SmackDown Women’s Championship
Charlotte Flair (C) vs. Rhea Ripley

We see the “Road to WrestleMania” video package telling the story leading up to our co-main event of the evening at WrestleMania Goes Hollywood: Night 1. With that said, we return inside SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. where the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble Rhea Ripley makes her way out and heads to the ring.

Ripley yells “This is Mami-Time!” after doing her big pyro-provoking stomp at the top of the entrance stage. Michael Cole does an ad-read for the WrestleMania presenting sponsor, Snickers as she heads to the ring. Ripley settles inside and is ready for her title opportunity against “The Queen.”

The familiar sounds of Charlotte Flair’s theme hits after Ripley’s entrance tune dies down. “Bow down, all hail ‘The Queen’” comes out of the house speakers and then the reigning and defending SmackDown Women’s Champion emerges in a bad ass robe that I’m sure makes “The Nature Boy” proud.

Charlotte gets the dramatic fireworks and pyro treatment as she takes a spin and heads to the ring, walking that aisle like her legendary father for another appearance on “The Grandest Stage of Them All.” Michael Cole points out no woman has more wins at WrestleMania than Charlotte.

Now the ring announcer handles the formal pre-match ring introductions for the champion and the challenger. Jessika Carr is the referee for the match, the ring announcer is a female and the two competitors in this co-main event are both females. Michael Cole points out that this is another first in WrestleMania history.

Ripley seems to be the crowd favorite based on the pops during the ring introductions. The bell sounds and we’re now officially off-and-running with our second-to-last scheduled match of the evening here at WrestleMania Goes Hollywood: Night 1.

We see some great action straight out of the gate from these two. Ripley shows good strength in muscle-woman spots that pops the crowd early on, as she dominates the action in the beginning stages of this one.

Flair starts to return to form and set the crowd on fire with her athletic display being put on front street, as she takes it to “Mami” and nearly finishes her off on a few occasions. We see Flair start to look unsure of herself as she can’t seem to find a way to finish Ripley off.

Each lady goes for a big boot to the grill of the other and in a Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed moment from the end of Rocky II, they connect at the same time and both go down. The crowd rallies behind their favorite as the two slug their way back to their feet.

We see the classic Charlotte kip-up now as she plays to the crowd and then heads to the top-rope backwards as Ripley is laid out. Ripley recovers and heads up after Charlotte. Charlotte back-elbows her way free but Ripley comes right back up and connects with a belly-to-back super-plex that looked close to being a dangerous landing for a super close near fall.

Charlotte recovers and connects with her Natural Selection for a close near fall of her own. Ripley kicks out and immediately rolls out to the floor at ringside to re-group. Charlotte heads out after her and charges at her for a spear, but Ripley side-steps her and sends her shoulder first into the steel steps.

Back in the ring, Ripley hits a modified Rip-Tide for a close near fall. We see replays of Charlotte’s vicious impact into the steel steps moments ago as Charlotte recovers. Ripley is shown looking unsure of her ability to finish “The Queen” off now.

Ripley taunts Charlotte and then looks for her actual Rip-Tide finisher this time, but Charlotte counters with a German suplex. Ripley stumbles back to her feet and Charlotte grabs her for another one, which she connects with. She maintains the waist lock and stands up with Ripley looking for a third.

Ripley hits a standing switch and flips Charlotte over-head. Charlotte nearly landed on her forehead and broke her neck. We almost had a paralyzed legend right there. That looked super close to being bad. Brock Lesnar Shooting Star Press from WrestleMania past-style scary.

We see Flair recover and she has mat-burn on her nose from that spot. Ouch. Could’ve been way worse, so not bad all things considered. Flair hits a big boot for a near fall. We see Charlotte knock Ripley out to the floor and she climbs to the top-rope for a moonsault.

She heads back in the ring but Ripley takes over and stuns her with a Rip-Tide for a super close near fall. Ripley and the fans couldn’t believe it when Charlotte kicked out. Ripley utilizes her Prison Squeeze submission, a modified Clover-leaf. Charlotte screams in pain but crawls to the corner.

She crawls up the ropes and with her legs, yanks Ripley into the ref in the corner. The ref hangs in there and Charlotte blasts Ripley with a big spear and goes for the cover but again we see Ripley kick out. Again Charlotte looks on in disbelief.

After failing to lock it in the entire match, Charlotte finally locks in her figure-four leg lock on Ripley. She goes for the figure-8 but Ripley pulls herself to the corner and gets a hold of the ropes, forcing the referee to break up the hold.

Now we see a frustrated Charlotte blatantly ram Ripley face-first into the steel ring post. She heads to the top-rope with Ripley. Ripley drops down and yanks Charlotte face-first into the top of the ring post. Charlotte looks lifeless now as Ripley climbs up after her.

She screams in Charlotte’s face, “It’s my time!” She hits a super-Rip Tide off the top-rope and covers her for the pin fall victory. The crowd goes nuts as Rhea Ripley wins the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Amazing match. Big WrestleMania moment feel for Ripley’s victory.

