6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (4 Apr - Results & Review)

1. This Was Rough

These women have gone up and down since their feud started. Intense brawls and sit-down interview segments have worked for them, but then there have been worrying signs that Charlotte Flair is back to scoop Tiffany Stratton's glory or try to play the sympathetic babyface after winning the 2025 Royal Rumble. None of the set-up could've prepared anyone for what happened next.

Flair and Stratton caused a ton of conversation by reportedly going off script for their face to face on this week's SmackDown. Controversy considered, it was a poor segment. Firstly, it’s fair to expect someone with Charlotte’s experience to command an audience better than she did here. Repeatedly stopping to smile or let the live crowd control proceedings is a mistake young workers make on the independent scene, and it's not something you'd expect from a wrestler as decorated as Flair is.

Second, all the chat from Tiffany about Charlotte’s failed marriages flew in the face of her focusing on business at WrestleMania 41 and just came across as cheap. Some will enjoy the needling and personal stuff, including Flair asking why Ludwig Kaiser is in her DMs as Stratton left the ring, but the whole thing just came across as awkward and nasty. This was Diva-esque drama, not build towards a match between two top calibre female athletes.

Contrast and compare the use of reality in this story next to what's been said between Bianca Belair, Naomi and Jade Cargill. They haven't resorted to some of the cheap tricks Charlotte and Tiffany did here. People can say what they like about Flair as a character (and they do), but poking fun at her failed marriages weeks out from WrestleMania didn't do much for Tiffany.

Swing and a miss.