The recently concluded Elimination Chamber helped decide the next challenger to Bianca Belair for her RAW Women’s Championship. Asuka won the titular match, featuring five other superstars, to book her place at WrestleMania 39. However, the Empress of tomorrow was not the first choice to face the EST. The WWE creative had someone else in mind and changed plans due to Ronda Rousey.
Also read: The Rock’s Team Discusses Potential WWE Return at WrestleMania 39
Belair has won the RAW and SmackDown Women’s Championships at consecutive WrestleMania by beating two of the four Horsewomen. She beat Sasha Banks for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 37 and Becky Lynch for the RAW Women’s Championship from Becky Lynch last year.
The EST has also faced and beaten Bayley before. The only Horsewomen she is yet to face is Charlotte Flair, and that was set to change this year. However, Creative changed plans, leading to the current matches we have scheduled now.
Bianca Belair’s WrestleMania 39 opponent was changed because of Ronda Rousey
According to a report from Fightful Select, Bianca Belair was originally supposed to face Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39. The Queen was set to make her WWE return on RAW and begin her feud with the EST.
However, Ronda Rousey taking time off in January resulted in WWE bringing Flair on SmackDown instead, where she beat Rousey for the SmackDown Women’s Championship on her first night back.
“Bianca Belair vs. Charlotte Flair, WrestleMania: Ronda Rousey’s creative adjustments also caused some adjustments to this match. As of November, Charlotte was actually slated to return to the WWE Raw brand, before Rousey took January off, and she picked up the title.”
The report also added that despite rumors, WWE never planned for Belair to face Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania.
Charlotte Flair will face an old rival at WrestleMania
Bianca Belair vs Charlotte Flair is an exciting match up, but no one is complaining about the matches we’ve got instead. While Belair will take on Asuka in her new form, Flair will revisit an old rivalry.
Back in 2020, after winning the Royal Rumble, The Queen set her sights on the then NXT Women’s Champion, Ripley, and beat her at WrestleMania.
Ripley has since moved to the main roster and even won her first championship at WrestleMania only to drop it to Flair.
Try as she may, she has yet to pin Flair in her numerous times. Their feud was as one-sided as it could get back then. In 2023, it is a whole different story though. Ripley has appeared very dominant since joining Judgment Day, and her match with Flair will likely be quite different this time around.
Click here for more Wrestling News
