Charlotte Flair’s ruptured breast implant was breaking news on Wednesday but apparently, the 5-time WWE Champion has been dealing with the issue for over a month.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter says that the injury predates WrestleMania. Not wanting to miss her massive match with Asuka, Flair postponed the surgery. Things were delayed again when WWE wanted Flair to be available for her Backlash match with Carmella. Then per The Observer, Flair pushed back the operation again so she could participate in WWE’s European tour.
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Flair reportedly tried to hide the injury, but that didn’t keep her from participating in an ESPN: The Body photo shoot. Apparently, she and ESPN were able to work around the issue.
The surgery is said to be scheduled for after the European Tour. While the time frame for her recovery is unknown, it’s believed that Flair is making an effort to be back by SummerSlam. Given that SummerSlam is not until August it sounds like surgery could cost her a few weeks.
Flair has already been replaced by Carmella for an ACE Comic Con event in Seattle.
It appears Flair’s status for the June 17 Money in the Bank even is in doubt. Flair just qualified for the MITB ladder match on the most recent episode of SmackDown after beating Peyton Royce. As it stands, only Flair and RAW newcomer Ember Moon have punched their tickets for the briefcase bonanza.
However with Flair’s availability in question, that leaves WWE with having to find seven more Superstars to fill out the second ever Women’s MITB match. Even more, they may have to find a new winner.
Flair could have been considered the favorite to nab the suspended briefcase. Her record in pay-per-view events is nearly impeccable and WWE would have trouble resisting padding her resume by adding a MITB victory to her name.
However, a bonafide star like Charlotte may not need a briefcase to justify Championship opportunities. Charlotte is already considered to be the greatest female wrestler of all time and MITB could be used better to boost a fledgling star. That was the principal WWE applied last year at least when James Ellsworth Carmella became the first ever Ms. Money in the Bank.
