Looking At Charlotte Flair's Extended WWE Absence And Rumored Return Date

On May 8, 2022, Charlotte Flair defended her "SmackDown" Women's Championship against Ronda Rousey in a brutal "I Quit" match at WrestleMania Backlash. Rousey ultimately forced Flair to utter the match-ending words after bending Flair's arm through a chair, dethroning "The Queen." WWE later revealed that Flair sustained a "fracture of the radius" during the match, which would keep her out of in-ring action and off television indefinitely.

This, however, was just a storyline. Flair's wedding was coming up at the end of the month — Flair officially married long-time partner and current All Elite Wrestling star Andrade El Idolo on May 27 — but honeymoons don't usually take six months, and Flair's extended absence from WWE has garnered a lot of speculation. In July, Flair unveiled a new ring line she helped create with Rockford Collection under her real name, and she appeared as a guest on "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's "The Broken Skull Sessions" podcast in August. But in October, El Idolo told "Mas Lucha" that Flair had "time off due to personal reasons" and noted that Flair herself would address her absence from WWE programming in "future interviews/"

Flair's name was mentioned, however, on WWE's "Top 10 Extreme Rules Moments" special on Fox ahead of the October pay-per-view. Host Kayla Braxton revealed that she spoke with "The Queen," noting Flair's hope to dethrone "Raw" Women's Champion Bianca Belair upon her return. And October was also the month that Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that "Charlotte Flair is scheduled to return soon."

The last time the WWE Universe saw "The Queen" on WWE programming, she shrieked the words "I quit!" That marked a rather humiliating moment for the 13-time champion, resulting in an "injury" that, in the storyline, rendered her unable to compete for months. Every queen has to keep their chin up, however, lest their crown slip. Despite her stated intent to target Belair, though, Charlotte Flair may end up returning to "SmackDown" in hopes of regaining that title and settling the score with Ronda Rousey.

In the wake of Flair's absence, stars like Liv Morgan stepped up in the blue brand's women's division. At Money In The Bank, Morgan cashed in her newly won briefcase on Rousey, officially unseating "The Baddest Woman On The Planet" as the "SmackDown" Women's Champion. Rousey recently regained the title at Extreme Rules 2022 after forcing Morgan to pass out from a biceps crusher.

On October 27, Rousey issued an open challenge for her title. Aussie veteran Emma returned to the company to accept it, ultimately falling to an armbar. Rousey's next challenger was determined on the November 11 edition of "SmackDown" in a six-pack challenge. There, Shotzi gained the win to earn her a shot at Rousey's championship at WWE's upcoming Survivor Series: WarGames event.

Rousey has never turned down a challenge, though, so perhaps that leaves a window opportunity for "The Queen" to reclaim her throne and the "SmackDown" Women's Championship.

"The Queen" may not want to relive her previous loss to Ronda Rousey, so perhaps a new change of scenery might be fitting instead. Next weekend, WWE will hold its annual Survivor Series pay-per-view, with a special twist this year. For the first time ever, the company will host WarGames matches on their main roster, with a men's and women's version set to take place on November 26. The respective women's match has recently begun to take shape.

On the November 7 edition of "WWE Raw," Bianca Belair challenged Damage CTRL to a WarGames match. Bayley later accepted the "Raw" Women's Champion's proposal, with Dakota Kai, IYO SKY, and Nikki Cross locked in for her team. Belair, on the other hand, stood beside Alexa Bliss and Asuka in her corner. The following week, the recently returned Mia Yim officially joined Belair's team, while "The Nightmare" Rhea Ripley announced her placement on the opposing team alongside Damage CTRL and Cross.

Since the match is specified to be a five-on-five bout, that leaves one total spot open, and an open avenue for Charlotte Flair. As seen in past WarGames, though, extenuating circumstances might warrant a last-minute change to the match — as Mia Yim was abruptly removed from the 2019 Women's WarGames match following an outside attack, allowing Dakota Kai to take her place. Flair disappeared from WWE programming as a heel character, which would accordingly designate her to Bayley's heel team, assuming Flair takes up her same role.

However, Flair has had many character changes throughout her career, so a babyface return and alignment with Team Bianca at WarGames isn't completely out of the realm of possibility either.

Perhaps though, "The Queen" may want to return in grand fashion, at a show fit for true royalty: the Royal Rumble.

On January 28, 2023, WWE will hold its annual Royal Rumble pay-per-view, including its traditional men's and women's iterations of the match. Every year, the company utilizes a number of entrant spots for special returns, development debuts, and general surprises. This year, Charlotte Flair made history by entering the respective match as a champion. As she headed in with the "SmackDown" Women's Championship, her former rival Ronda Rousey made a shocking return to WWE, eliminating Flair to ultimately win the match. 

The Royal Rumble also officially marks the beginning of "The Road To WrestleMania," WWE's biggest event of the year. Flair has held up stellar performances in past Rumble matches, racking up 2nd, 1st, 3rd, and 2nd place again in her last four appearances. With her impressive track record, Flair should be poised to possibly return, and likely dominate once again.