Charlotte Flair

it's good to just kind of come in. No no agenda, no no rhyme, no reason, no rhyme, no reason, just uh, just just enjoying life. Okay, okay, any new developments, man, there's a lot of new developments. Um so pretty cool. UM coach Bobby Ingram UH former coach, former player Baltimore Ravens. He's the tight ends coach. Used to be my wide

receiver's coach. Good friend of mine as well. He played with Seattle Seahawks, UM, and so we we became friends when he was coaching me and then become frames over time. And so his son, Dean Ingram, is a corner at UH University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Badger and Darren Baltimore. So they're driving down and we're gonna you know, he's also he played wide receiver in high school, so he moved a corner, so they actually got him playing both both ways.

He's played both ways in Wisconsin. Now, yeah, he's gonna playing going into this year, he's gonna be playing both ways. So it's pretty cool. And so I get to work out this weekend with him, and I'm actually looking forward to it. And that's rarely because you don't. You don't don't do that. You don't work guys out. I know you. You You get plenty, plenty, plenty offers that you know, and you don't take them. I don't take them, and and I think I'm in a place where I can't.

I'm excited to take this one because it's not competition. There's no Am I good enough? Right? I have a pair of clicks I got I got a few, three or four pairs of clicks still left in in the attic. But I think I may want to go buy me some clicks. So you get you getting festive. I just want to go buy me some clicks, I think, yeah, just because I don't want to put on old clicks,

because there's the clicks I warm when I played. Now we're getting somewhere, and I just I don't know how I feel about that, So I'd rather go by a pair on sale or a pair to try that maybe

I wanted to try or thought. You know, I used to be a rebox for about ten twelve years, and then I moved to under armor when I went to UH in Carolina for about three years and then Baltimore, and I think the under armour ones really is associated with playing, and I'm not really sure that I want to put those on just because be associated with playing light. I still have all my cliques. First of all, Carolina still has in in their storage right now. They have

like six and seven boxes of my locker stuff still there. Uh. The Baltimore Ravens sent me after a full cycle year of me not playing, they finally sent me my locker stuff, like all my cleats and all my gloves. So right now in my in my attic, I have probably about four or five pairs of Baltimore Raven cleaks. And then I got all obviously all my significant uh rebok in Carolina blowing black cleats. But what really says that I'm

still a person at keeps up with his craft. Is I still got all my gloves, so I have my under armour Carolina Baltimore. Just you name it glove, so I can always I can bring out the pack of gloves anytime. So when you say you didn't really want to dust office, is it like a it's like a Pandora's box kind of thing, or it's just so emotionally drawn to it. I'm not emotionally drawn to it. I'm more of understanding that this opportunity with Dean is a

teaching moment, not a competition moment. Okay, teaching moment. Explain the difference. So competition is I put on my cleeks and my gloves. You got a corner, he's gonna jam me up. And this bragging rights and all this stuff. No teaching is Let's talk about the nuances, the small little things, tricks of the trade, mastering your craft, understanding finding loopholes, understanding why and what right to where, the why, the how the whin the where not the I want

a loss, let me quick jam you. I picked you off. It's not about that. It's about all the little things me and I had to text my my trainer, which my body guy so looking to see is a space in between his backpeller or runner wide receiver routes? Is it functional? Is he doing wasteless space? Right? Is it too much space? He's wasted all these little two nuances that only another craftsman would understand. So is it is it safe to say this is a sniff of coaching?

Almost because the way you said t I mean one with someone's gonna listen to that and say, oh, he's coaching this kid up. So what's the difference between the teaching and coaching. Well, one, this person is teachable, and this person desires to be taught, not desired to be talked to see talked to? Is what all these people want? I want. I want to train with you. No, I'm not training, first of all, because you're training to play.

