The drama between Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton on the April 4 episode of WWE SmackDown just got a whole lot deeperand now we know exactly how their promo derailed into personal shots and off-script chaos.
What fans saw on TV was already intense. Personal jabs, real-life tension, and a crowd in Chicago that flipped the energy of the segment entirely. But behind the scenes? It was even messier.
According to Wrestling Observer Lives Bryan Alvarez, several of the lines thrown between the two stars werent part of the original script at all. While Strattons line about Flair being a nepo baby was planned, Charlottes cutting response wasnt. Nepo QUEEN! The number one nepo baby! Flair snapped backcompletely unscripted.
Then things really started to spiral. Flair began mocking Tiffanys voice in a high-pitched toneagain, totally off-book. Shes ridiculing her and doing the high-pitched voice thing, Alvarez revealed. Thats when Stratton decided shed had enough. She clapped back with 0-3, referencing Flairs real-life divorcesa mic-drop moment that wasnt in the script either.
Alvarez explained, The discussion about divorces and everything, that was all in the script. But the line about 0-3 which was a reference to how many times shes been divorced, that was not in the script.
Tiffany then stormed out of the ring, throwing down the micsomething a babyface typically wouldnt do. She throws down the mic and she starts to roll out of the ring and Charlotte is walking (towards her), and Wade Barrett, he is gonna get between these two because he can see this thing has gone totally off the rails, Alvarez continued.
The tension didnt end in the ring. Backstage, there was heat on both womenbut especially Charlotte. There was more heat on Charlotte because she went off the script more, and shes the veteran. Shes the one thats supposed to be keeping this stuff together, Alvarez added.
The situation was so volatile that WWEs YouTube channel cut out several of the more controversial lines. Interestingly, USA Networks YouTube channel didnt trim the segment, leaving the full exchangeincluding Is that why Kaisers in my DMs? and the 0-3 jabonline for fans to dissect.
WWE hasnt addressed the segment publicly, but sources backstage said it was a hot topic among the womens roster since it happened, and even described Flairs reaction as a flailing shot from a boxer who didnt realize they were KOd.
With WrestleMania 41 approaching and tensions clearly real, it remains to be seen whether WWE will use this unscripted fire to fuel the storylineor if theyll try to put the lid back on whats already out of the bag.
This promo mightve been chaos, but it made one thing clear: things are getting personal between Flair and Strattonand not just for the cameras.
Do you think WWE should lean into the real-life tension between Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton, or is it too risky to blur the lines this much? Drop your thoughts in the comments belowwe want to hear what you think.
