While the July 18 edition of Friday Night Smackdown was in San Antonio, Texas, the Carolina Panthers were represented. One of WWE’s most popular female stars donned the blue and black as she was victorious in her match.
In a nod to her hometown, fans took notice on social media of the gear choice. With a tag team championship match at Summerslam approaching, this women’s wrestler opened Smackdown with a bang.
Charlotte Flair’s Gear was Inspired by the Carolina Panthers
Just the other day, Axios caught up with Charlotte to discuss her hometown. Here she is, a few days later, wearing blue and black for a singles match on Smackdown.
“Winning or losing, I’m a Charlotte native. There’s not many of us, so all of the Charlotte teams I’m pulling for,” Charlotte said. Ashley Mahoney and Maxwell Millington confirmed the Panthers and Hurricanes are her two favorite teams.
Ballantyne is the area where Flair grew up in. She is the daughter of the infamous Ric Flair who’s resume speaks for itself. Even though Ric was born in Memphis, TN, Charlotte was always the city he was billed from during his days as a wrestler.
Back in 2013-2014, Cam Newton’s Panthers team took after “The Nature Boy”. They used his signature “WOOO” chant en route to a 12-4 season. Newton was long a fan of Ric, and now the Panthers legacy continues to run through the Flair family.
As a 14-time singles champion, Charlotte also had two reigns as NXT Women’s Champion. Add in her Tag Title reign with Asuka and that makes 17 WWE Title reigns for “The Queen”. Her father was known for holding the record for most World Titles in his career with 16.
Fans React to Charlotte’s Nod to the Panthers
Accompanied to the ring by Alexa Bliss, fans were quick to notice Charlotte’s color choices. The black and blue was a clear indicator of her Charlotte roots.
“Ok, Charlotte Flair in the Panthers colors! I see you!” one fan said. Another commented, “Charlotte wore Carolina Panthers colors on Smackdown. Actual great look.”
https://t.co/1IiL6a3uqk pic.twitter.com/F8xpJmo2SR
— kai (@iintrlde) July 19, 2025
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This fan questioned, “Wait was this gear Carolina Panthers inspired?” as it was never confirmed. Ultimately, there’s little chance it would’ve been a sheer coincidence. Flair left it up to the fans to recognize, which many were able to do.
WWE Superstars Goldberg and Elijah Holyfield, both have ties to the Panthers. There’s no set “WWE Night” theme or anything like that planned, but the world of sports entertainment has run through their organization in the past. If anything, Charlotte will look to make an appearance at a game this year.
A Look Ahead to the Panthers Season
Bryce Young once again leads the charge as the Panthers look to avoid another fourth place finish. Carolina has two weeks to prepare for their first division game, which happens to be their home opener. The Atlanta Falcons come to town on Week 3 after opening their season at Jacksonville and Arizona.
Depending on the chemistry between Young and Tetairoa McMillan, there’s a real chance this Panthers team could start 2-0. They don’t have their bye until Week 14, with three of their final four games in the division.
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