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After making her big return at the 2025 Royal Rumble, winning the event in commanding fashion, WWE announced a promo segment for Charlotte Flair on RAW, where she could address the audience as a conquering babyface hero.
Instead, “The Queen” was booed early and often during her promo, having to stop it multiple times because of the distraction.
“I missed you guys booing me and I missed all of you guys that love me. Last year sucked. Actually, up until last year, I really thought I was unbreakable but no, last year broke me mentally and physically,” Flair declared as the crowd continued to boo her. “Actually, there was a point last year that i didn’t know if my knee was going to get better. I didn’t know if I was going to make it to Survivor Series. I didn’t know if I was going to make it to the Royal Rumble. I didn’t even know if I was going to make it to WrestleMania. You guys don’t get it! This is what I think about…”
Unfortunately for Flair, she was never able to finish her statement, as the crowd kept booing her throughout her promo and Rhea Ripley had to come out to save the segment.
Does WWE want Flair to be a babyface? Clearly so, but based on this reaction plus the dislike ratio on her Rumble win’s YouTube video, it’s clear fans think otherwise.
Charlotte Flair is cutting a heartfelt promo about her career-threatening injury last year, and the fans in Cleveland are booing her.
What the f*ck? I truly feel bad for her, man. #WWERaw | #RawOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/jOXp583so6
— PW Chronicle (@_PWChronicle) February 4, 2025
Charlotte Flair was very excited for a post-Royal Rumble babyface turn
After making her huge return at the Royal Rumble at spot 29, beasting every performer left in the ring to become the proud owner of a WrestleMania 41 main event match, Flair talked to reporters after the show and broke down the long and winding path she took back to the ring. While Flair certainly knows she isn’t for everyone, she didn’t want to take this return for granted, as her recovery recontextualizes the importance of her WWE run.
“I really don’t want to break down. This was the longest I’ve been away from you guys, the fans, since I started in 2012. I got into this business because of my little brother. When my knee injury happened in December, and it took me out, I just kept thinking, ‘I can’t go out this way,’ and it made me realize how far I’ve come, and I was doing it because of him,” Flair explained via Fightful.
“Seeing all the fans keeping up with all of my injury updates throughout the year with rehab, ‘We miss you, Charlotte. We love you, Charlotte.’ As a performer, sometimes you feel like, ‘Do I still have it? What am I coming back to do? I’ve done it all.’ Coming back tonight and winning the Rumble two times, no, I’m coming back to do it all over again. That’s how hungry I am. A little secret, when I came out, I couldn’t get my robe off. I was like, ‘Good thing I remembered how to wrestle because I can’t get this robe off, it had been so long.’ It felt great.”
Could WWE still try to keep Flair a babyface against Tiffany Stratton? Sure, but it might just be better to give Stratton the heroic turn and embrace another run of the “Evil Queen” Charlotte Flair, as the fans clearly want to see that storyline.
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Browns HC confirms Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders whispers
A previous report suggested that the Cleveland Browns want to start 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel at quarterback for this coming Saturday's preseason game at the Philadelphia Eagles over 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders as long as Gabriel is healthy enough to play at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. While speaking with reporters ahead of Wednesday's joint practice involving the clubs, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that Gabriel began the day on track to start Saturday's contest. "The plan was always to give both of those guys a start in the preseason, so we’ll see how it shakes out," Stefanski explained, as shared by Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Neither Gabriel nor backup Kenny Pickett played in Cleveland's preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Friday as they continued to recover from lingering hamstring injuries. Sanders received the bulk of the meaningful reps in that game and completed 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-10 win over Carolina. While Gabriel is doing 11-on-11 work during joint practices this week, Pickett remained relegated to 7-on-7 drills as of Wednesday. That said, FanDuel Sportsbook continued to list 40-year-old Joe Flacco as the betting favorite at -310 odds to be the Browns' starting quarterback for their Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals as of Wednesday. Pickett was at +360 odds, followed by Sanders at +1060. Gabriel was a +1800 underdog to get the nod for the Cincinnati matchup at that time. Gabriel began Wednesday as the Browns' unofficial QB3 ahead of Sanders. Meanwhile, Sanders did not get any reps in the opening few periods of the Browns' joint practice with the Eagles on Wednesday morning after suffering an oblique injury. Earlier in the month, the former Colorado star missed some practice time due to arm soreness. Per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Stefanski added that he wants "to get through" Thursday before he finalizes his plans for the Philadelphia game. Unless Gabriel experiences a setback ahead of the weekend, it seems he will receive an opportunity to silence critics while serving as Cleveland's temporary QB1 against the Eagles.
