WWE: NXT’s Original Plans for Charlotte, SmackDown Christmas Tapings

NXT’s Original WrestleMania 36 Plans for Charlotte

After Charlotte Flair defeated Rhea Ripley for the NXT Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 36 this past April, Triple H downplayed criticisms of Charlotte’s booking on the NXT brand, saying that fans needed to be patient since NXT still had big plans in store for Ripley and the Flair vs. Ripley feud. Those plans were later revealed to have been dropped.

Fightful Select reported that NXT originally had several ideas for Flair’s involvement on the brand but all of them required the RAW creative team’s approval, which resulted in most of the ideas being shot down.

One of NXT’s ideas was for Ripley to retain her NXT Women’s Championship over Flair at WrestleMania 36. RAW’s creative team reportedly rejected that plan and insisted that Flair was to be the winner instead. NXT also had plans for a potential Triple Threat for the title with Bianca Belair involved in order for Flair to not suffer a pinfall loss but that plan also was rejected.

SmackDown’s Christmas Week Tapings Update

As noted before, WWE will not be airing a live episode of Friday Night SmackDown on Decembers 25th due to company officials giving their talent the Christmas holiday off.

Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE officials are currently considering taping that week’s episode of SmackDown either on December 22nd or December 23rd with the latter as the most likely date.