Charlotte Flair was away from WWE for several months in 2022 after losing the SmackDown Women’s Title to Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania Backlash because she got married to Andrade and also had a major issue with her teeth.
Flair returned on the December 30th edition of SmackDown to beat Rousey for the title. While appearing on Ryan Satin on Out of Character, Flair shared when she learned she was returning to TV:
“Right around Christmas. I really wanted to come back at Survivor Series, but I had just finished getting my last stitches out. So he was like, ‘don’t push it.’ I got the greenlight the week of New Year’s,” she said.
Flair also noted that she learned she was winning the title the day of the show.
“I didn’t find out I was winning the title until I got there. I didn’t have gear with me. My amazing cleaning lady brought me my gear. I should have known better. I’m coming to a wrestling show, I just brought my outfit. I thought it was just going to be a walkout surprise because I had been gone for so long, I really didn’t need to be any major fireworks, but when I got there they were like, ‘You need your gear.’ I got the call at maybe 5ish that I needed gear, right before I got to the arena. She got to the arena around 7, 7:15.”
H/T to Fightful