Charlotte Flair Explains John Cena’s 'What Happened in Chicago?’ Moment

Charlotte Flair revisits her difficult Chicago promo with Tiffany Stratton.© NDTV Library

Charlotte Flair is in the John Cena Classic, and the November 13 SmackDown segment that got her there covered more than the invite. Flair told Cena that he once asked her backstage about the April 2025 SmackDown in Chicago, where a promo with Tiffany Stratton left her struggling with the crowd's reaction. His advice in that talk, she said, helped her stop chasing perfection and find her confidence again. Cena praised her career and pushed back on the idea that her famous family name made the journey easy. Flair ended the segment by joining the Classic and promising to win.

"You did it because you believe in me" ???? Powerful words from @MsCharlotteWWE about @JohnCena! https://t.co/XO6zqdpUFz

— WWE (@WWE) November 14, 2026

Charlotte Flair revisits the Chicago promo that left her questioning her WWE future

On Friday, Cena named Flair as the next entrant in his Classic. She then looked back at a backstage talk after WrestleMania 41, where she told Cena she had been feeling lost, was not wrestling, and had questioned whether she still wanted to be part of WWE.

Cena asked, “What happened in Chicago?”Flair said she had no answer then, and she described her performance bluntly: she had “s*** the bed.”

That question went back to the April 4, 2025 episode of SmackDown. Flair and Tiffany Stratton were in the ring ahead of WrestleMania 41 match for the Women's Championship, and the Chicago crowd kept booing Flair, which made the promo hard to get through.

Stratton brought up Flair's three divorces and said she would always live in the shadow of her father, Ric Flair. Charlotte answered with a line about Stratton's then-boyfriend, Ludwig Kaiser, being in her direct messages. Reports said the exchange went off script.

John Cena's advice helped Charlotte Flair regain confidence before the John Cena Classic

Flair said Cena told her to stop trying to be perfect and “own who you are.” She credited that advice with helping her find her passion again, and she recalled people later cheering her and giving her high-fives.

Ten years, she said, is how long she had spent trying to find a way to share a storyline with Cena or stand across the ring from him. The Classic is scheduled for December 14 in Orlando, where NXT stars will get main-roster debut matches.

Cena praised her in return.“You never had it easy, you just made it look easy,” he said, rejecting idea that her family name had handed her a smooth path. He also recalled wanting to shake the hand of the wrestler who wins an 18th world title.

Flair said her next chapter begins at the John Cena Classic. She promised to win the championship, calling herself “the greatest champion of all time.