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00:00It's Tiffy Time!
00:30That was her in the middle, and that's why you're the best analyst in the game.
00:50Wow, I was waiting, I couldn't, I couldn't figure it out.
00:54Entering in a custom Barbie Playbox, courtesy of Mattel, is the WWE Women's Champion and Wade,
01:05someone who has took this company by storm.
01:09Yeah, this is the buff Barbie doll built for success.
01:14A former Team USA gymnast who brought those skills to NXT, completely dominated the landscape there,
01:22and took that momentum, became Miss Money in the Bank in 2024,
01:28cashed in successfully, and has looked every inch the absolute superstar of the women's division ever since.
01:36Yeah Pat, here's the problem though, this is the WrestleMania debut for one Tiffany Stratton,
01:43and she's going up against one of the all-time greats defending her championship.
01:47Well, she probably feels that her and the all-time greats have the same traits,
01:53and that's the fact that they have it.
01:55In all walks of life, there are people that just have it, and there's people that don't.
02:00Tiffany Stratton has it.
02:02She's had it since the moment she showed up in this industry.
02:07There's no wonder she's been the champ this quickly.
02:11She's ready for the moment.
02:14This championship match is brought to you by The Better, where you can earn rewards for doing better.
02:24Maybe you could use that as an incentive, Wade.
02:26To be better?
02:28Yeah, be better.
02:29How can you be better than perfection, Michael Cole?
02:31You've been trying 28 years to get better, I'm still waiting to see any signs of improvement.
02:35Well, we are professionals, in the bar at least.
02:39Booze bags, that is correct.
02:41You guys drink a lot.
02:45And you don't?
02:47Come on.
02:48We're gonna pop crawl in London with us.
02:49All about a good celebration, as is kiffy time in this woman.
03:00This icon.
03:05Arriving in style.
03:10A Rolls Royce entrance on the strip.
03:16For the Queen.
03:20Look at those seats.
03:21And an aerial view of the Queen.
03:25Showing up to the office.
03:27That she's comfortable with the Queen.
03:30A sold out football stadium.
03:33With all eyes.
03:36On Charlotte Flair.
03:37Charlotte Flair tonight hopes to win a record 15th world championship.
03:52Charlotte Flair is a two-time Royal Rumble winner, including this year.
03:57Which allowed her to pitch her opportunity to face Tiffany Stratton here at WrestleMania.
04:04Charlotte Flair, however, hasn't held the title in two years.
04:07And we talked about this earlier today.
04:10Charlotte missed a year of action with a knee injury.
04:12Torn ACL, torn MCL, torn meniscus.
04:17For most people, that is a career ender.
04:20And after the career that Charlotte Flair has already had, 14 world championships,
04:26you would understand if she decided to hang them on.
04:29But Charlotte Flair is out to beat her own record.
04:33She is in competition with one person.
04:35That is herself.
04:37And the competitor inside Charlotte Flair will never die.
04:41Well, you know, this coming Wednesday on ESPN Plus,
04:45the hit series, Stephanie's Places.
04:48Her guest, look at that woman, Charlotte Flair.
04:53Those Stephanie's Places have been magnificent.
04:56Very well done by all parties.
04:58Someone at this table will be a guest at Stephanie's Places
05:02coming up in the next couple of weeks.
05:04One Pat McAfee.
05:05Lucky to be asked to have a chit chat with a woman
05:08who has obviously influenced the entire world in which we are currently operating.
05:15Great to see Charlotte Flair back at a WrestleMania in a title match.
05:20Always controversial.
05:22Just listen to that reaction from this audience, but always unmissable.
05:28The following contest scheduled for one fall is for the WWE Women's Championship!
05:55Introducing first, the challenger from the Queen City,
06:08Charlotte Flair!
06:10Charlotte Flair!
06:13Charlotte Flair!
06:15And her opponent, from Minneapolis, Minnesota!
06:18And her opponent, from Minneapolis, Minnesota!
06:20From Minneapolis, Minnesota!
06:32She is the WWE Women's Champion, Tiffany Stratton!
06:46Listen to this place!
06:49The WWE Women's Champion, Tiffany Stratton, had her first match.
