Charlotte Flair Competed Injured in Queen of the Ring Semifinal After Backstage Attack on SmackDown

Charlotte Flair’s Queen of the Ring run came to an end on the June 19 episode of SmackDown — but not before she was forced to compete under brutal circumstances.

The 14-time Women’s Champion was set to face Liv Morgan in a semifinal match when a backstage attack left her dealing with a seriously injured knee before she ever stepped through the curtain. Despite the damage done before the bell, Flair made her way to the ring and attempted to push through, though her tournament run ultimately did not survive the night.

Flair spoke with someone backstage prior to the match — the conversation serving as an acknowledgment of just how compromised she was heading into one of the more important bouts in the Queen of the Ring bracket. Wrestling hurt is nothing new to the Queen, but a knee injury of this nature going against a motivated Liv Morgan represented a steep climb even by her standards.

Morgan, who has been on a strong run of momentum in recent months, advances as a result and will move on in the tournament. For Flair, it’s a tough exit from a bracket she entered as one of the favorites, given her championship pedigree and in-ring track record.

How the injury factors into Flair’s upcoming schedule remains to be seen, but the circumstances of her exit — attacked before the match even began — leave plenty of unfinished business hanging over the SmackDown women’s division.