I'm training to not be fat. There's a big difference, right, I'm training just to get a cardiovascular exercise to keep my all three chambers of my heart going. Right, You're training to do something that I know longer want to do. And so that's the difference. And then Dean is very teachable. He respects me, I respect him. Uh, he knows he's he's coming down taking out of his time. So I'm gonna honor that he's taking out this time. And then I'm he's honoring that I'm taking out of my time.

So we're gonna get after that. I think we're doing uh to training sessions on on on Sunday, a little bit some stuff. I look at some stuff on Saturday. Then we'll get we'll we'll get down in dirty. Two sessions on Sunday and then one session on Monday. Well, you you better stay the disclaiming because people are gonna listen to this and they're gonna think smithy shop is open. I'm gonna hit you up and they're gonna want you to train them or teach them or give them games.

So you you, you might want to put a disclaimer out there that this ain't This ain't for any and everybody. It's not. But I'm also not in a space where I can dedicate a lot of that time. And one of the other things is too is people think that my time isn't valuable, right, And when I say valuable, people think, oh, you're talking about money, don't talking about what I have to do. So this weekend m As I do that, I'm also taken away from the time

at the house. Right Saturday mornings is we me and Ducey usually fill up the bird feeder, put out the woodpecker um feeder because it's been eight up and the birds come. We average about fifteen sixteen birds in our backyard. Um, so you got the bird feeder. Uh, you know, just whatever stuff is needed to be done around the house with the wife. Boston has a basketball tournament, so it's a lot of moving parts that are required. That it's not money, it's something I can't get back, which is

my time. So that that that's why it's this. This is not a something that where oh I'll pay you, and you know, because that's not where I'm at. You know, I don't I don't think I'm qualified and I have the right mind frame or the state of mind to really kind of do it as a full time gig or training because it's just it's tough to do right well if you gotta request and they're gonna happen over here. What I'm looking forward to it though, so you know,

maybe who knows, maybe in the future. I know some people have asked me what I do. Maybe in the future I may do a little bit more than what I do now, which is pretty much nothing. Right, So some people have asked me. I've asked me, uh man, would you do a uh university or wide receivers? You know, you know why? Too many not dolls? You know? I get that. Yeah, And according to a lot of people, right man, I was just I was. I was allowed mouth.

So so I'll just keep allowed mouth to myself. So who we got in advance of w w E Summer Slam up next on the cut to a podcast, We've got w w E superstar Charlotte Flair. She's won the women's championship thirteen times and she's the daughter of legendary Rick Flair. Be careful, she might just throw you in the figure eight leg lot. Charlotte Flare's on the cut to a podcast. Well, we're about to get into our first statement. It's called get iced up. It's gonna go

ahead and give it the first one. They're super random, so just get ready. Alright, First of all, are you your stage name or your birth government name? Your government name? I prefer Queen Way to escalate it. Alright, Okay, so how did you pick Charlotte as the name, so I kind of think it was a joke on me at first. But when I started at f c W, which was the developmental territory for w W, which is now an xt our third brand, they asked you to submit names.

So I was like, I don't know. My middle name is Elizabeth, maybe Elizabeth, and then there's miss Elizabeth, miss Ashley, and then I love Sex in the City. So I was like, oh, I love the name Charlotte, but I don't know I'm from Charlotte. I don't know, and I I think I requested a few others. I'm not I don't even remember, but they came back and they were like, oh, yeah, we love Charlotte. But my first match, the commentators were like,

it's Charlotte from Charlotte, North Carolina. So I was like, oh, that sounds terrible. I was like, you got you to say the Queen City. So that's how that all came up, just because it sounded terrible on commentary. So you're telling us it wasn't necessarily where you're from. First, it was from doll going Sex in the City, where you got inspired by Charlotte. Well for me it was, but I think for them it was like, well, Rick's build from Charlotte,

so well, name or Charlotte, but Charlotte from Charlotte. So what hidden talents do you have that no one else knows about until today? I don't think any. I don't think I could eat a large pizza and one sitting like a normal large pizza. That's pretty impressive. Yeah, that's impressive.

