While they may not have gotten the chance to main event Night 1, Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley absolutely stole the show at WrestleMania 39. The Queen took to Twitter after her title loss and, surprisingly enough, sent a classy message to the WWE Universe and the new champion.
Rumors before WrestleMania suggested that WWE might go ahead with the SmackDown Women's Championship match as the headliner. The main event spot eventually went to The Usos, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, while the women competed in the sixth bout of the evening.
At the sound of the final bell, it was Rhea Ripley who had her hands raised after an intense battle with Charlotte Flair. Despite her loss, Charlotte was seen smiling at ringside, which was seen as a sign of respect for her rival. Flair doubled down on her admiration for The Eradicator in her first tweet after WrestleMania 39.
The multi-time women's champion began by thanking the WWE Universe before keeping aside her arrogant heel character - a somewhat surprising move considering her kayfabe track record - to rightfully praise the new SmackDown Women's Champion.
Flair might have an obsession with women's titles in WWE, but she realized that the blue brand's belt was in the right hands, as you can view below:
"Thank you @wwe universe! I may have lost tonight, but I know in my heart the championship is in good hands Proud of you @RheaRipley_WWE," wrote The Queen.
Thank you @wwe universe! I may have lost tonight, but I know in my heart the championship is in good hands. 🙏🏻 Proud of you @RheaRipley_WWE ❤️
— Charlotte Flair (@MsCharlotteWWE) April 2, 2023
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What happened in Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley's WrestleMania classic?
It seemed like the two exceptionally gifted wrestlers were rather annoyed by the fact that they couldn't headline the WWE PLE, as Flair and Ripley performed as if they had a point to prove.
The champion predictably controlled the match's early stages before Rhea Ripley clawed her way back and gave Flair a run for her money. The intense in-ring showdown had some excellent back-and-forth action and also a few spots that got loud reactions from the Los Angeles crowd.
Ripley's scary German suplex, in which Flair landed face-first on the mat, got a massive pop from the audience.
There was also a referee bump as Charlotte accidentally took out the official while attempting a spear. The phenomenal finish saw the Australian superstar execute an Avalanche Riptide from the middle rope, which was enough to get her the three-count and the SmackDown Women's title. Many fans have already rated it a five-star match.