5 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Jan 6)

2. Babyface Charlotte Flair Just Doesn’t Click

Charlotte Flair 2023
WWE.com

WWE noticeably piped-in some cheers for Charlotte Flair's promo here.

Last week, people were surprised by her return so responded in kind by cheering. She is a big star making a comeback after a significant absence, after all, so that's no shocker. This week, people just seemed confused because...there's nothing to particularly likeable about Flair's presentation.

She's a condescending heel who wears a painted-on smile, and nothing can change that. Post-cringeworthy promo, Charlotte was then tasked with getting a solid six minutes out of Sonya Deville. The match struggled to get going then ended suddenly, which didn't help it fly with the audience.

If the writers wanted to double dip on fan goodwill for Charlotte's comeback, then this was a swing and a miss. The Memphis crowd never seemed sure how they were supposed to react when Flair was saying she doesn't care what people think about her, for example.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.