Winner and NEW SmackDown Women’s Champion: Rhea Ripley

SmackDown Women’s Championship

Ronda Rousey vs. Raquel Rodriguez

Raquel stopped Ronda’s attempt to take her down by the arm, only for Ronda to slap her. Raquel knocked Ronda down with a pair of shoulder tackles and a spinning powerslam. Ronda retreated to ringside, but Raquel dropped her onto the ropes before tossing her into the corner. Raquel missed a corner shoulder strike and hit the post, as SmackDown went to an ad break.

Back from break, Ronda pressed Raquel’s neck into the ropes with her legs. Ronda trapped Raquel’s arm and leg for a submission hold, until Raquel transitioned it into a pinfall. Ronda attacked Raquel with a jumping punch and an Xploder for a two count. Raquel managed to lift Ronda and plant her down with a Samoan drop. Raquel hit Ronda with a couple of clotheslines before knocking her down with a lariat, using her hurt arm. Ronda countered a spinning slam with an arm bar, but she transitioned into a Sharpshooter. Ronda trapped Raquel in an Ankle Lock, only for Raquel to take her down with a flapjack. Raquel went for the Tejada, smashing Ronda onto the apron, as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

Back from break, Raquel dropped Ronda down with a vertical suplex, but she grabbed the rope to break the pin. Ronda trapped Raquel in a double wrist lock, but she managed to lift Ronda and launch her away with a fallaway slam. Ronda reversed the Tejada Bomb with a sleeper hold, forcing Raquel to run into the corner to smash Ronda’s head into the turnbuckle. Raquel hit Ronda with a twisting Vader Bomb, but Baszler put her leg on the rope before the three count. Raquel tried to hit an avalanche Tejada Bomb, but Ronda trapped her in an armbar, making her fall and forcing her to submit.

Winner & Still SmackDown Women’s Champion: Ronda Rousey

– After the match, Ronda Rousey grabbed a mic, only for Charlotte Flair to make her return. Ronda asked Flair if she wanted a match at the Royal Rumble, but Flair made the challenge for tonight. Ronda laid the title in-between them and accepted the challenge.

SmackDown Women’s Championship

Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair

Flair cracked Ronda with a big boot for an immediate nearfall. Flair knocked Baszler off the apron with a big boot. Ronda managed to counter a spear with an arm bar, only for Flair to transition into a pinfall for the win.

Winner & New SmackDown Women’s Champion: Charlotte Flair

Hello! It has been a long while since I posted on CharlotteFlair.Com, so allow me to reintroduce myself. I’m Shirleigh (but you may remember me as Shirlz), and I opened up Charlotte Flair Daily in 2014. I left the fansite world in 2017 to take my teaching career seriously, but now that I am no longer in that profession, I have made the decision to come back to something that I have always enjoyed- site development and I thought what better place to start than CharlotteFlair.Com, which will be turning EIGHT this year! How insane has Charlotte’s rise to prominence been?! It’s been incredible to watch and I could not be more excited to return to the website.

So what does this mean for the site itself? Firstly, I want to thank Kat for doing an incredible job of keeping the site online. In my eyes, she’s the best when it comes to fansites these days. We have made the joint decision to split duties on CharlotteFlair.Com- Kat will be focusing on the gallery content and I will be working on the main site content. We have a new layout thanks to Designtopia and I will be taking on the task of creating content on the main site.

My intent is to bring fansites into a new era- there are new ways of doing things and I intend on bringing my experience with website development forward so CharlotteFlair.Com is at the forefront of a new way of presenting content. While you may not see a lot from the front of the website, I will be working feverishly behind the scenes to update systems and create an experience that is unlike anything you have seen on a wrestling fansite before.

Thank you so much for all your support and we both hope you can get excited for what’s to come in 2022!

Open Challenge for the RAW Women’s Title: Doudrop vs. Charlotte Flair

We go back to the ring and out comes RAW Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair. She poses on the entrance-way as the pyro goes off. Back to commercial as Flair heads to the ring.

Back from the break and out comes Doudrop as Flair looks on from the ring. We get formal ring introductions from Rome as Doudrop dances around and Flair stares her down. They lock up and Flair takes control with a headlock. They hit the ropes and Doudrop shoves Flair down with ease, and taunts her. Flair tries to deliver a shoulder but Doudrop knocks her down with ease once again.

Doudrop blocks a slam but Flair counters a slam attempt by Doudrop. Doudrop slams Flair and charges in with a senton. The music interrupts and out comes Eva Marie.

Flair takes advantage of the distraction, dropping Doudrop from behind. Flair follows up with Natural Selection for the pin to win.

Winner: Charlotte Flair

– After the match, Flair stands tall as her music hits. She grabs the title but turns around to Eva standing tall over Doudrop, taking credit for the win. Flair sees this and she’s not happy. Flair drops Eva for a quick pop, and goes back to celebrating the win.