That would make me super bloated. You think that's when you see me at the gym and like my sweet sweatbelt for like two hours doing the You're gonna you're gonna need it all right, favorite old school wrestler not named Flair Anderson, Okay, right, she hit it with the uncle. We know a little bit of wrestling, so we knew that was from the from from the four four Horsemen. So my wrestling history is dated, but I stayed there

because that's where it's most comfortable identified with it. I also it's kind of that sweet spot where I used to watch, Uh, I used to watch wrestling with my grandpa. So it's it's that it's that little happy place for me. So yeah, dad, finished move was the figure four? Yours is the figure eight twice as good? So the next flares its very flaish, right there. Finished move would be what because you got four eight? Well, I mean exactly the face you just made, exactly what I was thinking.

I'm like, what is the next person? The next? What are you gonna do? Oh? I don't know, see you to think about that? You're so selfish. She is so honestly, I don't even know if I would want my daughter to wrestle on my kids. I don't know. M M. We have to dive into that, right I want to. We'll come back there. What's your favorite finishing move? I ain't gonna lie. This is so this is so random.

But I used to love the sleeper move with Brutus the barber beefcake and then they would cut their hair when they were oh yeah, when he used to put them to sleep. I remember that. What was the cross face chicken Wayne Bob Backling? What you know about that? Nothing? I know? I know wrestling wrestling, first of all, the same thing I did, the same thing I watched wrestling with my granddaddy. Cross face chicken wings. Yes, this is the last one, and I think we may have her.

Are you ready? How many letters are in the alphabet? I told you we are getting I knew it because I say, how did I say the other day? How many did I say? All right, I put you out there. So we're just we're just we'll just say you had the first land alphabet. It's it's don't google it. Are you googling? Yeah? Don't google. Yes, listen, it doesn't matter how many degrees you have or what school you went too. Just on the spot, on the spot, nobody really knows

how many alphabets on the latter. I mean, let us alphabet. You just don't go. You don't walk around with that kind of knowledge. Just on the whim. How many teeth do you have in your mouth? I don't. You're saying this rooking house count really fake account. Doesn't want even break? So break what happened? You walked into it? I was going I was on class over. So we started off by said, I said, hey, let me see smile. Now, last week in your training, what happened? What's your fronts? No,

it's not public knowledge. So this started. Gosh. I had been like six or seven, all right, was riding my bike in Providence Plantation in Charlotte, off the Providence Road, and I went over the handlebars and knocked out four front teeth and they were able to put I think like two or three back in. And then I just had one tea. It was one tooth missing, and I remember they like connected it with something so like the

teeth could heal back. Like we literally two of them or three of them were found in my sweatshirt and my mom put them in milk. We went to the dentist or whatever orthodonist, dentnist, I don't know. They had different paradonist, I don't know. Um. And then in middle school, seventh grade and cheerleading, a girl knocked him out. And then the same girl, the same girl a year later again, so this is this That was around two yeah, but three rounds. So the same girl seventh grade knocked him out,

eighth grade knocked him out the same ones. Okay, hold on, hold on, let's go back. So you took the first ale from the bike. What kind of bike was it? Was? It like a Barbie bike, my little pony, It was a Barbie bike, all right? And then and then you took another ale by the same person. This was a person. This was the second time. Was a person she bobbed you?

Was it an accident. So I was a fourth baseman, so like the girl, and I think that was and cheerly, like you know when you based the flyers, okay, and her nickname was her nickname was duck actually, and she came down with her arm. And then the next year the same thing knocked it again, not the second the first time you cried, the second time you cursed. I mean I was just like, I'm not meant to And

then besides have been like three years ago. I don't remember. Yeah, three years ago I was in Germany on tour and Carmela knocked my bridge out and I finished the match, but then they had to fly me home from Germany our first night, I think it was like our first night and just gave me a new bridge. And then just last week I cracked my bridge. So I just have had bad luck. We have to take a break and the morning thing, we gotta pay some bills. You

