Charlotte Flair has been noticeably missing from recent WWE television as the company builds toward the Royal Rumble, leading to plenty of speculation about her status. While absences are often explained away through storyline angles or planned downtime, a new report makes it clear this situation was far more straightforward.

According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Flair’s recent absence from SmackDown was not part of any creative plan. What viewers were told on television turned out to be accurate. She was genuinely unwell. Meltzer noted that Flair missed the show after becoming sick, and that the explanation provided on air reflected the real situation.

The illness was reportedly serious enough that WWE had to make last minute changes behind the scenes. Meltzer added that she was described as being very ill during the week, which forced adjustments to the direction of the episode and required parts of the show to be rewritten.

In modern wrestling, illness is often used as a convenient cover for injuries, contract matters, or personal issues. In this case, however, there was no hidden storyline or backstage drama. The multiple time women’s champion was simply unable to perform due to legitimate health concerns.

The good news for fans is that the setback appears to have been brief. Meltzer confirmed that Flair was already back on the road by January 15. Her quick return puts her right back in the mix at a key point on the calendar, as WWE heads deeper into the road to the Royal Rumble and one of its busiest stretches of the year.

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