6 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (Nov 17)

1. Return Of The Mack

Ric Flair Charlotte Flair
WWE.com

It's not often we get to witness something genuinely uplifting on a pro wrestling show. This week's SmackDown provided such a moment.

After capturing the SmackDown Women's Title from Natalya, Charlotte cut an impassioned promo in which she dedicated the win to her dad, Ric Flair, who against the odds trapped death itself in the Figure Four earlier this year. After finally learning a trick from NXT - the entrance retreat fake-out, sadly, not how to book a promotee - Charlotte's music was interrupted by her dad's, and Ric emerged from Gorilla, in tears, to embrace his daughter. Usually, talents are humiliated in their hometown by an all-too toxic WWE - which, even if indirectly, added to the surprise here.

The motivation behind the switch was less genuine - WWE purportedly wanted to capitalise on the publicity generated by ESPN's 30 For 30 Ric Flair special.

Still, it matters not: after the year Flair has experienced - not to mention the incredibly difficult years prior to that - this was an inconceivable but no less rewarding celebration.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!