Report: Why Charlotte Flair Beat Ronda Rousey At WWE WrestleMania 38 Revealed

In one of WrestleMania Saturday's headline matches, Royal Rumble 2022 winner Ronda Rousey challenged Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women's Championship.

Rousey was the heavy favourite heading into the match, with many expecting WWE to put the gold on the UFC Hall Of Famer following her return to Vince McMahon's company earlier this year. 

WWE ultimately went in another direction, though, and Flair pinned Rousey after the challenger was screwed out of the victory following a referee bump. 

Flair tapped out while trapped in an Armbar but referee Charles Robinson was down and when he regained his composure, Flair decked Rousey with a Big Boot for the win. 

There was a reason behind WWE's booking and Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Flair and Rousey are scheduled for a long-term storyline and the belief was Charlotte had to win their first match. 

When Flair and Rousey will next face off remains to be seen but both women are currently advertised to appear at the WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view on Sunday, May 8.