06:53Not just did WWE, but her first match ever, less than four years ago!
07:04Tonight, she finds herself in the spotlight of WrestleMania against one of the greatest,
07:08if not the greatest, women's wrestler of all time!
07:11Yeah, normally you'd say Tiffany Stratton has zero chance, but Stratton has showed over those four years an astounding capacity for learning, developing, and growing, and right now she is owning the middle of the ring!
07:25If you're Charlotte Flair, Wade, what do you do to take Tiffany out of the game?
07:29You question the fact that everything you've thrown at Stratton and so forth just simply hasn't worked!
07:34Now this one has gone off the rails several times over the previous few weeks, and straight into a street fight here!
07:42Yeah, well documented, the personal animosity between these two women, the attack by Flair in the parking lot a couple of weeks ago!
07:48Tiffany and Charlotte now, gonna bring the brawl outside the ring!
07:50And remember, Charlotte has to understand, Champion's advantage for Tiffany!
07:54A lot of follow submission, the only way Charlotte can win the title!
07:58A chop, and Tiffany delivering the chop to Charlotte! And as she turned to admire it, Charlotte took advantage!
08:04I promise you, these are the hardest shots I have witnessed in some time! There is nothing being held back here!
08:11No time to pace yourself, held for leather! Throw some potatoes as we call it in this game!
08:17There's a personal animosity here, a lot of things have been said and heard!
08:23Tiffany into the corner, Charlotte now launches Tiffany out to the apron, great balance by the champ!
08:28I think for Tiffany, she's gotta show she belongs, Wade, in the early going of this match!
08:33Well this is what nobody has really seen from Charlotte Flair in the past, the elegance has been dropped, the technique has been dropped, it's just sheer shock and awe, and Strang could not have been expecting that!
08:46It feels like Charlotte has the mentality of, oh you think you're it! Let me show you what it is, and what it has been!
08:54Well Tiffany may well be it, current champ, favorite of the WWE fans!
09:00It's Tiffy time all the time with the WWE Universe!
09:04Oh, and you know, again, controlling Charlotte here in the early going, cover now by Tiffany, forcing Charlotte to kick out!
09:10Wait, this is an important match for Tiffany, forget the WrestleMania debut and all that!
09:14Remember, she won the championship by cashing in Money in the Bank on one of her allies, Nia Jax!
09:20There's been a lot of criticism over whether or not Tiffany Stratton actually deserved to be champion despite cashing in Money in the Bank!
09:26It's a big match to prove she belongs!
09:27Yeah, I agree with you, there is always a little asterisk next to anyone who wins their first championship via Money in the Bank!
09:35Nothing wrong with it, of course, perfectly legitimate!
09:37However, can you really do it one-on-one on the biggest stage of the ball?
09:42And we're gonna get an answer tonight, one way or another!
09:45Nobody can complain all they want, she went for it, and now she's champion!
09:49And now she's fighting at WrestleMania against one of the GOATs!
09:53I appreciate and admire those who don't want to wait in line behind other people that aren't as great as them!
09:58But it's about stacking the deck, and the deck is stacked in your favor when you have the Money in the Bank briefcase
10:04and the contract held within, you pick your moment whenever you want!
10:09Now, this is a very, very different proposition for everyone!
10:12Yeah, and wait, the problem here is, is that Charlotte in her veteran instinct, she drew Tiffany out of the ring!
10:19She suckered her in, Charlotte was able to take advantage,
10:22and now the beatdown begins for Charlotte Flair!
10:25Well, think of all the experience, all the tape available to study Charlotte Flair!
10:31You look at what she's done in the past, you put together a game plan,
10:34Charlotte Flair knows you're gonna do that, and she's come up with something completely different
10:39to anything you're prepped for!
10:40And you look at the match tonight with Charlotte Flair and what she's doing and how aggressive she is,
10:45you can watch as much tape as you want as Charlotte Flair over the years, Wade, but she's evolved!
10:49She's evolved as a superstar, she's evolved in an in-ring competitor, and it's really hard to game plan for Charlotte Flair!
10:55Yeah, you don't win 14 world championships, potentially a 15 tonight, without evolving over the course of your career!
