There isn’t always that much excitement surrounding the annual pay-per-view event Extreme Rules, but the upcoming WWE event is drawing a lot of eyes as of late, thanks to the number of rumors surrounding it. Many are aware, of course, of the ongoing teases for the mysterious “White Rabbit” and the athlete many hope it'll be, but there are also whispers of another big name (re)appearing on the big night. Thanks to a recent WWE special, there’s reason to believe Charlotte Flair may finally make her way back to the ring.
Some are concluding that Charlotte Flair’s return is imminent, and it’s thanks to the special WWE’s Most Extreme Moments Countdown, which aired on Fox on Sunday, October 2, (via WrestlingNews.co). The telecast featured a moment with Flair, who mentioned she has an eye on the Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair. Flair was the face of SmackDown prior to her extended absence, but it seems as though the WWE could be laying the groundwork for her to return and face Belair at some time in the future.
We don’t know when that will be, obviously, but with Bianca Belair scheduled to defend her title against Bayley at Extreme Rules, it feels like a distinct possibility we'll see Charlotte Flair show up to cause some strife. Should Belair retain her title, Flair would be the only remaining member of the Four Horsewomen the “EST of WWE” hasn’t taken down. There’s no better way to hype that kind of streak than with a surprise appearance by Flair following the match’s end, signifying her official return to the women’s main event title scene. Or an impending return, if nothing else.
Charlotte Flair hasn’t been in a WWE ring since she lost to Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania Backlash back in May, and was “injured” in the process. In reality, she left to marry her now-husband and AEW star Andrade El Idolo, as well as attend her father Ric Flair’s retirement match. She also appeared as a guest on Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions back in August, so with this latest bit of face time on Fox, it feels like she’s marching closer to an eventual return in full.
Whichever way it goes, the WWE isn’t exactly hurting for talent in the women’s division. Despite losing Becky Lynch due to injury after SummerSlam, the women’s scene on SmackDown has felt fresh thanks to the guidance of the new Head of Creative Triple H. It stands to reason that the main event picture for women will only improve with Charlotte Flair’s return, though who is to say with certainty?
It’s worth mentioning, even if it is in the past, that Charlotte Flair went through a string of bad press when she had her falling out with Becky Lynch over an off-script moment that occurred when they swapped titles. Reports later surfaced that certain sections of the talent roster saw Flair as someone who was difficult to work with, and who was not always willing to do things that made her character appear weak, even if the scripts called for it. There have been a lot of changes in the WWE since Flair left, and one can’t help but wonder how she’ll fit into this changing environment should there still be some underlying issues with things like that.
WWE’s Extreme Rules streams for fans with Peacock premium subscriptions on Saturday, October 8th. Here’s hoping we’ll see Charlotte Flair there, but if not, it likely won’t be too long before she’s back and retaking her position as one of the top performers in the WWE.
