The Queen vs. the Face, Heel, Hottest Thing, Rookie, Underdog Champion

As WrestleMania 41 rapidly approaches on April 19-20, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, WWE faces backlash over the problematic feud between Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women’s Championship. The rivalry, which prematurely thrust a veteran performer against a promising but inexperienced champion, has deteriorated into disorganized storytelling. WWE’s questionable decision-making has left Stratton vulnerable, highlighting her shortcomings rather than elevating her as a credible star. Without significant corrections, this matchup risks negatively impacting Stratton’s career trajectory and diminishing Flair’s reputation, underscoring deeper issues within WWE’s creative process.

The feud began through interviews where Tiffany admitted Charlotte inspired her to wrestle. Charlotte Flair, a 14-time women’s champion and the 2025 Women’s Royal Rumble winner, returned triumphantly from a year-long injury hiatus (torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus suffered in December 2023). Her victory earned her the right to challenge for any women’s title. After considering other competitors—including Rhea Ripley and Giulia—she set her sights on Tiffany Stratton, the reigning WWE Women’s Champion. Stratton had prematurely ascended to the top by cashing in her Money in the Bank contract on Nia Jax on January 3, 2025, establishing herself ambiguously between a face and a heel—this ambiguity being the first of many missteps. While Tiffany excels as a heel, Charlotte Flair is naturally suited to that role, making Tiffany’s attempts at heel promos against Flair a complete misstep.

This matchup made little sense from the outset: Flair, the seasoned veteran with a storied legacy, versus Stratton, a cocky newcomer with only one title reign from a cash-in and no notable accomplishments to support her status. Flair’s experience and in-ring skill paired against Stratton’s flashy but inconsistent ring work created an unbalanced booking. WWE’s recent tendency to rely more on fan suggestions and recycled storylines has contributed to a feud widely regarded as a masterclass in missed opportunities, failing both to elevate Stratton and respect Flair’s legacy.

The feud’s failures are most evident in its promo segments. Flair consistently showcased her veteran savvy, leaving Stratton flailing. Problems began during a split-screen interview on the March 21, 2025, episode of SmackDown. Flair dominated, dismissing Stratton as an undeserving champion who only won via cash-in, labeling her a “pity pick” for WrestleMania. Stratton’s attempts to counter, accusing Flair of suppressing new talent, felt rehearsed and lacked impact. Tiffany’s inauthentic, repetitive delivery ultimately buried her in a critical moment.

This dynamic escalated on the April 4, 2025, episode of SmackDown in Chicago, where their face-to-face confrontation intended as a heated prelude to WrestleMania devolved into an off-script disaster. Flair struggled with the hostile, largely artificial crowd reaction, while Stratton’s improvisation emphasized her inexperience. Stratton inappropriately pivoted to personal attacks, referencing Flair’s real name (Ashley Fliehr), her father Ric Flair, and failed marriages. Flair, blindsided, retaliated by mentioning Stratton’s real-life boyfriend. WWE later edited out these controversial elements, implicitly acknowledging the segment’s failure. Attempting to elevate an unprepared Stratton at Flair’s expense reveals WWE’s misjudgment about her readiness for the spotlight.

WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray summarized the dynamic on “Busted Open Radio,” warning that Stratton would be exposed if Flair dragged her into deep waters. Social media echoed this critique, labeling the feud “dreadful fiction” in storytelling terms, and noting how damaging it was for Stratton’s credibility.

The physical aspect of the feud was similarly lackluster. Highlights included Flair ambushing Stratton post-match with a Figure Eight on March 7 and a brief pull-apart brawl on March 15 in Barcelona. Although these moments briefly ignited audience interest, inconsistent momentum persisted. Stratton’s dive from the entrance ramp two weeks before WrestleMania was notable, but her routine missed targets on high-risk moves further disappointed fans.

The booking failed to generate sympathy for Stratton or genuine heat for Flair. Flair’s dominance unintentionally portrayed her as an overpowering antagonist and bully, while Stratton appeared outmatched rather than cunning. The feud’s personal jabs felt more like reality TV than wrestling storytelling, reflecting WWE’s trend towards controversy over substance.

