The title swap between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair did not go according to plan on SmackDown.
The SmackDown Women’s champion and RAW Women’s champion switched titles in the main event, but an awkward standoff ensued.
Sources tell talkSPORT that Flair was meant to be trying to play ‘cat and mouse’ with the title and Lynch was meant to get her hand on it before she pulled it back. The timing error between the pair led to the title dropping to the floor, but whatever the reason, obviously the title wasn’t meant go to ground.
None of Lynch, Deville or Flair were happy, but they moved things along knowing Sasha Banks had to make her way to the ring.
As PWInsider has reported, backstage, Lynch and Flair are said to have got in a heated row. Although the altercation didn’t become physical, WWE officials were concerned.
The Flair/Lynch friendship has been strained for some time. People close to the situation say Flair didn’t appreciate being called ‘plastic’ during a promo a couple of years ago and it’s been tense since.
When the title hit the floor, no one seemed to know what to doFlair walked away and Vince McMahon wasn’t happy Charlotte left gorilla without talking to him. Flair is now heading to Orlando to support Andrade at AEW Dynamite.
It’s believed no one involved was happy about the title switch segment and it was debated throughout the day.
Staying with Flair, she also campaigned to lose clean to Bianca Belair on Monday Night RAW. She’s understood to be a huge fan of Belair and believed the finish killed what could have been a big win for her.
Lynch is now the champion of RAW and Flair is the champion of SmackDown. The next time they could feasibly meet would be if they are both still champions come Survivor Series.
wrestlingnews.co
