Charlotte Flair Makes Surprise Return at Friday’s SmackDown Show, Wins SD Women’s Title

As noted before, Charlotte Flair has been absent from WWE since this past May due to her being granted time off for marriage and family-related reasons.

Friday’s WWE SmackDown show in Tampa, Florida featured Charlotte Flair making her surprise return to WWE. Following Ronda Rousey successfully defending her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Raquel Rodriguez on the show, Flair made her surprise return and confronted Rousey in the ring. Following Rousey’s promo mocking Flair’s return, Flair issued a match challenge to Rousey for her title on the spot which Rousey agreed after some hesitation .

"I'm challenging you tonight!"@MsCharlotteWWE #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/KG1N2TQOZf

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 31, 2022

This match saw the finish of Flair countering Rousey’s armbar attempt with a roll-up to be crowned the new SmackDown Women’s Champion.

WHAT IS GOING ON?!?!@MsCharlotteWWE IS BACK AND JUST WON THE #SMACKDOWN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP!!!#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/Rl3nSKyiZb

— WWE (@WWE) December 31, 2022

Following her match, WWE held a digital exclusive interview with Flair backstage discussing her thoughts on her recent return to WWE and becoming the new SmackDown Women’s Champion.

“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.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com