WWE's Raw and NXT Creative Teams Reportedly Couldn't Agree on Booking Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania

Charlotte Flair's return to NXT and second reign as NXT Women's Champion earlier this year didn't [...]

By Connor Casey

Charlotte Flair's return to NXT and second reign as NXT Women's Champion earlier this year didn't quite go the way many fans hoped. She beat Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 36 — a move that wound up grinding Ripley's momentum to a halt and, according to her, shook her confidence as a performer. Her NXT run then consisted of retaining against Io Shirai via DQ, defeating Mia Yim in a non-title match and competing in a tag match before dropping the title at NXT TakeOver: In Your House to Shirai without having to take the pin.

Sean Ross Sapp provided some more information about the chaotic scene backstage via Fightful Select. According to him, the NXT creative team had numerous ideas for what to do with "The Queen" while she was on the Wednesday night show, but had to have the Raw creative team sign off on everything first. Most of the ideas were shot down as a result.

Those ideas included Ripley retaining against Flair at Mania and Bianca Beliar getting involved in the feud, possibly making it a triple threat that would have kept Flair from taking the pinfall loss. Fans will recall Flair beat Belair on an episode of NXT days after "The EST" lost against Ripley at NXT TakeOver: Portland, effectively booting her from the title picture.

Triple H stated after lost the title that there was a long-term plan in place for Ripley following her angle with Charlotte. He then admitted on a recent media conference call that those plans had long since been scrapped due to COVID.

"None of that plan exists....or was able....everything changed," he said ahead of NXT TakeOver: WarGames. "I don't think anybody in that moment could have predicted. You go back to March and it seems like, in some ways, forever ago. If anyone would have said in March, 'In December, you're still going to be in lockdown and [COVID] will ramp up again and be arguably worse.' Everything is changing on a daily basis and it's hard to plan for next week, let alone next year or next month."

He then said Ripley's struggles would be good for her in terms of long-term growth.

"The one thing about Rhea, and her honesty is great, when you're young, it doesn't take much to rack your confidence," Triple H said. "It doesn't take much to go from an incredible high to an incredible low and begin to question yourself and those things. That's part of maturing in any sport. It's all part of the process. I truly believe, long-term, it's all valuable things. Everyone wants immediate success and for things to go very smoothly to the end. There are no lessons in that or long-term value. There's no struggle or difficulties. You don't grow as a performer, it's just easy. It's all learning experiences. It's horrifying at the time, but you look back and go, 'Thank God that happened because if that didn't happen, this wouldn't have happened.' It's all part of the journey."

"When you're young, it's hard to say, 'think long-term.' You're young, long-term is the spring or three months from now," Triple H said. "Long-term is five to ten years from now and when you think of things in that manner, those setbacks are valuable in getting you to places you need to go. The Rhea Ripley that I'm watching now is better than when she was on the high. She's a better performer, more mature, all of it, and it came through that process."

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