Did WWE reveal Charlotte Flair's replacement on SmackDown? Exploring potential direction

On the December 8, 2023 edition of SmackDown, Charlotte Flair suffered an injury in her match against Asuka. After medical evaluation, it was revealed Flair suffered a knee injury and would need surgery to fix it. This entire process will keep Flair away from WWE for nine months.

Naturally, the development was a big blow for the former women's champion and the promotion, as she won't be able to compete at WrestleMania 40. While it is never easy replacing someone as proficient as Charlotte Flair, it seems the Stamford-based promotion has found someone to take her place.

The someone in question is Tiffany Stratton. On the latest edition of SmackDown, Stratton announced she signed a deal with the blue brand. Later, the 24-year-old also made a successful SmackDown in-ring debut against Michin from The OC. In a match that lasted a few minutes, Stratton registered a win.

While there can be no comparisons between Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton as of now, the latter being pushed to the main roster is a positive sign for her. It will be interesting to see the storyline Stratton is involved in leading up to WrestleMania 40.

---

Tiffany Stratton once said that Charlotte Flair inspired her

Charlotte Flair has established herself as one of the most successful superstars in WWE. A 14-time women's world champion, Flair has inspired many wrestlers to get into the business and give it their all. One such superstar Flair inspired is Tiffany Stratton.

During an interview with the Stick to Wrestling podcast, Stratton mentioned that while watching television one day, she came across a Flair match on SmackDown. That's when Stratton's mother told her that this was something the latter could do.

"One day, I was watching TV with my family. We're flipping through the channels and come across wrestling — I believe it was Friday Night SmackDown. It was Charlotte Flair that I saw on the TV screen. My mother was like, 'You can totally do that.'" [H/T WrestlingINC]

She further added that she connected with wrestling right away.

"I was taken aback a little bit because I saw Charlotte, someone who was jacked and could do all these cool moves. She was a gymnast like I was. She's blonde and gorgeous. I just connected with it right off the bat — because I saw a little bit of me in Charlotte."

Tiffany Stratton concluded the interview by mentioning that she would love to have a match against Flair at some point. Given that Stratton is now on SmackDown, a potential match against Flair is something that can be expected when the star returns.