This feud represented a crucial opportunity for Stratton to establish herself as a main-event star. Instead, it risked derailing her momentum. At 25, Stratton’s potential was evident in her title win, but facing her idol at WrestleMania has clearly overwhelmed her, revealing her inexperience. Flair, 39, thrives at WrestleMania, and her insistence on not “being less than” has further exposed Stratton’s deficiencies. Stratton’s lackluster matches and shaky confidence have painted her as a performer still developing her on-screen presence, undermining her short reign.

The storyline also failed to enhance Flair’s legacy. Her return should have been triumphant, but the feud’s one-sided nature cast her as a gatekeeper stifling new talent—something Stratton herself noted. WWE’s unclear booking confused fans about Stratton’s role as a heel, face, victim, or bully. This ambiguity harmed audience engagement and further confused the narrative. WWE could have leveraged Flair’s experience to elevate Stratton instead of exposing her limitations.

Ultimately, WWE’s reluctance to adapt creatively has exacerbated these issues. Flair’s polished skills starkly contrasted Stratton’s lack of experience, and the creative team failed to provide sufficient support or depth. Stratton needs substantial improvement across the board, while Flair requires fresh character development beyond repetitive title feuds. The decision to let Tiffany improvise in Chicago was a failed gamble, making the feud uncomfortably personal.

With WrestleMania 41 approaching rapidly, there is little time to salvage this storyline. Although the match itself could deliver in-ring, the poorly executed build-up has been a disservice to both competitors. Unless WWE corrects course, this feud risks becoming a notorious example of desperate booking, negatively reflecting on WWE and its new TKO Group partnership.

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The new season of Impractical Jokers will premiere on truTV June 16. Celebrities appearing in the new season include Method Man, Chris Jericho, Brooke Shields, Jillian Bell, Adam Pally, Jon Gabrus, David Cross, Rob Riggle, Colin Jost, and More! A new episode will also air onTBS, TNT and truTV, directly following the NCAA Men’s Final Four on April 2. The episode will feature Eric André.    

Saturday Night Live returns with a new episode April 2. Jerrod Carmichael will serve as host for the first time. He will be joined by musical guest Gunna. 

The Drew Barrymore Show has been renewed for a third season. The new season will consist of half hour episodes, which will be paired up or aired separately to fulfill network’s time slot needs. 

FX has finally announced a second season of Feud. The new season Feud: Capote’s Women will star Naomi Watts who will portray Babe Paley. The eight episode season is based on the book Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era by Laurence Leamer. 

Syfy’s new series The Ark has cast Christie Burke, Richard Fleeshman, Reece Ritchie, Stacey Read and Ryan Adams as series regulars. The series takes place 100 years in the future when planetary colonization missions have begun as a necessity to help secure the survival of the human race. The first of these missions on a spacecraft known as Ark One encounters a catastrophic event causing massive destruction and loss of life. With more than a year left to go before reaching their target planet, a lack of life-sustaining supplies and loss of leadership, the remaining crew must become the best versions of themselves to stay on course and survive. 

Peacock’s has released the first episode of its upcoming new comedy series Killing It. The full season will be released on April 14. The series is a comedy about class, capitalism and one man’s quest to achieve the American dream. And also about hunting really big snakes.

Bravo’s newest Housewives series The Real Housewives of Dubai will premiere June 1. The series follows the opulent, over-the-top lives of Nina Ali, Chanel Ayan, Caroline Brooks, Dr. Sara Al Madani, Lesa Milan and network fan-favorite Caroline Stanbury.

Tilly Keeper, Amy Leigh Hickman, and Ed Speleers have joined the cast of Netflix’s You for the upcoming fourth season. Last fans saw Joe Goldberg, he was building a life with Love and Henry in Madre Linda. But after taking matters into his own hands, Joe is on the move. Niccy Lin, Aidan Cheng, Stephen Hagan, Ben Wiggins, Eve Austin, Ozioma Whenu, Dario Coates, Sean Pertwee, Brad Alexander, Alison Pargeter, and Adam James will all recur. 

Welcome to Flatch stars Holmes and Sam Straley will be crossing over to Call Me Kat in an episode airing April 28. The two will be renting Kat’s apartment while they are in town visiting. Robin Thicke, judge of Fox’s The Masked Singer, will also be appearing in the episode as himself. 

