AJ Lee & Becky Lynch Round Out Women's WarGames Teams, Flair Re-Joins On WWE SmackDown

There are eight more days until WWE descends onto San Diego for "Survivor Series: WarGames," but with both women's WarGames teams now solidified, November 29 cannot come soon enough. "WWE SmackDown" saw several major developments in the Women's WarGames storyline, from Charlotte Flair re-entering career rival Rhea Ripley's team after a tense one-on-one, to the shocking arrivals of AJ Lee and Becky Lynch in Friday's main event segment.

The night began with a private meeting between Flair and Ripley, organized by teammate and best friend Alexa Bliss. In their encounter, Ripley reiterated her views on long-time opponent Flair.

"Whatever went down between us, it was to prove who was the best," Ripley explained. "I wanted to be the best, you wanted to be the best, and I'm not saying we won't get back on that path at some point. But, for WarGames? I'm willing to put it all to the side."

Ripley credited Flair as someone she has "always respected," and singled Flair out as a woman she would want to go to war alongside. Flair accepted Ripley's olive branch, and the two shook hands to end their segment. They walked to the ring alongside each other, as comrades, later Friday night.

In Friday's main event, Ripley stood alongside Flair, Bliss, and IYO SKY to announce their fifth and final WarGames teammate. Ripley first began her in-ring segment by calling out the WarGames team of Asuka, Kairi Sane, Nia Jax, and Lash Legend, who had underestimated their unity with their sneaky, backstage attacks. Ripley praised her teammates as reliable people: Ripley commended SKY for being someone who "[comes] in swinging" at the sight of trouble, and acknowledged Flair and Bliss as "two of the most decorated women" within WWE's women's division.

"We might not be the best of friends, but at the end of the day, I know that I can trust them, and they can trust me," Ripley stated.

While SKY, Bliss, and Flair were good company, Ripley reminded the crowd that five people were needed for WarGames. At that moment, Denver lit up in pink as Lee's music was nearly drowned out by the audience's raucous cheers. Lee came out to the entrance ramp skipping, but any celebrations were quickly cut short as Asuka, Sane, Jax, and Legend appeared to flatten every member of Ripley's WarGames team.

Lee began to dash to the ring for a save, but was intercepted by a charging Lynch. Lynch neutralized Lee before assisting Jax with her A-Nia-lator attempt onto Ripley. Asuka, Sane, and Legend ran the rest of Ripley's teammates out as Lynch joined the ring. Friday's final "SmackDown" shots showed Lynch and Asuka in a firm handshake, thus solidifying "The Man's" entrance into San Diego's double-cage spectacle.

Lee and Lynch's introduction into WarGames comes after Lee's return on the November 16 episode of "WWE Raw," where she was seen talking to Ripley after causing Lynch to drop her Women's Intercontinental Championship to Maxxine Dupri.