Hard to focus on your title when your father is galavanting around

Asuka & Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax

Women’s tag team title match

The champs just aren’t focused.

When Charlotte Flair returned to team with Asuka and challenge Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax for the tag team titles, they were focused at the task at hand. The hadn’t teamed before. Charlotte was a last minute addition for the MIA, and maybe injured, Lana (remember that?), but they had their eyes on the prize.

Fast forward just a month later and we’re set for a rematch, but now the champions have their attention elsewhere.

Charlotte is dealing with issues with her dad, particularly that her dad is likely engaged in a sexual relationship with Lacey Evans. Now the possibility is there that the married with child ex-marine (all established within kayfabe during her babyface feud with Bayley) is just manipulating Ric Flair for other reasons. I’m not entirely sure what those reasons would be given Charlotte is not world champion right now, and she’s the only person this would affect.

Or maybe they are boning. Who knows? This is the Nature Boy we’re talking about.

You’d think growing up as Ric Flair’s daughter, Charlotte would be used to her father trying to pick up her friends and coworkers. It’s probably just a skeevy reality of life in the Flair household. But it is clearly distracting the Queen that her father isn’t just messing around with Lacey Evans but scorned his own daughter to do so.

Meanwhile, Asuka has been made look like a punk at the hands of Alexa Bliss two weeks in a row.

After joining Alexa Bliss two weeks ago in her playground, the women’s champ was a bit freaked out as Bliss talked to someone who wasn’t there (presumably the Fiend). They had a match later in the evening where Bliss unveiled the ability to turn into an unstoppable monster herself (though without the creepy Fiend mask) and defeated the Raw Women’s champion.

This led to a title match the next week that seemed to be heading the same way. Asuka looked soundly defeated by the demon Bliss when a burned Randy Orton RKO’d Alexa, indirectly saving the champ’s hide.

That may be in the rearview mirror for Asuka, but it’s still a jarring two weeks. She ran up against something she could not defeat twice in a row. Surely that’s preoccupying her.

Meanwhile, the challengers aren’t distracted. They’re ready to win back their gold. Sure, Nia Jax is dealing with some “losers” and “whiners” but that’s nothing new. It’s not the same as dealing with your father boinking your co-worker or losing to a demonic presence.

With the champs’ eyes off the ball, the former champs have a strong chance to win that gold back. We’ll see if they can take advantage.

Asuka & Charlotte Flair defend their Women’s tag team champions against Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler tomorrow at the Royal Rumble, starting at 7 PM ET on the WWE Network. And keep it here to CagesideSeats.com for all of your Royal Rumble coverage.

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