8 Ups And 3 Downs From NXT TakeOver: Portland
5. The Queen Makes Her Presence Felt
Well, you can’t be surprised that Charlotte Flair knows how to make a statement.
The Queen returned to NXT Sunday night, laying out Rhea Ripley moments after she successfully defended her NXT Women’s Championship, and then announcing that she’d see the champ at WrestleMania. That means Flair will cash in Royal Rumble title shot for the NXT women’s title rather than Raw or SmackDown, which is quite the statement itself.
This could be a really interesting match. As noted earlier, Ripley has been good, but not great, since winning the title. Charlotte, however, is one of the best big-match wrestlers on the roster, so odds are that she’ll rise to the occasion, and she likely can guide Rhea to a solid Mania match.
But predictable or not, that was the way to accept the title challenge Ripley laid down on Raw.