Charlotte Flair has built up a Hall of Fame-worthy career without ever really enjoying a solid babyface run in WWE. While other members of the four horsewomen—along with Alexa Bliss, Ronda Rousey, Asuka, and even Emma—have been able to try out characters on both sides of the spectrum, The Queen has typically been locked into her villainous role. She’s a perfect heel, one of the best of the modern era, mixing a smug silver spoon persona with outstanding in-ring skills. Charlotte Flair has been a World Champion 14 times in WWE, and her current run is her first as a true, borderline happy-to-be-here babyface.
This is a profound change for Flair, and she recently spoke to Joseph Staszewski of The New York Post about what it felt like to be cheered upon her return on December 30. “I was so touched, like it really, really changed the direction that I wanted to go when I came back. OK, let the guard down, let the chin down a little bit. What I mean is let people in and try to go where this is going.” Charlotte Flair stressed that she wants to make the most of the babyface run while audiences desire it. “Seeing the reaction still, as it continues. I’m just like, ‘go with it.’ Don’t force anything. This is the first time that I genuinely feel right in the good-guy role. I’m not saying how long that will last, but it feels right right now.“
Babyface Charlotte Flair Makes The Royal Rumble Interesting
The reaction Flair is getting likely makes WWE cautious regarding turning her heel. She was a bad guy for so long that Charlotte may not return to this point once she flips back. She was gone for seven months, giving fans enough time to miss her. Audience reactions have gone beyond that usual injury-return pop, and they genuinely seem to support her, making this weekend’s Royal Rumble match even more enjoyable. Bianca Belair is Raw‘s Women’s Champion and has her flag firmly planted in babyface territory. She’s as natural a face as Flair is a heel.
That means that heading into WrestleMania season, WWE has a babyface women’s champion on both brands, with most of the favored Royal Rumble winners falling on the light side of the character alignment. The major exception is Rhea Ripley, the betting favorite entering the weekend. However, if Triple H decides to go in another direction, things could get interesting. For instance, what happens if Beth Phoenix gets her revenge on Ripley for taking her out at Extreme Rules? That could leave the door open for someone like Becky Lynch or Raquel Rodriguez to win, both of whom are faces.
WWE doesn’t tend to book face vs. face or heel vs. heel feuds like AEW does, which could create some intrigue at the Royal Rumble. Especially if the plan is to keep Charlotte Flair a babyface for the time being. As she said, though, she’s focused on enjoying the run for as long as it makes sense. As WWE fans are all too aware, few wrestlers can hit the heel switch faster and more effectively than Flair. Charlotte isn’t scheduled to appear in the Royal Rumble match, but she could make her presence felt anyway.
Source: The New York Post