11:03Figuring out your weaknesses, figuring out your opponent's weaknesses, and exploiting them!
11:08The NXT Women's Champion,
11:10Stephanie Vicar is not going to be, take too kindly to that!
11:15Well, Stephanie Vicar knows what she can do if she has a problem with it!
11:19And Charlotte, again, ragdolling right now!
11:23And I'll tell you right now, Charlotte Flair has taken a lot of heat inside the locker room for being so dismissive of every single woman under the WWE umbrella,
11:33but when you have the kind of resume Charlotte Flair has, she's absolutely right in dismissing all of them!
11:39She literally just said, I'm her!
11:41And there is not a single argument that could be made against that fact!
11:45You might not like the personality, but statistically, the greatest woman in the history of this industry!
11:51And she looks every inch that woman right now!
11:53World-class athleticism, obviously high-ring IQ, born for the business, and a mindset to be the greatest!
12:00She doesn't worry about making friends!
12:03And Charlotte now turning into a Boston Crab, center of the ring!
12:06Charlotte really trying to lay it in here, and Tiffany Stratton, the champion, in trouble!
12:11Remember, tap-out gives the title to Charlotte!
12:13Tiffany now rolls through, hooks the leg, trying to pick up the win, and to kick out by Flair!
12:18Well, Tiffany Stratton has been put through the ringer so far!
12:20Charlotte Flair was looking fresh as a daisy, but now there is fighting the champ still!
12:26He had dipped underneath now by Charlotte!
12:29Charlotte with a bit of a neck break!
12:30That's a neck break, yeah!
12:32Kind of adjusted, pulled and audible!
12:34That caught up top rope and strike takes advantage!
12:38Nasty kick to the side of Charlotte Flair, and it really is these physical, athletic similarities between these two!
12:44And Tiffany now starting to build some momentum!
12:47There's that gymnastic background!
12:49Delivering it to Charlotte, whips her across the ring!
12:51Enomenal athleticism!
12:53It's Flair who's rattled by this!
12:55Athleticism coming back in the other direction!
12:58Normally, it's Flair's biggest asset, but it's neutralized tonight against Stratton!
13:03So much balance, dexterity, and power!
13:05Oh, nice spine buster by Stratton!
13:07One, two!
13:07Backs up Charlotte, who has to kick out!
13:09Tiffany Stratton is an absolute problem!
13:12She can do it all!
13:16Power, no problem!
13:18We pick you up and put you through the desert real quick!
13:21Somehow, Charlotte Flair kicks out!
13:23Part of what's coming instinctively to Charlotte Flair in this match, the way she would act so quickly,
13:29it takes a beat for the less experienced Tiffany Stratton to ponder her next move,
13:34and that is really the advantage now that Flair has!
13:38We are sold out tonight, 61,467!
13:42Two titles have changed hands!
13:44Jey Uso, New Day New World Tag Champs!
13:47Will Charlotte Flair follow suit in this match?
13:51I mean, if it was a boxing match, it would be 10-8 to Charlotte Flair at this point!
13:56I agree!
13:56But still swinging away is Tiffany Stratton!
13:59Yeah, Tiffany with Charlotte now, up on her shoulders, rolling senton by Stratton!
14:04Tiffany's resilience here is going to pay off!
14:06And Tiffany, top rope, no salt, nobody home rolls through!
14:09We're too quick for that one, had it scouted!
14:13Tiffany did well to adjust mid-air and not eat it!
14:16Charlotte into the corner, out to the apron this time, it pays off for Charlotte,
14:20who delivers the boot to Stratton!
14:22It's using the ring to her advantage!
14:24Oh nice, such a veteran!
14:26Chip, able to deliver a basement drop kick quickly to the cover,
14:30to retain her championship in a kick-out!
14:33Yeah, perversely, the bigger the beating that Tiffany Stratton is absorbing in this one,
14:38the better she is becoming!
14:39Perhaps shaking off some of the early nerves in this one from her first WrestleMania match,
14:44and now, starting to move up the gears and take a little control back for herself!
14:49Maybe they're both starting to settle in here!
