewing between the two.
However, The Riott Squad were none too pleased with Roode’s meddling, and they used social media to send a warning to the United States Champion about what would happen if he stuck his nose in their business again.
Will The Glorious One’s robes be losing their luster anytime soon? Is romance in the future for he and Charlotte Flair? Tune in to SmackDown LIVE on Tuesdays at 8/7 C and find out!”
It’s Tuesday and that means another episode of SmackDown Live is upon us.
Tonight (March 6), the show takes place inside the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. WWE.com has rolled out their preview for tonight’s episode. The show has two matches and one segment set. WWE is also teasing conflict between two female superstars.
The Lowdown
WWE champion AJ Styles is set to take on one of his Fastlane opponents in a non-title bout. He’ll meet Dolph Ziggler, who got a measure of revenge on Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn last week. After losing to John Cena, Styles will look to redeem himself on the go-home show.
An old rivalry will be renewed. Randy Orton will do battle with Jinder Mahal. Back in May 2017, Mahal shocked the world when he defeated Orton for the WWE title. That rivalry sparked the return of the Punjabi Prison match. They’ll meet again tonight just five days before Orton challenges Bobby Roode for the United States championship.
Ruby Riott has been a thorn in the side of SmackDown Women’s champion Charlotte. Riott is the last member of the Riott Squad for Charlotte to take out. Before their title match at Fastlane, the two will have a faceoff.
Becky Lynch and Money in The Bank holder Carmella have been at odds on social media. Things got heated enough for Lynch to challenge Carmella to a match tonight. We’ll see how it all plays out tonight on SmackDown Live at 8 p.m. ET.
Charlotte has recently been preoccupied with The Riot Squad On SmackDown Live, teaming up with Becky Lynch and Naomi to battle for control of the women’s division on Tuesday nights.
The SmackDown Live champion has also teamed up with Bobby Roode for the Mixed Match Challenge:
But when it comes to WrestleMania, Charlotte has one opponent on her mind as she appeared on Conversations With Maria Menounos.
Charlotte said that she wants to be the one to break Asuka’s streak. They’ve never faced each other and believes the clash of background, cultures, and styles makes it the perfect WrestleMania moment.
On being questioned “why not Ronda Rousey?” Charlotte said “She has to pay for her dues first to face me!”
However she then explained whether the rest of the women on the roster are happy to be working with Rousey:
“Oh, they should be. Ronda’s a star and an attraction and with her coming to be a part of the women’s division, obviously it brings more eyes on the women’s division, not just our audience. I mean, people that don’t even watch wrestling, they know who Ronda Rousey is. They’re like, ‘oh she’s on WWE, oh let’s tune in for a second.’ So I think that’s huge. But, you know, we’re on the road 265 days a year and you just can’t call yourself a WWE Superstar. So the easiest thing she’ll do is sign a contract. Whether she’s willing to put in that work, that’s where the respect and understanding our culture and what it means to be a star in our industry… we’ll see how the future plays out. “
Charlotte stated that she, and the rest of the locker room, is more than happy to take Ronda under her wing if the opportunity presented itself.
And from one professional to another, Charlotte offered the following words of advice:
“It doesn’t matter how athletic you are… It’s about being a performer and eliciting a reaction from the crowd. The best superstars are the ones who can have an emotional connection, whether positive or negative, with their audience. And that’s what makes the greats, great.”
During the interview, Charlotte also touched on her relationship with her father’s career and that she wasn’t aware of just how much of a success he was/is in the industry.
“I didn’t really know about his legacy. That’s what’s crazy. People are like, ‘well, your Dad was Ric Flair, you must have grown up around the business.’ Yes, I went to my Dad’s matches, but I was always playing sports and I just wasn’t really into, I don’t know, the celebrity scene. It’s when I started, that’s when I started to learn, wow, my Dad means a lot to a lot of people in this industry and I started to understand his choices. Now being a part of a company, now I get it. The feel you get when you walk on stage, in front of 101,000 people, there’s nothing like it. Being able to control an arena full of emotions, now I understand. And then the road life becomes your family.”
You can catch the whole interview in the video underneath.
Discussion:
It feels as though Charlotte’s road to WrestleMania hasn’t been put in place yet. In fact, it almost seems as though Charlotte may feature on the kick-off show against Ruby Riot. Even if Carmella cashes in her Money In The Bank contract, WrestleMania 34 doesn’t look that exciting for The Queen of SmackDown Live, with her dream WrestleMania moment likely to take place in 2019.
– WWE SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair recently took to Instagramto post a tribute to her late brother, Reid, who passed away in 2013. He would’ve been 30-years-old this week:
“Today, my brother Reid would have been 30 years old. Most of us in WWE have a favorite wrestlers; a superstars who inspired us to follow our dreams. We would dress like them, mimic them and even do their signature moves.
My favorite wrestler is my brother Reid. The life I am living was his dream, and he would talk about it daily. He would watch Dusty promos over and over (and recite them to our family). He looked up to Uncle Arn, and considered himself a Horseman at age 13.
He “debuted” on WCW tv, taking down Eric Bischoff with a single leg. He worked independents with guys like Rock and Roll Express, Lodi, Nasty Boys among others (those were just some of the stories I was told) and eventually made it to Japan before his passing.
He loved Japan. The culture, the talent he worked with, and most of all when my Dad managed him and Mutoh against Sanada and Fujinami. When I started wrestling, my mom would harp on me to do my Germans like Reid. I didn’t even know how to hit the ropes properly.
He was working towards a dream and had a true love and passion for professional wrestling. He KNEW it was what he wanted in life. I didn’t have that- not back then. I was figuring things out as I went along, often just going through the motions. For him, wrestling was everything. “Hey Reid, yeah I’ll go with you to Tampa and try out for NXT.” Those words changed my life in ways I couldn’t imagine.
Life isn’t fair. If you’re my friend, you hear me speak of Reid often. I miss him dearly. People say it will get easier- it doesn’t. The more success I have, the more I miss him and mourn the opportunity to share all of this with him. My career has grown from a seed he planted. I’ve made a career, a life, from his passion.
I miss you every day Reid. Thank you for the extra pair of wings. You being 30 makes me feel old, champ.
– On last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW Bray Wyatt indicated that he wasn’t finished with “Woken” Matt Hardy after suffering a loss to him at Elimination Chamber on pay-per-view (PPV) this past Sunday. Hardy wasn’t on RAW this week but made an interesting response to Wyatt’s comments via Twitter.
Matt said that he’ll confront Wyatt, but “it shall only be on MY terms. On MY Battlefield” His “my battlefield” comments may suggest a confrontation between Hardy and Wyatt at the Hardy Family Compound. WWE could be getting set to do their own version of the Final Deletion:
At last night’s WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) event, former NXT Women’s Champion Asuka extended her undefeated streak by defeating Nia Jax in singles action. Had Jax won the bout she would be added to the RAW Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 34, which could also include “The Empress Of Tomorrow” as she has yet to choose which title she wants to go after following her victory in the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match.
Asuka was originally rumored to be facing SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania, however, a recent report from PWInsider suggests that Asuka will be taking on Alexa Bliss at WrestleMania for the RAW Women’s Championship instead. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter had previously reported that Asuka was slated to face Charlotte Flair while Nia Jax challenged Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women’s strap. This was the reason WWE added the stipulation to the Royal Rumble match of the winner being allowed to choose which title they want to go after.
It’s possible that WWE has changed their minds and will now have Asuka challenge Bliss at WrestleMania, leaving a ton of options open for what they can do with Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34 instead.
