WWE could be without one of its biggest stars for the foreseeable future.
Late last month, it was reported that 12-time Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair would be taking a lengthy hiatus from TV after being attacked by Nia Jax during a backstage segment on Raw, and Flair herself said shortly thereafter that she would “only be gone for a few weeks,” a contrast to conflicting reports that indicated she could be out all the way until Royal Rumble in January 2021 or potentially be back in time for WWE’s next “Big Four” pay-per-view, SummerSlam.
According to the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer (h/t WrestlingNews.co), however, Flair is recovering from elective surgery and has a potential TV project in the works that could delay her return beyond WWE’s August event after Flair herself said her recovery time will now be longer than initially expected: “Flair has a possible TV deal in the works although Meltzer wasn’t sure how far along it is. He noted that the TV project and surgery all play into when she will likely be back on WWE programming. It’s believed to be a reality show, but that isn’t confirmed. Meltzer noted that WWE officials wanted her return for SummerSlam, but it’s looking like that timeframe isn’t possible because of the surgery and TV project. He ended by stating that ‘when she comes back is undetermined at this point’.”
Pro Wrestling Sheet’s Ryan Satin reported on Twitter that Flair’s TV project may actually be a “scripted show” that airs on a “big network” rather than a reality show:
Flair’s father, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, revealed last month during an appearance on The Wrestling Inc Daily podcast that he was “hoping” his daughter would be taking time off and also confirmed that she had been generating interest to do a major TV project: “”I’m actually hoping that when she finishes her commitments up at SummerSlam or whenever it is – I have no idea when. I know she has a TV series looking at her and she’s got fitness people wanting to do work with her. I hope that she takes as long as she wants off so that all these people that can fill her shoes and do that every night have the opportunity.”
The absence of Flair from WWE programming comes at a difficult time for the company.
Also gone from Monday Night Raw is Becky Lynch, who along with Flair is WWE’s highest paid female star and a cornerstone not just of the red brand but WWE in general. For the past half decade, “The Man” and “The Queen” have established themselves as the most accomplished and most important stars in WWE’s growing women’s division, so their hiatuses—along with that of Ronda Rousey—resulted in a noticeable, significant and virtually instantaneous star power gap at the top of the card heading into one of WWE’s most important pay-per-views. Oddly enough, though, their absences have been a blessing in disguise for the women’s division.
Over the past few months, WWE has begun focusing heavily on other stars at the top of the women’s division, most notably Sasha Banks, Bayley and Asuka. Those stars have been doing a tremendous job as three of the most entertaining characters in all of WWE, and other previously overlooked female stars are making their marks as well, a list that includes names like Sonya Deville, Mandy Rose and Nikki Cross. Because Flair has been pushed so strongly as the centerpiece of the women’s division—so much so that one passionate fan even started an online petition to end her push—her absence has allowed other stars to rise up the card.
The irony of WWE giving the women’s division its biggest push at a time when neither Flair nor Lynch is around hasn’t been lost on many fans, and yet, WWE’s record-low TV viewership is cause for concern about how long that will last. Especially since 2018, Flair and Lynch have been more heavily featured than most stars in WWE, male or female, and no matter how long her absence is, Flair will likely walk right back into a top spot on the card whenever she does return.
But for now, WWE is using this golden opportunity to move forward with monster pushes for stars like Banks, Bayley and Asuka but also to see what it has with the likes of Bianca Belair, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan and other rising stars.
Flair’s hiatus could go also be good for her in the long run. As the old saying goes, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” and that may even hold true for the controversial Flair whenever she does come back—ideally as a bigger star after stepping outside of WWE and into a more mainstream TV role.
I’m a contributor for the SportsMoney team at Forbes, where I’ll examine the interesting effect that sports have on business…and vice versa. I graduated from Louisiana
I’m a contributor for the SportsMoney team at Forbes, where I’ll examine the interesting effect that sports have on business…and vice versa. I graduated from Louisiana State University in 2010 with a degree in journalism and a minor in English, and during my time in Baton Rouge, I worked for Tiger Weekly, a newspaper focusing on LSU athletics. Upon graduation, I spent more than three years as a columnist for a well-known national sports Web site. Name a sport, and I’ve probably written about it at some point in my life. My goal at Forbes is to analyze the shrinking space between sports and business, and of course, to stir up the discussion. After all, what fun would sports be if no one ever talked about them?