got checks. I love cut to It, and I love it even more when you download us and subscribe, and you can follow us on social media too, Smithie, where where at at? Cut to It? On Instagram? What about Twitter? At? Cut to It? Facebook? Cut to It featuring Steve Smith Sr. What about online? And you can follow Louis at cut to It podcast dot com where you can buy merch and you can subscribe to this wherever you listen to podcasts. I got all my answers questions. Um, yeah, I got

all my questions answered. That's what I'm here for, a brother, cut to a podcast dot com. Growing up as a kid, what was your favorite team or sport or both? Probably gymnastics growing up mm hmmm why Um, just because I was a gymnast until middle school and not until like middle school in high school did I really venture out. That's when I started playing volleyball, basketball, softball. So yeah.

And I loved watching the Olympics, like the Olympics like just so for some reason just stands out to me. That group of girls, like the Magnificent Seven. Yeah, that was classic. That was classic. I loved watching it. Did you have any teams that you rooted for? Oh, like football teams? Well, the Panthers, Um Panthers and then the Hornets at the Old Colosseum. That was amazing, original, the original bless Sea with my dance team. I mean I was so little, but look at you, she's flexing all

through she's been flexing. Just used to the spotlight. Where are you from and the place you call your hometown? Oh, Charlotte born and raised. Not many of us, it's not, and you don't live here. I love Florida the weather because as much as I travel, it's just nice coming home to sunshine. Plus Mews Performance Center is that of Orlando,

so it's just easier for me. Yeah, because actually I moved back to Charlotte, yeah, like three years ago, and I was only there for like six months because it was just the schedule is different for what I do than my friends that are still in Charlotte. So like when it's a Wednesday and I'm ready to go, Their work weeks Monday through Friday. So it was kind of lonely and then I don't know, it's just easier having the Performance Center in Orlando next door if I need

to do something. So, but I love Miami, so maybe that's the next place. So what was your experience growing growing up in Charlotte as Rick Flair's daughter, Because you know, growing up in Charlotte is one thing. It's all different, but you know, growing up with an iconic dad, I'm assuming uh had to be a little bit different for you. Well, Charlotte was so small. I mean, I just feel like in the recent years, it's you know, a place to

live or a place to move. But because I went to the same school, well, preschool, and I would to Providence Day until high school from kindergarten high school, so I was around the same kids and they were just used to my dad, So I didn't really mean the little area where we lived, everyone was used to him, So I didn't really realize how well known he was, I guess, or famous, because I was like, oh, it's

just my dad wrestles. I didn't know any different. So not until college and I go, ah, this is kind of cool, my dad's famous. Like it didn't really because my dad I had done stuff for my school all growing up, and then I went to a Providence high school to finish school and people were just used to him in South Charlotte, so it wasn't a big deal. And I was such a homebody and the only time I traveled was really for sports. Um, so not until

college was like, oh man, my dad's famous. So would you say when you start to realize that your dad was famous and how famous and how iconic you was. Did it start to change things? Did it start to make things a little bit complicated for you? No? I mean kids had like when I played um volleyball and basketball for school sports like the heckling. The heckling for me like the wooze and my dad with the cow bells and stuff. I had been used to it since

middle school. I think it just really didn't register or bother me till I started wrestling. When people were like, oh, he's only wrestling, or she only got in or can wrestle because of her dad being Rich Flair, And I'm like, excuse me, I like, I don't know how to put it, like super athletic, that you don't know what you're talking about. I mean that's when it really started to impact me. And that was my late twenties when I started wrestling.

So yeah, I think for my brothers it probably impacted them more than it did me because I was always doing my own thing. So as a kid, what was your safe haven? Just being home and my mom and dad. Yes, I mean people think that it was super wild, but I mean I wasn't really around that. My dad didn't have my little brother and I um out there around like like a celebrity scene or trying. I mean, I wasn't trying to get into movies or acting or anything. I just I played sports and I went to school.

