The fallout from Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Strattons off-script promo on SmackDown continuesand now Wade Barrett is throwing in his two cents.
After serving as the moderator for what was supposed to be a standard WrestleMania promo segment, Barrett clearly didnt expect the fireworks that exploded between the two women.
On April 5, the SmackDown commentator took to Twitter with one line that summed up the chaos: I wanted to be Sir David Frost. I ended up as Jerry Springer. #SmackDown
Fans instantly knew what he meant. The segment between Flair and Stratton started with scripted tension but quickly turned real. Toward the end of the promo, Stratton fired what many saw as personal shotsmost notably, Outside the ring, you aint the queen of sht,* and What is that, zero and three? in reference to Flairs multiple divorces.
Sources backstage told PWInsider the shots werent planned, and the crowd in Chicago sided hard with Stratton, making the lines sting even more. Flair, clearly rattled, clapped back after Stratton had already walked away, saying:
Is that why Kaisers in my DMs? A reference to Tiffanys real-life boyfriend, Ludwig Kaiser.
One WWE insider described Flairs retort as a flailing shot from a boxer who didnt realize they were KOd.
The belief backstage is that Stratton felt Flair had eaten her up in a previous segment, and this was her returning fire. Whether it was calculated or emotional, the reaction backstage was mixed. Some felt Stratton reclaimed the spotlight. Others thought the unscripted jabs made the whole thing lose its intended focus.
WWE has since removed the most controversial moments from the SmackDown highlights, and it remains to be seen if the full VOD version will be edited as well.
As Wade Barretts tweet suggests, this segment wasnt the slick promo WWE likely had in mindit was unfiltered, chaotic, and very real.
Should WWE lean into this real-life tension between Flair and Stratton on the road to WrestleMania, or was this one fight that got a little too personal? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Should WWE lean into this real-life tension between Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton on the road to Wrestle Mania, or was this one too personal? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
