Charlotte Flair will be a boost to the SmackDown women's division

Across all three programs, WWE has a stacked women’s roster. As new names like Giulia step into their roles, and others like Tiffany Stratton blossom into stars, there’s less time available for top talent. Yet, there’s a returning power player that’s going to take up a chunk of time. Charlotte Flair is a major return pending for SmackDown and she’ll have an interesting position on the roster when she comes back. 

Charlotte Flair has been out of action since December 2023. At the time, Flair was firmly in the main event picture. IYO Sky was still the WWE Women’s Champion and there was a large belief that she’d eventually lose that title to Flair. However, an unfortunate injury sidelined Flair and the story moved on. Nine months later, not only has the story moved on, but in many ways the entire women’s division has evolved. 

A Flair return is going to be a huge moment for the Friday night show. She’s an important member of the roster and one that comes with legions of fans. Even though it’s a running gag online, few would be shocked if she was immediately inserted back into the top of the women’s division. Nia Jax is currently holding the title and she has a storied history with Flair that would easily be the foundation of a main event angle. Bayley, Michin and several others would also be interesting opponents for Flair when she returns to the ring. 

Then there’s the looming shadow of Tiffany Stratton, who many feel has “next” as the top woman in the entire WWE. A major angle between Flair and Stratton for the WWE Women’s Championship has the potential to be a main event draw. It would be interesting to see how the angle played out long term, as Flair is a pillar of the WWE’s women’s division who recently re-signed a big deal with the company. Would she go over in the angle, or is it truly time to give Stratton the proverbial ball to run with? Triple H would have to answer that question and fans are poised to give their criticisms either way. 

Charlotte Flair’s presence is a boost to business for the WWE women’s division. As her return from injury inches closer, it will be intriguing to see where she fits on SmackDown. Flairs don’t stay out of the main event for long, but the division looks very different from when she was here in 2023.