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki will be joining MSNBC once she departs her role at the White House. She will also make appearances on Peacock. There is no news as to when Psaki will be departing or when she will begin making on air appearances on the network. 

WrestleMania 38 will stream on Peacock April 2 and April 3. The two day event will feature several high-stakes championship matchups including the biggest Wrestlemania Match of all-time, when Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns put both their titles on the line in a winner-take-all championship unification. Additional matches include SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair v. Ronda Rousey, Johnny Knoxville v. Sami Zayn, Rey & Dominik Mysterio v. The Miz & Logan Paul, plus, the return of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. 

Rahart Adams has been cast in The CW’s Gotham Knights pilot as a series regular. He joins Fallon Smythe, Tyler DiChiara, Olivia Rose Keegan, Navia Robinson, Oscar Morgan and Anna Lore. In the wake of Bruce Wayne’s murder, his rebellious adopted son forges an unlikely alliance with the children of Batman’s enemies when they are all framed for killing the Caped Crusader. And as the city’s most wanted criminals, this renegade band of misfits must fight to clear their names. 

Presenters for The Grammys have been announced. Megan Thee Stallion, Joni Mitchell, Questlove, Lenny Kravitz, Dua Lipa, Ludacris, Billy Porter, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Avril Lavigne, Jared Leto, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez and Anthony Mackie will all present. Additionally, Lady Gaga will perform at the ceremony live on CBS April 3. 

Ricardo Chariva has joined the cast of Apple TV+’s Truth Be Told as recurring. Chiariva joins Octavia Spencer and Gabrielle Union in the upcoming third season 

Season three of BET+’s American Gangster: Trap Queens will premiere April 7 with five episodes. The second batch of five episodes will premiere at a later date. The first batch of episodes will feature the stories of Kimberly Smedley, Candace Wilson, Gina Cabell, Shontel Greene, and Tonia Taylor; whose crimes range from black market butt injections to dark web identity theft, opioid pill mills and drug trafficking. The true crime series is narrated by rap legend Lil’ Kim. 

Samantha Morton and Lauren Glazier have joined AMC’s Tales of the Walking Dead. Both will appear in the same episode with Morton reprising her role of Alpha. The six episode anthology series will focus on characters old and new. Terry Crews, Parker Posey, Jillian Bell, Anthony Edwards, Poppy Liu, Olivia Munn, Danny Ramirez, Loan Chabanol, Embeth Davidtz and Jessie T. Usher will also appear.

Tim Allen’s daughter Elizabeth Allen-Dick has joined the cast of Disney+’s limited series The Santa Clause as a series regular. She will play Tim Allen’s character’s daughter. Austin Kane, Rupali Redd and Devin Bright have also joined the series as series regulars. Elizabeth Mitchell and Kal Penn also star. 

The Judds will reunite for the first time in over 20 years to perform at the 2022 CMT Music Awards. They will perform “Love Can Build a Bridge”. The event, hosted by Kelsea Ballerini and Anthony Mackie, will air live April 11 on CBS. 

Syndicated talk shows The Doctors and Daily MailTV have been canceled. The Doctors is currently in its fourteenth season. Daily MailTV is currently in its fifth season. 

Docuseries The Long Game: Bigger Than Basketball will premiere on Apple TV+ April 22. The series is about NBA hopeful Makur Maker and the groundbreaking decision to forgo the NBA and play for Howard University, making him the highest-ranked high school player in the modern recruiting era to commit to a historically Black university (HBCU). The docuseries is an intimate look at Makur’s life as a student-athlete with a dream of making it to the NBA, while unexpected physical challenges and a global pandemic threaten his college career. It also explores how his journey from fleeing war-torn South Sudan as a child and his tight-knit support system led him to go to an HBCU, and in turn, allowed him to make an impactful statement in the wake of America’s cultural response to the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Demetria McKinney has joined the cast of The CW’s The Winchesters pilot. She joins Nida Khurshi, Jojo Fleites, Meg Donnelly and Drake Rodger. The series is a prequel of The CW’s long running drama series Supernatural. 

