In May, it was revealed Charlotte Flair would need an operation to repair a ruptured breast implant. The 6-time WWE Champion was reportedly delaying the surgery but now has chosen her date for the procedure.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Flair’s operation is set for late June. WWE has pulled the SmackDown star from the upcoming tour in Japan. At this moment we can expect Flair to miss a chunk of July but should be back in time for SummerSlam.
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Flair has reportedly postponed the surgery for several months. The injury predates WrestleMania, but in light of her massive match with Asuka, her Backlash Championship bout with Carmella, and now the MITB ladder match, Flair and WWE decided the operation was a secondary concern.
Speculatively speaking, Flair’s looming surgery appears to rule out any possibility of her winning this Sunday. At the moment, she’s a long shot (+450) but an operation at the end of the month may disqualify her as a winner. Instead, it’s more likely WWE uses the match to write off Flair with an “injury” sustained during the match.
However, WWE has yet to hesitate when it comes to paying Flair’s resume. No one believed she’d be the one to extinguish Asuka’s streak at WrestleMania 34, but she did. Her WrestleMania win served a stark reminder that Flair has a nearly impeccable pay-per-view wrap sheet. In only a few year time, Flair’s list of accomplishments is significantly longer than any of her peers and WWE may decide a MITB victory is a necessary trophy for Flair to have.
In an interview with ESPN, Flair spoke about the toll life in the ring can take.
“With injuries, every match varies. The black eyes are accidents. The broken noses are accidents. But the bumps from when we land on the mat, they’re hard. I think it looks easier, or the fans don’t really understand what’s happening, but it does take a toll. Every week I have some kind of mark on me. And that goes for all the girls. I think that’s what separates us from other people, we’re always walking around with our battle scars, and we’re proud of them,” explained Flair.
While staying healthy is a top priority, taking advantage of the opportunities WWE supplies may be even more important.
“The most challenging thing that female wrestlers face is time. Getting those segments on Raw, getting one, two, three, four segments on SmackDown, main-eventing a pay-per-view, being considered a face of the division. … And I have said it since day one, I want to be an attraction for the company. I want to be a Roman Reigns; I want to be a John Cena. And right now the women are stealing the show and working harder than we ever have. We have had a lot of firsts, and I think we’re on the right path,” she said.
