WWE Survivor Series 2018: Charlotte Flair Back Where She Belongs As The Cold-Blooded Queen

Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey were putting on a clinic at WWE Survivor Series 2018 despite only having days to prepare for this matchup, and while that was impressive in and of itself, Charlotte’s actions after the match were even more worthy of praise.

WWE Survivor Series 2018 featured several champion vs. champion matches and five-on-five elimination matches, so to steal the show on this night was quite the accomplishment. There can be no doubt that Charlotte Flair shined brighter than anybody else, which is quite the achievement, given how great Buddy Murphy and Mustafa Ali were (again).

Becky Lynch was originally scheduled to face Ronda Rousey in a SmackDown Women’s Champion vs. Raw Women’s Champion match at Survivor Series, and the bout was fully expected to main event the show. However, Lynch suffered a broken nose and concussion on Monday Night Raw after invading the “Red Brand”, as she was stiffed by Nia Jax, who soaked up every bit of heat tonight in the aftermath of the event.

The WWE Universe was understandably devastated at Becky’s absence, though some fans were optimistic about the match between Charlotte and Ronda. Even the most open-minded fans had to have been blown away by the action that unfolded in the co-main event of Survivor Series (Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan, unsurprisingly, went last).

Flair and Rousey followed the god-awful men’s five-on-five match (can they just cancel that trash match from every year forward?) and put most of the other members of the roster to shame with their brutal performance.

This match was one of the most exciting of the year from a technical standpoint. It featured great mat wrestling, awesome submissions, plenty of blood, and some lovely power moves. It’s quite remarkable to compare Charlotte’s spear in 2018 to her early-career spears, because the difference is astounding. Charlotte’s spear on Rousey may have been the best of her career, and Rousey sold the near-fall in a way that would have made Roman Reigns proud.

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We saw Charlotte fight out of armbars, counter into a boston crab, and get into a Figure Four duel with Rousey. Despite the fact that they only had about five days to prepare for a match that some viewed as a likely WrestleMania 35 main event (which will now likely be between Becky and “Ronnie”), Charlotte and Ronda more than delivered.

Though most fans would prefer to see Lynch vs. Rousey, the possibility of Flair vs. Rousey at WrestleMania 35 remains open, thanks to the finish of this match. Charlotte elected to stay on the outside instead of bringing the fight to the ring, as she was on the verge of losing to an armbar with her arm already badly damaged.

Rousey took the bait, and Charlotte pounced, bringing out a kendo stick and beating Rousey into a pulp. After tearing down Rousey for a lengthy spell of time, Charlotte left the ring and went for a chair. Eventually, she smashed Rousey’s face into the steel chair with “Natural Selection”, wounding the self-proclaimed “Baddest Woman on the Planet” (we all know NWA World Women’s Champion Jazz is badder).

Charlotte shoved aside all of the officials pleading for her to leave, and Flair apopleptic. Absolutely deranged, the maniacal Flair screamed “I’m the best!” repeatedly before strapping the steel chair over Rousey’s head. Basking in the moment, she finally stomped on Rousey, sending the thickest part of the chair into Rousey’s trachea, which more than softens the Raw Women’s Champion up for Evolution Battle Royal winner (and potentially WWE’s ultimate heel right now) Nia Jax.

As a heel in her memorable feud with Sasha Banks on Raw, Charlotte was widely viewed as one of the best wrestlers in the company. Her stock has fallen a bit lately, but with her brilliant, hard-hitting performances at Evolution and Survivor Series, Charlotte is back on top. Furthermore, she has the attitude to prove it, and the character work here would have made Randy Orton proud.

Charlotte seemed like an even more dangerous, intense, and unhinged psycho than Drew McIntyre, and her post-match beatdown of Rousey should go down in history.  Though the crowd started chanting “Thank you, Charlotte!” after the beatdown, that spoke more to their appreciation for her talent and their distaste for Rousey’s ignorant promos on Raw. Because while the beatdown was happening, the Los Angeles crowd respectfully stood in shock.

A return to heel status should be exciting for Charlotte, and on this Big 4 Pay Per View with many of the biggest names in the industry, Charlotte stood out more than anyone else. Her in-ring chops (figuratively and literally) should no longer be called into question, especially after going toe-to-toe with Rousey in strikes, power moves, and submissions. She made Rousey bleed from the mouth and forehead, and as Becky Lynch said, Charlotte hits hard.

And for everyone who forgot how capable and sinister Charlotte is in this heel role, they are about to receive a swift reminder.