If Charlotte Flair retired tomorrow, she’d have a legitimate claim of being the greatest female wrestler of all-time. At the very least, she’s right there in the conversation among a small handful.
When the 14-time world champion tore her ACL, MCL and meniscus during a match with Asuka in December 2023, there was a chance she would have to think about her wrestling mortality.
Flair, who turns 39 at the start of April, suffered a nightmare 2024 in her own words. Not only was she out of action for the entire calendar year, but she also endured a divorce with fellow WWE superstar Andrade.
But now, The Queen is proud to be back better than ever and has a looming WrestleMania showdown with perhaps the women’s division’s brightest shining star, SmackDown Women’s champion, Tiffany Stratton.
Mail Sport caught up with Flair during WWE’s tour through Europe for the first time during the Road to WrestleMania and it’s clear she’s determined to remind people just how good she is.
Charlotte Flair is already a legendary performer, but the 38-year-old has much more to give
Flair with her father Ric Flair, commonly revered as one of the all-time greats in pro wrestling
Alex McCarthy: ‘Being out for so long and at this point in your career when you’ve done so much, how difficult was it to be on the sidelines? Or, did you maybe enjoy taking a break?’
Charlotte Flair: ‘Oh, 2024 kicked my ass, like it kicked it over and over and over. But time away gave me perspective, it gave me clarity. And it just made me realise that I would choose this again and again and again and gave me more hunger.
When I came back and when I was in gorilla before I made my entrance for the Royal Rumble, I really had like this personal feeling that I, you know, this expectation or this thought that people thought I was gonna come back older and less than.
Yes I would be a year older but less than like understandably so because I had what could have been a career ending injury, but I took all those things very personal and if anyone knows who I am and what I stand for or my character that was never going to happen. So, I was just more excited to be like, “y’all Charlotte flair is back.”
McCarthy: ‘I mean it was it was it extra gut wrenching at the time as well because it felt like you was in a real groove just before you went away. An overdue babyface run you were clearly enjoying’
Flair: ‘I know, right? Can you believe it!?’ [laughs].
McCarthy: ‘The reaction you got after winning the Royal Rumble, are you anticipating that from the fans?’
‘I think there is a misconception that people are like “oh, Charlotte Flair is good” or that I was trying to be good. I keep going and not that she’s trying to be good or she’s trying to be bad – no. Charlotte Flair is above being good and bad. She is just Charlotte Flair. She’s the end all be all of women’s wrestling.
‘I am the end-all be-all of women’s wrestling. Now that I have learned from every opportunity I have learned from every opponent. I’ve learned from every scenario to me you’re either wooing or booing. Get on board, learn to love it.
‘I am who I am. It’s different town to town, event to event. Like I wrestled in Nottingham against Piper and they were woos. She got the boos. But the night before I got the boos. I love that I can take people on that roller coaster. Either way, yeah, if we don’t hear anything then we worry!’
Flair is looking to become a 15-time world champion at Stratton’s expense
McCarthy: ‘I do think this, this dynamic with you and and Tiffany Stratton is pretty cool because I know from speaking to Tiffany before, you’re like her idol basically and that she’s looked up to you so much. That segment you had the other week where you two were talking back and forth. I liken it a little bit to when Cena and Roman had an exchange that was fairly similar.
‘I don’t know if you can recall what I’m talking about here, but a lot of people felt Cena taught Roman a lesson on the mic that day. Is that what you were trying to do here? Saying “This is what it’s all about in WrestleMania season?”‘
Flair: ‘It’s great that you said teach her a lesson – I did not look at it as a lesson. I looked at it as I am Charlotte Flair. Do you want me to be less than? This is what you wanted, right? This is who you want to be like, this is your idol.
‘OK. So 2019, Trish Stratus wanted to come back and I kept thinking to myself, Trish Stratus wants to come back and wrestle me. Oh, I have to be as good as she thinks I am, like I can’t be less than. “Charlotte Flair is that good that I have to come back.”
