WWE Fastlane 2018: Let’s Say Nice Things About Charlotte Flair vs. Ruby Riott

Riott’s Motivations Are Clear

Say what you want about how much the storyline has detracted from women on the roster like Natalya and Carmella, but at least Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan have done their parts to try and get this all to make sense.

All along, the Riott Squad wanted to get Charlotte’s attention. They beat her friends up. They beat her up. They goaded her in promos. What Ruby Riott wanted was for Charlotte to get so fed up that she’d put her title on the line. They knew they couldn’t earn a shot by beating any of the babyfaces one-on-one without cheating, so they had to find another way to get an opportunity at the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Again, the same championship that hasn’t been defended since Dec. 17. The Riott Squad finally put Charlotte over the edge by almost costing her the title (via an attempted Carmella cash-in) and later winning a tag match. Ruby got her wish, and now it’s time for her to make a statement in the ring now that she has her chance at the champion.

Ruby Riott just wants to make a name for herself. That’s why she has a squad, that’s why she named the squad after herself, an that’s why she’s done everything to get under the skin of SmackDown Live’s self-proclaimed Queen.