Tiffany Stratton Speaks Out After Off-Script Exchange with Charlotte Flair on SmackDown

The fallout from the chaotic SmackDown promo between Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton continues to ripple through the wrestling world, and we’re finally starting to get a clearer picture of what went down behind the scenes.

According to a report from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the segment in Chicago "did appear to go off the rails." Meltzer noted that tensions between Flair and Stratton had been building leading up to the promo, with people close to the situation saying neither woman was entirely in the right, but that Flair is taking most of the heat internally.

One particularly odd moment, according to Meltzer, was Flair referencing Ludwig Kaiser, Stratton’s real-life boyfriend, in a line that felt improvised. Meltzer noted this was especially strange, since Kaiser is a stage name and not something you’d normally expect in a segment that wasn’t fully scripted.

Backing up much of Meltzer’s account, Fightful Select added more backstage detail, reporting that Flair did, in fact, go off script first by calling herself the "nepo queen" and mocking Stratton’s voice. Multiple people backstage felt that Stratton "needed to fight back," but her choice to take it personal, with the marriage and relationship digs, was seen by many as ill-advised.

Neither of the controversial lines — Stratton’s shot at Flair’s personal life nor Flair’s Kaiser mention — were cleared in advance. Fightful also confirmed that digital producers were instructed to edit out the most personal shots from the WWE YouTube upload, although the USA Network broadcast still aired the unedited version.

Backstage, there was reportedly a sense of shock when the promo went as personal as it did, with some people even referring to the segment as a "wreck." That said, there was no word of any issues backstage afterward, and Kaiser himself was apparently a good sport about being dragged into the drama.

Now, for the first time since that fiery exchange, Stratton herself has broken her silence. Speaking on The Babyfaces podcast, she addressed the situation directly:

“I think, you know, being so new into this business, being so new as champion, I don’t think she really expected me to stand up to her. And I don’t think she expected me to, I guess, almost clap back. And I think I kind of…look, all I have to say is it’s live TV. Stakes are high. We’re going into WrestleMania. I have the title. I want to keep the title. And I’m gonna pull out every stop that I can. And people want to see our match. And I think that we did a very good job of getting people wanting to see our match and invested in our story. And now, I’m ready to put on the best women’s match ever, and I’m ready to go to war."

It’s a simple but telling response from Stratton, who seems to understand exactly what kind of moment this became.

Adding another layer, Ric Flair himself weighed in on Busted Open Radio earlier this week. Ric, never one to hold back, admitted he wasn’t thrilled with how things unfolded, especially given that he ended up getting name-dropped in the crossfire.

"I have an opinion, but I don’t really want to voice it. I can say this: it’s very sensitive. I didn’t like it, but wrestling is wrestling. I hate when they use me, but Charlotte said it right: you think that’s the first time hearing my name?"

Still, Flair made sure to praise his daughter, adding:

"She’ll be the best worker in the business, female, until the day she decides to retire."

With the tension between Stratton and Flair hotter than ever, all eyes are now on their upcoming showdown at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas. The two will square off with the SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line, and given how personal this rivalry has become, you can expect a lot of fans to be glued to this one. The match is set for Saturday, April 19, streaming live on Peacock in the U.S. and Netflix internationally.