Flair and Stratus was a dream match that finally happened in 2019
‘She’d been gone for how many years? Yeah, now she makes, you know, a lot more regular appearances, but that’s all that’s going through my head.
‘This is a similar situation. I am going to be as good as everyone thinks I am, and now I feel like I’m even that much better because 2024 did kick my ass and it did give me the clarity and it did like the spark like no, my career is on my time and I’m coming for everything. I’ve done my homework.
‘WrestleMania is the easy part for me. WrestleMania is my domain.’
McCarthy: ‘Undeniably! That’s also a good one to pivot to as well, because I feel there are parallels to when you worked with Rhea. When you first beat her, some fans moaned that Rhea didn’t get the win, but all these years later she’s a huge star.
‘You know it’s crazy. Rhea and I have a beautiful body of work. That WrestleMania match, fantastic. No audience, but imagine if had that first WrestleMania match been in front of a crowd. Then when we were in front of a crowd at Money in the bank.
‘Right after COVID, that match was great and then the triple threat SummerSlam with Nikki [Cross]. There’s so many unbelievable – and that’s a strong word – but we’ve had a great matches. Yeah, it’s a similar .
McCarthy: ‘It’s pleasing to see you’ve played a pivotal role for her, right?’
Flair: ‘This is what I’m talking about – undeniably. Absolutely. And WrestleMania 39! All of them, because I can’t say a favourite, but they all have brought out a different side of me and challenged me in a different way and had pivotal moments in each one.’
Ripley and Flair have had two matches at WrestleMania with both critically acclaimed
McCarthy: ‘WrestleMania in general has been a staple for you’
If you look at my resume: 32 was the inaugural RAW Women’s champion, you know, the three of us had one opportunity to steal the show. We stole the show, but I was the first ever, champ and retired the Divas Championship.
Then you had 33 in Orlando, Bayley won, but then 34 with Asuka and everything that Asuka represents and stands for. And it was the first singles on a WrestleMania match since Mickey and Trish.
And what we did in the magic, like iron sharpens iron, you know, two pivotal moments. Natty [Natalya] put me on the map in NXT, but Asuka cemented my legacy at WrestleMania or helped cement my legacy. Then you have 35, the first-ever women’s main event.
Then you have 36 and the COVID and we were the first women to wrestle for the NXT championship on the grandest stage. So again that was history.
Then you have Ronda, who I have so much respect for her. Then beating her knowing what she’s done for women’s wrestling and then history at 35 and then like there’s so many, they all have meaning.
McCarthy: ‘You bring up Ronda, were you surprised at at some of her comments when she left the company?’
‘I never want to [speak for someone else]. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and everyone has their own experience, so you can never put words into someone’s mouth.
‘What I can say is, my match with Rhonda at Survivor Series and what I saw from Ronda and her level of toughness, her ability to adapt, her ability to pick up the business because remember her match with Kurt Angle and Stephanie and Triple H was one of the greatest debuts of of all time.
Flair was one of Rousey’s greatest foes during her time in WWE and they made history
‘So I’m only speaking what I know from her on a professional level and the mutual respect that she has for me. To me it’s all about respect. This industry is built on respect.
‘I talk about the things that I do know and that I do think highly of her on.’
McCarthy: ‘Last one, you said the word evolution… would you like an Evolution 2?’
‘One of my favourite matches is from the first evolution. Becky Lynch, last woman standing. One of my top three favourite matches.
There’s always rumours that it’s happening, so until it happens, I can’t say yet because we don’t know. Y’all are the ones with the scoop!
McCarthy: ‘I mean it, it feels overdue. Maybe that’s just me!’
Flair: ‘No, I mean, I think it’d be great if we have it. But I still think the goal is to have more main events and more storylines and so on. The magic that I created on the first one, if it comes to fruition, I look forward to creating more magic on Evolution 2.’
WrestleMania 41 airs live on in the UK on Saturday April 19 and Sunday April 20 and you can also catch RAW on Netflix complete with John Cena’s UK appearance at 8pm tonight
