The road to WrestleMania 41 is heating up, and not just in the ring. After their chaotic promo on the April 4 episode of SmackDown, new details are emerging about the tension between Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton—and some people in WWE believe The Queen may be intentionally throwing shade behind the scenes.

According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, one WWE source didn’t mince words when it came to Charlotte’s behavior, suggesting that her controversial dig about Stratton’s voice and the now-infamous “Ludwig Kaiser is in my DMs” comment may have been more than just a slip-up. “Charlotte has been trying to rattle Tiffany. Standard stuff. Cena does it. Randy does it. Young talent coming up, you put a little heat on them as a test to get them to either sink or swim,” the source claimed.

But things didn’t stop there. The same source slammed Charlotte for not sticking to the original creative direction of the feud, noting that she “f**ked this whole program by not adjusting (to being a heel, because she was originally planned to be the babyface in the feud).” It all came to a head in Chicago, where fans turned on her hard during the segment. “She got stuck. That Chicago crowd ate her up because they can see she’s doing more than business, she’s trying to embarrass Tiffany,” the source added.

The match between Flair and Stratton was already mapped out long before Charlotte returned to WWE. And even after the verbal shots that went way off-script, WWE isn’t changing plans. As Fightful Select previously reported, “The creative direction hasn’t changed in that regard.” The match is still slated for Night 1 of WrestleMania 41, and there’s reportedly no fear it’ll spiral once the bell rings.

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That said, the atmosphere backstage isn’t exactly chill. While WWE producers cleaned up the digital version of the promo, removing personal jabs, the real-life tension seems to have only drawn more interest in how this plays out at WrestleMania.

Did Charlotte Flair cross a line? Or was this all part of a veteran’s mind game to test a rising star? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

Steve Carrier is the founder of Ringside News and has been reporting on pro wrestling since 1997. His stories have been featured on TMZ, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and more.

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