14:51And I like this by Stratton, not getting too overzealous here!
14:55Regroup, think about what you're going to do next!
14:59Catch your breath, nerves do a weird thing to your body weight!
15:02I think that can work against most athletes!
15:04Charlotte Flair though, I believe you've got to work a little quicker than that, Tiffany!
15:08Tiffany, oh, knees to the back!
15:10Tiffany now runs into a big boot by Charlotte!
15:14Quickly, try to, ooh, steal the title with a sudden impact and not able to do it!
15:19Everything that we've seen thus far, and at the end of the day,
15:22it could have been just a boot to the face from Charlotte Flair! Ruthless!
15:28It's just a little too much eye candy at times from Tiffany Stratton!
15:32Things are looking too pretty in the moments you just have to smack your opponent in the mouth!
15:37And time and again, Flair is beating it to the punch!
15:39Let me ask you this question, Wade, this is under four years,
15:42Tiffany Stratton had her first match, we talked about that earlier!
15:45I mean, how long did it take you to get to the point where you're confident enough
15:49into the ring to do everything the way you needed to do it?
15:50I'll be perfectly honest with you, it depended on the opponent!
15:53The worse my opponent was, the more confident I got!
15:58If I got in there with a record-breaking champ, my confidence was shot!
16:04And that might be where Stratton is right now!
16:06Oh, nice chop, that one dropped Tiffany to the mat!
16:09There's a chance Tiffany Stratton is very similar to Charlotte, born for the spotlight!
16:15And another chop!
16:18Early in her career, in such a big moment, maybe this is what she's been waiting for!
16:21Things get nasty now, Charlotte say, what do you got?
16:23Tiffany's bringing it to Charlotte Flair now!
16:25Charlotte Flair now!
16:26Something just woke up inside Tiffany Stratton!
16:30Charlotte trying to hang onto the ropes, Tiffany now!
16:32Charlotte sidesteps, kick now again!
16:35Champ's down!
16:36Charlotte set her up right there!
16:42You do sense a little frustration starting to build in Flair, however, this young champ,
16:48who simply did not stay down!
16:49Oh! Went for natural selection, and Tiffany countered!
16:57And now, Charlotte Flair, oh, sit-out powerbomb!
17:01For the championship, for a 15th time, and a kick-out by the champ, Stratton!
17:06How good has Flair been so far? Several times in this maneuver here, Stratton tried to reverse,
17:16but Flair just had too many answers!
17:18She fought her like three different times, trying to escape!
17:21Sit-down powerbomb comes through, not enough to finish Tiff, though!
17:24Well, that look on the face of Flair told you, you know she thought she would be home and dry at this point!
17:29Yeah, I mean, the frustration could be setting in, and disdain too!
17:33Our champions fighting! Tiffany Stratton showcasing a grid tonight that I don't think a lot of people knew!
17:43Big elbow!
17:45That step-up kick by Charlotte, and now Flair, and you know what she's doing here?
17:52This is very clear, she was going to try to injure the leg to set up the figure eight, the submission hold, by Charlotte!
17:57Tiffany able to scoot away!
18:00Well, if someone is your athletic equal, take out a knee, and suddenly they are no longer!
18:06And now dictating the pace of this one, dismissively, is Charlotte Flair!
18:11I was going to say, remember, Tiffany Stratton, not the only one in this match that has a gorgeous moonsault!
18:19Charlotte to the top rope, the champion though, continuing to fight!
18:23What grit shown by Stratton so far!
18:25Charlotte Flair thought she had enough time!
18:28Tiffany Stratton got up there with the quickness!
18:31And he saved her!
18:35Charlotte fighting back, drops the champ!
18:37Again, Tiffany just keeps getting back in the fight!
18:43It's unbelievable, truly!
18:44Incredible durability from the champ!
18:48But every time there's a window of opportunity for Stratton, it gets shot in a heartbeat by Flair!
18:54Tiffany landed on her feet, Flair went for the boot, Tiffany sidestepped again, Stratton now drops Flair!
18:59On the back of her head, could this be it to retain?
19:04Charlotte just gets the shoulder up!