ITV has ordered a second series of Cooking With The Stars. The six episode series sees celebrities paired up with chef mentors and compete in challenges, with weekly eliminations until a winner is crowned. 

Dave Annable has been cast in NBC’s pilot Blank Slate. He joins Matt Passmore and Floriana Lima. Special Agent Alexander McCoy is a legend in law enforcement, the agent we all hope is out there, the agent we’d all like to be. The only issue is … he doesn’t actually exist. He’s a ghost, a phantom. So what happens when a man claiming to be Alexander McCoy walks through the door with all of his skills and knowledge, but with an agenda nobody will see coming.

Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch: Bloodline will premiere April 19. As the world opens back up, demand is up for seafood from captain Josh Harris and Casey McManus’s warm water fishing operation in Hawaii, but so is the competition. Needing all the help they can get, Josh reaches out to his estranged older brother, Shane, for the first time since their father Captain Phil’s death over a decade ago. Can Josh and Shane put bad blood behind them to follow in their father’s footsteps to find the fish their company needs to succeed? Or will opening old wounds push the partners and family further apart?

Our Blues will premiere on Netflix April 9. Romance is sweet and bitter – and life riddled with ups and downs – in multiple stories about people who live and work on bustling Jeju Island. 

This year’s April Fools Day prank on adult swim featured the return of Pibby, the star of the short which was uploaded to their youtube channel last fall. The short sees Pibby’s show interrupted by a mysterious blackness which begins consuming everything in its path, including stars of classic cartoon series. The blackness continued to creep into the adult swim lineup. Hopefully this means we will continue seeing Pibby’s struggle in the future! 

Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles will premiere on Netflix April 28. A teenage rabbit eager to become a true samurai teams up with his new warrior friends to protect their city from Yokai monsters, ninjas and evil aliens.

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While working to honor the legacy of the Flair before her, Charlotte also became a trailblazer to cement herself as one of, if not the best. While so many of her matches are memorable and stay with us long after they’re concluded, nothing compares to WrestleMania. Each and every WrestleMania moment leaves us with a different feeling of astonishment when Charlotte appears.

Having had her first WrestleMania moment as a part of Triple H’s 2014 entrance, alongside fellow wrestlers Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks, Charlotte would soon step into a moment that could completely be her own two years later at WrestleMania 32.

The match was a segway into the new era of women’s wrestling, as Charlotte entered the Diva’s Champion and exited the new Women’s Champion. Coming into the arena with her father by her side, Charlotte had everything to prove and everything to lose. To add to the momentous occasion, Charlotte donned a robe made out of material from her father’s final match. Something she shared with him just before their entrance. The match was a classic clash of the current titans for WWE’s women’s wrestling, and all three came in with the chance to take home the gold. The match itself was grueling, intense, and women’s wrestling at its current peak. Charlotte’s moonsault outside the ring was a moment that will always be remembered, taking out both of her challengers. At the conclusion of this epic battle, Charlotte reigned supreme, eventually tapping out Becky Lynch to take home the most coveted title in the women’s division. It was a beautiful WrestleMania moment.

At WrestleMania 33, Charlotte went into a fatal-4-way match as a challenger to the reigning Champion, Bayley, alongside Sasha Banks, and Nia Jax.

Teaming up with her opponents, Charlotte assisted in the elimination of Nia Jax as the first one out. Once Jax was eliminated, Charlotte hit one of the most memorable moves of the night, her corkscrew moonsault. From the top ropes, to the outside of the ring, she took out both opponents with one of her most majestic moves to date. Next, Charlotte locked horns with one of her biggest rivals, Sasha Banks, where Charlotte was able to rack up an elimination. With the match coming down to her and Bayley, The Queen was not able to pick up the victory. While we love a winning Queen, you can’t win them, all.

She may not have won a title here, but as far moments go, she owned the night. Charlotte became known for two things this night, her beautiful moonsault, and her entrances. Her green robe and gear would become one of her most distinguished looks as well as the fireworks that accompanied her just as she raised her arms, creating a magical moment where time seemed to stand still. And we love a woman that knows how to make an entrance.

WrestleMania 34, was the pinnacle of moments, for Charlotte.

