Top WWE Superstar has major praise for Charlotte Flair, says injury has opened up WrestleMania spot
Despite being rivals, and sometimes partners, a top WWE Superstar has praised Charlotte Flair while reacting to her recent injury. This superstar is none other than Bianca Belair.
Flair is currently on the shelf after suffering injuries in the SmackDown loss to Asuka on December 8th. The 37-year-old is set to undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus. It's also believed that she suffered a sprained neck that night. The injuries will keep Flair away from WWE for around 9 months, meaning she will miss the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania 40, and possibly SummerSlam.
Bianca Belair has teamed with Flair, and gone against her. Speaking on the latest episode of ROAR Around The Ring, The EST praised The Queen when asked for her thoughts on the injuries.
"It is a huge blow. Charlotte Flair has been such a vital part of our women’s roster. She’s created so much history. She’s a legend. I’m not even gonna say a legend in the making. With the accolades that she has, she’s a legend. It’s really hard knowing that we’ve lost someone like Charlotte Flair right now for nine months. Me selfishly, we all know I’ve always looked up to Charlotte Flair, I’ve always wanted to have a dream match against her, with her, it doesn’t matter as long as I can be in the ring with her," she said. [H/T to Fightful]
Belair added:
"But it does open up an opportunity for someone else, and that’s just the way this business is. I always say, you gotta stay ready so you don’t have to get ready. You never know when your opportunity’s gonna come, whether it’s your time, whether it’s another spot that opens up. So we’ll have to see who steps up. At the end of the day, we’re all fighting for a spot at WrestleMania. So I’m even looking for my path to WrestleMania, ‘Am I gonna be on WrestleMania this year?’ So it’s very unfortunate, but it’s a spot that’s opened up for someone to shine," she said.
The two future WWE Hall of Famers were operating on the same side against Damage CTRL at the time of Flair's injuries. However, they will have plenty of time to wrestle each other in the future as Flair has just signed a historic new WWE contract.
Which WWE star does Bianca Belair see filling Charlotte Flair's void?
Bianca Belair believes Charlotte Flair's injuries have opened up a WrestleMania 40 spot, but she also has a few WWE Superstars in mind for when it comes to potentially filling that spot.
The EST of WWE was asked to name who she thinks can fill the void. She left it open to the roster, but specifically named Mia Yim, Raquel Rodriguez, and Zoey Stark.
"Anyone and everyone. Our roster is so deep, especially right now. I love how talented and deep our roster is. Especially on the SmackDown side, I feel like we have Michin, I feel like she’s stepping her game up. She’s coming back with a vengeance after Damage CTRL just took her out. On the Raw side, you have Raquel. I feel like she’s been showing up and showing out lately. Zoey [Stark]. It’s just so many women that can fill that spot," she said.
This week's WWE SmackDown is a taped show, and spoilers can be found here. Belair is set to team with Yim, Shotzi, and Zelina Vega for a Holiday Havoc Tag Team Match. Their opponents will be Damage CTRL's IYO SKY, Asuka, Bayley, and Kairi Sane.
Which WWE Superstar do you see properly filling Charlotte Flair's spot while she's gone? What is your prediction for Bianca Belair's WrestleMania 40 match? Sound off in the comments section below!