WWE: Charlotte Flair has already established herself as Miss WrestleMania

Even though she’s only competed in four matches at the Grandest Stage of Them All, Charlotte Flair has already earned the honor of being named Miss WrestleMania.

What do Charlotte Flair and Shawn Michaels have in common? WWE fans know that Shawn Michaels is Mr. WrestleMania. Even though I began watching wrestling around the time of his retirement, I never questioned why he was given this title. Every highlight video package I saw on “The Showstopper” demonstrated how that title came to be with his exquisite entrances and stellar performances.

As we we approach the ten-year anniversary of Michaels’ final WrestleMania match, I’ve been wondering… Do we have a new Mr. WrestleMania? There are a few names that come to mind who are on their way to earning that title. However, there was one person who stuck out as a Miss WrestleMania, if you will.

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Of course I’m referring to The Queen herself, Charlotte Flair. While I’m not exactly sure when Shawn Michaels was dubbed the king of WrestleMania performances, I don’t think this is a premature coronation for Flair.

Sure, she’s only competed in four marquee matches since her debut at WrestleMania 32 in 2016. Yet we should’ve known then that she would be a trailblazer when she stole the show alongside Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch to transition from the Divas Champion to the new WWE (Raw) Women’s Champion. That bout was regarded as the highlight of the night, one of the best of that year, and perhaps even one of the greatest women’s matches of all-time.

Charlotte’s WrestleMania 33 bout may be regarded as the “weakest” of her run, but that’s not to say it was bad in the slightest. Flair outlasted Nia Jax and Sasha Banks in a four-way elimination bout for the Raw Women’s Title before coming up short to then-champion Bayley.

In just her second year on the main roster, Charlotte walked in to 2017 as Raw Women’s Champion and out of the year as the titleholder for SmackDown. As a result, Flair was poised to battle the undefeated Asuka in what was one of the most highly-anticipated matches in WrestleMania history. It’s safe to say the match more than lived up to the hype, but that wasn’t all.

Rather than strutting down the ramp at WrestleMania 34, Flair was ushered to the ring on a golden throne fit for the Queen of WWE. As if the hype or entrances wasn’t enough, Flair and Asuka gave it their all, and then some, to prove being put in the second match of the main card wouldn’t stop them from stealing the show. This monumental win over Asuka also established WWE’s faith in Charlotte to carry the division for years to come.

Charlotte’s journey from there through WrestleMania 35 was a natural one. She found herself embroiled in an intense rivalry with friend-turned-foe, Becky Lynch. The former partners battled for months, with the likes of Asuka and Ronda Rousey also getting involved. Even when the WrestleMania main event was destined to be Lynch vs. Rousey, Flair had no choice but to find a way in.

Fans can say what they want, but you couldn’t have had the first women’s main event of WrestleMania and not put Charlotte Flair in that match. Doing so as SmackDown Women’s Champion added to her credibility, even though it may have altered plans and irritated more fans in the process. Though she came up short, Flair further cemented her legacy with a brutal (in a good way) performance. Plus, who else can say they’ve entered Mania on a helicopter?

The Queen now finds herself destined for more greatness after winning the 2020 Royal Rumble match. Rather than challenging former rivals Lynch or Bayley, Flair has turned her focus to the “new shiny toy” in NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley.

It’s a dream match we didn’t think to dream of this soon in Ripley’s career. However, the timing is perfect. Ripley is on the rise, much like Flair once was when Nikki Bella decimated the Divas division in 2015. Flair has no one else left to beat on Raw or SmackDown, but she’s yet to defeat Ripley.

Whether or not she will defeat The Nightmare, we are all but guaranteed another show-stealing match from the new Miss WrestleMania. Charlotte is now trusted to carry the past, present, and future with her when she steps inside the squared circle, no matter the opponent or show.

How far will Flair’s ceiling go? Is this an early passing of the torch to Ripley? Or will Flair capture the NXT Women’s Championship for a second time? We may have lots of questions, but we already know Charlotte Flair has established herself as the greatest female WrestleMania performer. Charlotte Flair is Miss WrestleMania.

Do you think Charlotte is Miss WrestleMania? If not Flair, then who?