19:06This is really turning into an endurance battle by these two fine athletes!
19:12This war of attrition, and Tiffany is still living in there and dropping some heavy artillery!
19:18Of course, Charlotte equal to it!
19:21Pop-up spinebuster here by Tiffany Stratton!
19:25Guys, this is just night one, Wrestlemania Saturday!
19:28Over 60,000 expected again tomorrow for Wrestlemania Sunday!
19:33On a day that'll kick off with the countdown show!
19:37And then again, Wrestlemania!
19:39The last Wrestlemania for John Cena!
19:41Tomorrow night, Charlotte Flair, Tiffany Stratton, WWE Women's title!
19:49Flair gonna climb up to the top rope, and again, a resilient Stratton!
19:54Back to her feet, how much does she have left?
19:56Charlotte Flair, cross body, lateral press was rolled through by Stratton!
20:01For the win, and a kick out by Flair again!
20:04I didn't think she kicked out!
20:06But don't admire your handiwork, Tiffany!
20:09Get back on the offense, because you know Charlotte Flair is gonna...
20:13And that's what Charlotte Flair did, driving the champ into the second turnbuckle!
20:16And it's those split seconds that make all the difference at the very top level like this!
20:21That's the difference between good and great!
20:24Taking advantage of those situations that arise!
20:26Tiffany Stratton may well have hit a real roadblock tonight at Wrestlemania,
20:30after a fine championship reign!
20:32Charlotte taking high risk here!
20:34Stratton's outside the rank, back up to the apron!
20:36Charlotte may have been going for the moonsault!
20:38I think Charlotte may have hurt that knee!
20:40The brace that covers the surgically repaired knee!
20:43Stratton realized it weighed and went right after the knee!
20:45Yeah, it's all fair game right now!
20:48Sportsmanship has completely gone out of the window!
20:52And that catastrophic, surgically repaired knee injury that has played Charlotte Flair is now a bullseye!
20:59And now using the good leg for a kick on Stratton, trying to win the championship!
21:03Stratton's got a kick again!
21:05I mean, almost immediately, Tiffany Stratton right to that knee as soon as you saw weakness!
21:10I love that!
21:10Yeah, it was incredible! Great ring awareness by Stratton!
21:16It's immediately one for the attack!
21:18Charlotte Flair, desperation kick!
21:20Well now there's fear in the mind of Charlotte Flair, who knows full well that her opponent
21:25has a target!
21:26If you're Charlotte Flair, you want to put this one to bed as quickly as possible!
21:29I'm going to!
21:30They always questioning the health of the body part that's gone under such a surgery!
21:35Now Charlotte Flair looking to punish the knee of the champion!
21:38She said, if my knee's not great, neither is yours!
21:41And again, wearing out the legs, Wade, will set up Charlotte for the devastating
21:46figure eight finishing submission hold!
21:49Yeah, and Charlotte may not just want to win this one and become a 15-time world champ!
21:53Why don't you take out your bitterest enemy in the process, put her on the shelf,
21:58let her experience what you had to go through in 2024!
22:03Again, back to the knee of Tiffany Stratton, and the champ finds herself falling away on one leg now!
22:09And now we're going to learn a lot about Tiffany Stratton tonight!
22:12Charlotte going to go to the figure four!
22:14Can she bridge into the figure eight with the champ in trouble?
22:17Trying to bridge into the figure eight!
22:19Does Charlotte have enough in her knees?
22:21The injured knee!
22:22As Charlotte says, tap out! Tap out!
22:25And now mocking the champion, taunting the champion!
22:28And again, the bad knee! Attacking the bad knee!
22:30Great strategy by Stratton here!
22:32Well, Freg a little ahead of herself, forgot to protect that knee in the process,
22:37as she was goading Stratton, and allowed Stratton away out of trouble!
22:42And again going for the figure four, she couldn't bridge enough with the injured knee,
22:47and now Stratton back to the knee!
22:49The fact that she couldn't deliver the figure eight may have cost her here, Wade!
22:52That knee just turned inside out, it bended sideways!
22:55Because the, uh, the brace has been loosened!
22:59And Stratton now!
23:01It's offering zero protection to Flair's knee now!
