With only a week left until her big matchup against Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 39, Charlotte Flair is ready to defend her SmackDown Women's Championship. She is currently on her seventh reign as champion. Throughout her eight-year-long WWE career, The Queen has had many notable rivals including Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey, and Mercedes Mone (FKA Sasha Banks).
Prior to their highly publicized feud, Mone and Flair were originally close friends and allies known collectively as Team PCB, along with fellow wrestler Paige. However, their relationship soured when Charlotte Flair was given preferential treatment by WWE management and received more opportunities and championship reigns than Mone. In 2016, their feud reached its peak when they engaged in a series of matches for the RAW Women's Championship. The two women traded the title back and forth several times, with each victory coming at the expense of the other.
On this week’s edition of the blue brand, Charlotte Flair addressed fans with an intense promo highlighting the obstacles she overcame in her career for having the same surname as WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair. The 36-year-old star is eager to prove herself to fans that she has earned her rightful place at the top. She stated that the WWE business wasn't built on fear, but on respect.
Following a brawl between Flair and Ripley last week, the current women's champion explained that she didn't fear The Eradicator but respected her. Charlotte Flair then proceeded to namedrop former opponents she holds in high regard and has a lot of respect for, including recently departed legends Nikki and Brie Garcia (FKA The Bellas), Mercedes Mone (FKA Sasha Banks), and even Ronda Rousey among others.
She finished off her speech by sharing her sentiments about nepotism. Despite the negative connotations, Charlotte stands firm in her love for her father, iconic wrestling legend Ric Flair.
"I respected Nikki and Brie, I respected Sasha, Becky, Bayley, Trish, Ronda, Asuka, Natty. I respected all of them," Flair said. [0:o7-0:16]
Charlotte Flair definitely name dropped Sasha Banks and the Bellas..
— HashiSeasin (@HashiSeasin) March 25, 2023
Good on her for mentioning Sasha.
Gives me the impression that Sasha will one day return to WWE#Smackdown pic.twitter.com/xkF1hgrpYy
Charlotte Flair is one of the most accomplished women's superstars in WWE, with a statistically impressive score sheet. Her most recent feat was in December, following a seven-month hiatus after she pinned Ronda Rousey, who was the last person to beat her.
When did Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley’s feud commence?
The feud began when Rhea Ripley defeated Asuka for the RAW Women's Title at WrestleMania 37, becoming the new champion.
Charlotte Flair, who had just returned to WWE after a hiatus, inserted herself into the title picture and challenged Ripley for the championship at the next pay-per-view, WrestleMania Backlash 2021.
Flair would continue to target the title and eventually defeat Nikki A.S.H. at SummerSlam 2021 to become the new RAW Women's Champion.
🗣 WOOOOOO!!!#TheQueen is made for these moments! #SummerSlam #WomensTitle @MsCharlotteWWE @RheaRipley_WWE @NikkiCrossWWE pic.twitter.com/grXuXE7lLO
— WWE (@WWE) August 22, 2021
The Queen will be defending her title against Ripley in a week. However, this is not the first time the two women have faced off against each other.
Three years ago, the roles were reversed by Charlotte Flair as she won the 2020 Royal Rumble to get a shot at challenging then-NXT Women's Champion Ripley for the title at WrestleMania 36. Ever since that match resulted in a win for Flair, The Eradicator did not come out on top against the current champion.
Both Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley are incredibly talented and competitive wrestlers who will continue to be major players in the WWE women's division for years to come. To see who prevails in their much-awaited title match, fans must tune into WrestleMania 39.