On the final segment of last week's SmackDown, Becky Lynch handed Charlotte Flair the SmackDown Women's Championship in exchange for the Raw Women's Championship with Sonya Deville present in the ring.
Parts of the segment reportedly went off-script, and multiple reports stated that Flair and Lynch were involved in a heated backstage confrontation after the show. Apparently, Flair was unhappy about the title exchange segment because she feared it would make her look weak.
According to a report from Fightful Select (h/t WrestlingNews.co), WWE official Adam Pearce and Hall of Famer Molly Holly produced the title exchange segment. Earlier on in the show, Pearce handed a storyline suspension to Brock Lesnar, who proceeded to hit him with his F5 finisher.
Flair was reportedly escorted out of the arena by security. It was also stated that people backstage supported Lynch for standing up for herself. Apparently, the relationship between the two superstars has been strained for quite some time.
Deville was reportedly furious with Flair as well backstage. It was also reported that Vince McMahon was unhappy with Flair, who apparently walked by the WWE chairman without talking to him.
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At the end of the segment, Sasha Banks showed up and confronted Flair, while Lynch made her way backstage. Banks and The Queen briefly fought until Deville broke up the altercation.
Lynch and Flair compete on opposite brands, but they'll presumably face off at Survivor Series 2021 (on Nov. 21) if they remain the Raw and SmackDown Women's Championship holders, respectively. Needless to say, it'll be interesting to see if the reported confrontation affects WWE's plans for the upcoming pay-per-view.
A Bad Idea From The Start
A simple exchange of championship belts isn't the most exciting way to end a show. WWE should have thought about this long in advance. Charlotte and Lynch were in the midst of successful title reigns, and they shouldn't have technically ended with simple swaps.