23:04And now Stratton looking to climb up top, Charlotte Flair's in trouble, knee exposed!
23:08His prettiest moves, Charlotte fell up with the knees up by Charlotte, but did the damage!
23:14Go to Charlotte's knee! Charlotte!
23:18Kick out at two by Stratton!
23:20Oh, Charlotte Flair putting it all on the line here by Hook or by Crook, she is gonna win number 15!
23:28She may well need another leg surgery after this one, but what a moment!
23:32A precise timing there from Charlotte Flair, that knee to the gut of Stratton, just as she was about to close in on victory!
23:42Charlotte sacrificing her surgically repaired knee to block the moonsault by Stratton!
23:48Those are the stakes, it's Wrestlemania, championship gold on the line against the most personal rivalry we've had in years!
23:56Charlotte Flair, of course, one of three women, to main event Wrestlemania for the very first time!
24:03Knows what it's all about, to be in the spotlight, to be in the pressure!
24:07But again, the injured knee not allowing to get to the ropes quickly!
24:12Trying to get to the top rope again, Stratton's gonna meet her there!
24:14Tiffany Stratton climbing the ropes with ease, beating down Charlotte Flair!
24:20Who's gonna be able to withstand the punishment?
24:22Critical moment, Stratton dropped on her face, what does Charlotte do now?
24:30Got Tiffany Stratton in her sights, Charlotte Flair, natural selection from the top rope!
24:37Cover to win the championship! Hooks the leg, and oh my goodness, Stratton at two and three quarters!
24:42Will you see the world building on the forehead of Tiffany Stratton as her brain bounced against the mat from that natural selection?
24:51How the hell Stratton kicked it out, I will never know!
24:59Both women physically beaten, physically exhausted, hanging in the balance of the WWE Women's Championship!
25:08I promise you Cole, they're not gonna like each other at the end of this one, they will respect the physicality!
25:23The trash talking, and now slaps, and now to the bad knee, and Charlotte turning the offense around on Stratton!
25:30And again Charlotte, gonna look for the figure four and the figure eight, roll up now by Stratton!
25:34Charlotte rolls through, trying to power Stratton up here!
25:39It's counter for counter, power for power!
25:41He gave out a bit!
25:44It's about whose frame is gonna give out first!
25:48And Charlotte into the second turnbuckle!
25:50Head off the turnbuckle there Cole!
25:52Yeah, critical move!
25:54Tiffany Stratton
25:55Send Charlotte whiplash into the corner!
26:00Not sure if she got all of it, but may have gotten enough!
26:03The back of the head of Charlotte Flair ricocheting against that second buckle!
26:08You're right Cole, whiplash, that's like a car crash at 60 miles an hour, this deep into a match!
26:14Another rolling sent time by Stratton!
26:16She has Charlotte in position!
26:18This could be Tiffany Stratton's chance!
26:19Stratton, prettiest moonsault ever, connects to Charlotte Flair!
26:23Cover now, hook of the leg, what a win!
26:25At WrestleMania for Tiffany Stratton!
26:28Wow!
26:29Here is your winner, and still the WWE Women's Champion, Tiffany Stratton!
26:42It is still tippy time!
26:48What a tippy time it is!
26:51Huge win!
26:52What an epic matchup from both women!
26:56Tiffany Stratton, the championship still raised a lot!
27:01But believe me she had to win that one the hard way, that was a fight!
27:06Wade, we learned a lot about Tiffany Stratton tonight!
27:10When it comes to toughness, when it comes to stamina, when it comes to resilience, she battled back at every turn!
27:18Pure grit against the greatest in history, who wants that connected!
27:23Look at the bruise on the forehead of Stratton!
27:26How on earth the brain reset that quickly to kick out and still stay in the fight!
27:33And this is where Stratton was on the roll to victory!
27:36The world's prettiest moonsault connected!
27:40This time Charlotte could not get the knees off!
27:43Charlotte was a beaten woman, take nothing away from the queen of the industry!
27:48Tonight was just not her night, Stratton!
27:51Hats off you, sheer brilliance!
27:54Congratulations, in what is a career-defining moment!