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If one were to do a WWE SmackDown preview for this week's episode, they would notice Rhea Ripley on the advertised list of superstars. At first glance, that might be a little surprising given she is a member of the RAW roster, but there is a significant reason for her scheduled appearance.
Ripley will be confronting SmackDown Women's Champion, Charlotte Flair, whom she will face at WrestleMania 39. This comes on the heels of her Royal Rumble win and subsequent call-outs of her opponent on RAW. Ripley will now finally get the chance to back up her talk and stare down her rival.
The Nightmare has been on a roll since joining The Judgment Day. This will be Flair's most difficult challenge since Ronda Rousey, especially considering it is a completely different Ripley to the one she put down years ago. It's personal and vengeance-driven for the Australian, which may be too much to handle for The Queen come WrestleMania.
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It is unclear whether it will only be Ripley showing up on WWE SmackDown or if the entire Judgment Day appears to preview what Flair can expect. We wouldn't be opposed to Ex-con Dom accompanying his Mami and trash-talking the champion. Bonus points if he gives fans a WWE SmackDown preview by teasing his appearance beforehand, just the way he does it in the segments with Rey Mysterio.
Charlotte Flair's WWE SmackDown preview ahead of Rhea Ripley staredown
Rhea Ripley is set to confront Charlotte Flair on WWE SmackDown after a long time, but she had already delivered a preview of the faceoff earlier. She gave her thoughts on standing across the ring from her WrestleMania opponent on Friday, stating that she is expecting a totally different Nightmare than the one she fought years ago.
"With Rhea, we're not starting from scratch. We have so much history. We have our first faceoff Friday. I'm not planning anything in my head creatively because I want to feel the energy. I want to feel what the audience thinks of how far she's come, and where I'm at now. Will it be a different vibe? Are they going to want to see her beat me, or do they know she's not ready? I have to feel it out there, depending on my mind, what direction to go."
We are excited to see the tension in the ring when Mami and The Queen step into it. Bring on WWE SmackDown already!