NASCAR makes decision on victory celebrations after Connor Zilisch fall
One of NASCAR's brightest young stars in Connor Zilisch could miss time after falling in Victory Lane following his victory in the Aug. 9 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen. Zilisch slipped on the door of his No. 88 Chevrolet before suffering a hard fall in Victory Lane and breaking his collarbone. He underwent successful surgery on Tuesday, with a timetable for his return yet to be announced. Even in light of the viral incident, NASCAR will not restrict drivers from celebrating in a certain way moving forward, per NASCAR's Mike Forde. Drivers have long climbed on the roof or door of their vehicles on the frontstretch and in Victory Lane to celebrate victories, but accidents stemming from that action are rare. After winning the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen on Aug. 10, Shane van Gisbergen — who will likely be Zilisch's Cup Series teammate at Trackhouse Racing in 2026 — carefully climbed out of his No. 88 Chevrolet — something he does regularly, not just in response to Zilisch's fall. Zilisch did not race in the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen due to his injury. The Xfinity Series will return on Aug. 22 at Daytona International Speedway, with Zilisch leading the regular-season standings by seven points.
Yankees Announce Paul Goldschmidt News After Loss to Twins
The New York Yankees won their first series of August in a three-game set against the Minnesota Twins from Monday to Wednesday, but they're still in trouble. They're only one game ahead of the Cleveland Guardians for the third and final AL Wild Card spot with six weeks left in the regular season. The Yankees beat the Twins 6-2 on Monday and 9-1 on Tuesday before losing 4-1 on Wednesday, but Tuesday's victory came at a price. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt left early and didn't play on Wednesday, a night in which New York especially needed his bat. The Yankees released an update on Goldschmidt after Wednesday night's game, via MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. The 37-year-old has a low-grade knee sprain with inflammation. He's slashing .276/.331/.422 with 10 homers and 40 RBI over 112 games. Fellow first baseman Ben Rice went 1-for-4 in Goldshmidt's stead on Wednesday. The 26-year-old is slashing .233/.326/.456 with 17 homers and 38 RBI over 101 contests. Paul Goldschmidt comments on injury Goldschmidt said that he hopes he can avoid the IL with a "short-term" absence, via Hoch. While Rice is a high-upside player in his second year, the seven-time All-Star is still a more dependable contact hitter at this point. Goldschmidt is third on the squad with 110 hits, although his younger counterpart's OPS is 30 points higher. The Yankees need the veteran back as soon as possible to help them maintain their Wild Card spot. His presence allows Rice to play catcher, which is optimal given Austin Wells's struggles. The 26-year-old is slashing just .206/.264/.408 with 15 homers and 56 RBI over 94 games. Up next for New York is a road series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Goldschmidt's former team.
NFL insider exposes real reason Commanders' feud with Terry McLaurin exploded
Terry McLaurin remains on the sidelines, unwilling to participate in team activities until his contract standoff with the Washington Commanders is resolved. Nothing seems imminent, which is a growing concern with Week 1 against the New York Giants on the not-too-distant horizon. And one NFL insider exposed what reportedly began this bitter summer battle between McLaurin and the Commanders. McLaurin's credentials need no introduction. His previous production is up there with the very best. He remained the model of consistency despite a constant stream of failed quarterbacks in Washington. With Jayden Daniels under center, the former third-round pick broke the franchise record for receiving touchdowns, in addition to earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors. Commanders were reportedly stunned by Terry McLaurin's initial contract demands The problem centers on McLaurin wanting top dollar. The Commanders are reluctant, considering his contract extension won't kick in until he's 31 years old. Charles Robinson from Yahoo Sports went one step further, claiming that Adam Peters was stunned enough by the wideout's initial demands to almost cut off negotiations instantly. The way I understand it, when negotiations first opened, I think the Commanders were a little stunned by initially what Terry McLaurin and his camp were really gunning for. Everyone's being careful about not saying what the initial number was, but I will say it was ... high enough that it almost completely broke down conversation instantaneously between the two parties. I think the Commanders were stunned at, initially, what the ask was. And to me, the inference is, this was like, nearly top tier, Tier 1 money.Charles Robinson Peters isn't going to give McLaurin the north of $30 million he's looking for. That became abundantly clear, which also led to holdouts, holding in at training camp, and even a trade request to pile on the pressure to no avail. McLaurin and Peters were spotted in conversation during Washington's team scrimmage. That provided hope that things hadn't gone past the point of no return, but fans anticipating a quick resolution following this development were out of luck. Both sides have made their respective stances clear. The Commanders are using analytics a lot more these days, and the statistics don't exactly work in McLaurin's favor. The drop-off in production from receivers in their 30s — even those with Pro Football Hall of Fame credentials — is glaring. Peters is taking that into account, and it's a brutal truth that's falling on deaf ears where the player's representatives are concerned. Fans just want everything to work out. They want McLaurin back on the field. So does Peters, but not at the expense of a deal that doesn't fit into his long-term strategy. Until then, it's a waiting game. More Commanders news and analysis
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