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Charlotte Flair Comments On WWE Return After Huge Win On SmackDown

Charlotte Flair confronts Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler

After making her dramatic return in front of the WWE Universe on the final SmackDown of the year, Charlotte Flair has reacted to what was another big night in her career.

‘The Queen’ Charlotte Flair had been out of action since WrestleMania Backlash in May 2022, where she lost an ‘I Quit’ match to ‘Rowdy’ Ronda Rousey for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

A 13-time Women’s Champion in WWE, Flair hadn’t been seen in a WWE ring since that date, until the 30th December 2022 edition of Friday Night SmackDown, where she appeared after Rousey’s successful defense again Raquel Rodriguez.

Whilst Rousey didn’t back down, she did make the challenge for a title match at SmackDown – which Flair countered with a proposal for a match right then and there, which was accepted.

In what was a short contest, Charlotte Flair reversed an armbar attempt in to a rollup with a handful of tights to win WWE women’s gold for a 14th time.

Talking in a WWE Digital Exclusive, Charlotte Flair commented on how 2022 has been the best year of her life, and getting revenge on Ronda Rousey has really capped it off.

I’m a little speechless right now. 2022 has just been been the best year of my life. Even going back to the beginning, I was able to the beginning, I was able to wrestle in Saudi Arabia for the first time. I beat Ronda Rousey for the first time at WrestleMania, which was always a bucket list. Then I got married, traveled the world with my husband, and then ending the year where I belong, where I’m home, it’s picture-perfect, fairytale.

This was the time I’ve ever been away since 2015, so to come back, before my music hit, I was like, ‘Do I know how to be that serious?’ I never take off the crown, but I just kind of let it chill [when I was away]. I’m just honored to be back, and payback to Ronda. I don’t know if she thought that I was just gonna let the last match, the ‘I Quit’ Match, go. When I went home, I thought to myself, ‘I’m a lot of things to a lot of different people, but the one thing I’m not is I’m not a quitter.’ So I just waited until the right opportunity, the right time, and I’m 14-time. It’s crazy.

This was an eventful edition of SmackDown, with Drew McIntyre also making his return and John Cena competing in his first and only match of 2022.

With thanks to Fightful for the transcription.