After taking a hiatus to assist her father in his legit health issues, Flair returned to "SmackDown" on September 19, thanking the WWE Universe for her family's support. Later that night, she won a fatal four-way match to become the number one contender for the SmackDown Women's Championship. At Hell in a Cell on October 8, Natalya retained her title over Flair as she attacked her with a steel chair, causing a disqualification victory for Flair. On the November 14 episode of "SmackDown", Flair defeated Natalya in a rematch to win the title in her hometown, becoming the first woman's wrestler to win the Divas, NXT, Raw and SmackDown Women's Championship. With the win, Flair replaced Natalya in the interbrand champion vs. champion match against Raw Women's Champion Alexa Bliss at Survivor Series, which Flair won. A month later, at Clash of Champions on December 17, Flair retained the title against Natalya in a lumberjack match.