As if the stars aligned, everything surrounding her match was perfect. She had the perfect opponent in Asuka, The Empress of Tomorrow, who would be bringing with her an unbroken win streak. Her entrance was a legendary full circle moment reminiscent of her very first appearance onscreen at WrestleMania. She entered on a throne with gold gladiators, and everything screamed royalty. In my opinion, this was her best entrance, ever. Even the symbolism of using NXT wrestlers as her escort proved that a good story could be told just through an entrance.

The match itself had so much anticipation on both sides. Would the Queen be ready for Asuka? Would Asuka be the one to shatter the myth of The Queen? Who was taking home the SmackDown title? In a tumultuous thirteen minute and five second match, Charlotte proved that she was ready for Asuka by tapping her out to the Figure-Eight. Another great moment was witnessing the respect that Asuka and Charlotte have for each other as the women shared an emotional embrace at the conclusion of the match. Both women put on a phenomenal match, but there could only be one winner. The Queen had her moment in the sun.

Continuing her legacy of WrestleMania appearances, Charlotte had a historic—never done before—match on the books in the form of an all women—winner take all—main event. With Fellow wrestlers, Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey, Charlotte would enter as the SmackDown Women’s Champion and the least favored to win. But since when has that ever mattered to The Queen?

Arriving at the arena with her most dramatic mode of transportation to date, a helicopter, Charlotte sported equally flamboyant purple gear that was custom made for the event. The tension was immense as the match kicked off, Charlotte engaged and several fantastic spots with both women. From an epic double spear to a chop off battle with Ronda in the middle of the ring, The Queen put on a show. The battle was close, all of the women got off some of their best moves, but this night went to Becky Lynch as she pinned Ronda to take home both titles.

Even without a win, The Queen earned her moment by doing what no other woman had done, besides the women she shared a ring with that night, she main evented an otherwise male dominated pay per view.

Leading into her most recent WrestleMania moment, Charlotte had to deal with the changes in the world. While she had a fresh new and exciting opponent in Rhea Ripley, the rest of the world was in a Global Pandemic, and the event would be crowdless. Coming off of the high of a Royal Rumble victory, Charlotte had her pick of the champions to challenge, but growing tired of the same rivalries, Charlotte took her time in selecting an opponent. She’d put off naming her pick for WrestleMania until an opponent came to her in the form of, then NXT Champion, Rhea Ripley.

While the two went back and forth about Charlotte accepting the challenge, the decision was made clear when Charlotte showed up at Rhea’s NXT Takeover Portland match and decimated Rhea and the opponent she’d just defeated. From that moment, up until the actual match, Rhea and Charlotte made menacing visits to each other’s respective shows, adding a lot of much needed animosity to the rivalry, seeing as these opponents had never met or shared a locker room before.

What makes this particular moment one of the greatest in my opinion, was the fact that these two amazing women were able to build something that came off very authentic and well put together with absolutely no crowd. It was the first time in the history of the Charlotte’s WrestleMania appearances that she would perform with no fans. The match was incredible. Each woman brought so much intensity and hunger to the table, it was arguably one of the best matches of the night, if not the best. To do such amazing work, out of your element is not something everyone can do, but Rhea and Charlotte defied the odds. And the Queen became only the second woman, behind Shayna Baszler, to hold the NXT title two times.

When Charlotte is mentioned, good or bad, the one thing that cannot be denied is her power. The mere mention of her name elevates the conversation. Her star power shines bright enough to make any match the focal point of any event. While Charlotte herself brings her best to her WrestleMania matches, you could also say she brings out the best in her opponents. While this year we won’t get that special feeling of a Charlotte Flair moment, what comes next for her can only get better. Each year she pushes herself to new levels.

People could argue for days, who Ms. WrestleMania is. There could be so many differing opinions, and some would be valid. But if we’re going off of talent, results, and sheer hunger there can only be one. Just as we came to the conclusion many years ago that Shawn Michaels was Mr. WrestleMania, the same can be said for Charlotte. The title isn’t based solely on wins or losses. The title itself describes a person who embodies the passion, the drive, the magnetism that inspires and electrifies their audience at each and every WrestleMania they’re present for. Her moments are our moments. Her moments are her legacy. Ms. WrestleMania is and always will be synonymous with the name Charlotte Flair. She earned it.

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