That was it. And my dad was already beat your breakfast. You have to see the trainer, like, get me with the trainer. Since like a moment I could walk like it wasn't. I didn't have a crazy like some I mean, like I knew when he when my mom and dad had Christmas parties for their Gold's gym, like things would get a little crazy, but we always had to go back to our room, so it wasn't with the adults. Man,

that's like a rule. Nothing I mean did it was weird like different, like, oh my dad's a lawyer, Oh my dad's a wrestler, like I mean it. I don't think it impacted me that because it was my whole life. I didn't know anything different. Maybe if my dad had had me in that scene, then yeah, but I wasn't, you know. I think it's one of the interesting parts about you is a lot of people don't really know You've done such a great job of keeping your privacy,

like you're out there, but you're not out there. You can you make sure that you keep your privacy But a lot of people don't know. I think you want to. You know, you went to college and play volleyball app state, right, but yet you're this bona fide superstar, right, like you said,

crazy athletic. But and I'm assuming and guessing just based off the conversation and a little bit I know about you that you're also very quiet, and you keep to yourself, and you you are sometimes overthinker, right, you're thinking and and and listening. But people don't really have a great sense outside of your circle have grace sense how complex and how layered you are and what you present to and what you bring to the table because of you do such a good job of kind of keeping that

close to the vest. That's a yeah, well my circle small. Um. There's a writer for the company that I'm I'm close to that I've worked with for like seven or eight years, and he's like Charlotte, sometimes you have to turn off. So it's m Mike. I built this character that I wanted to be in my personal life. But like it's so like m my persona is so different than like

really who I am? Like do I am? I proud of my achievements in my athleticism, Yeah, but too constantly, like my character tries to be perfect all the time, which I am so disheveled in my real life. Like I don't like all I enjoy is like going to nice steakhouses with my friends, Like I'm not It's it's too different. Yeah, like the confidence and the independence and the game changing and what I've tried to stand for. And I guess we're not supposed to say professional wrestling,

but in sports entertainment as a whole. Um, I I just care about being the best in that, and I'm kind of just I put so I don't know how to Yeah, I mean, I don't know how it's to say it. You put all You're so driven, you put all your eggs in that basket that everything else sometimes gently gets a little bit neglected. Mm hmm. I'm just speaking from personal experience, so I'm just saying like it does. And then last year I've spent more I mean obviously

with COVID and not being able to perform. It was the first time I wasn't on the road, um since two thousand and fifteen, So that was like, what do I like to do. It's the same. What did you so, what did you discover yourself? You got a lot of time during the pandemic to spend with yourself. What what what new hobbies did you start? If you say knitting, we're done. No nothing. I mean, but um, my fiance and I built a gym in our garage. But I love working out. This is this is my favorite part. Uh,

let's talk ball. Let's just talk talk wrestling. I mean, do you have any memorable matches that you're that your dad of Vader? Um. I was gonna say Vader, but I was like, no, I gotta I gotta pull off something that's more. He was, Yeah, Starcade made it up when um he retired in Orlando against Shawn Michaels. Mm hmm. I don't know if you know this story, but I was doing the event one time and Rick was at the event and I bought his rope. So he told me to tell you that he had to do the

forty niners thing because we had Wrestlemanby in there. Yes about fresh rope for like, this is awesome, wrong, put it? I have put on absolutely it's about to be a backstage about to come. It does that. One of the reason why is there's not a picture. Rick is not extremely tall, but I'm not extremely short. However, that the whole makes me feel a little bit of conferma side. It's a little bit too big. It's got a whole

like train and stuff in nature. You gotta get your nature boy on nature Boy not I feel like the little nature boy. I mean, you got a stile and profile and that bad boy. It's slout stover Man. It looks like, yes, it does, like Steve little Nature boys Smith Senior. It's so huge, like it's it's a great ensemble, hand stitched bro. It's like a it's literally like my Daddy's like my broadpaws. It's just huge and I feel

so I'm feel so small. Social media got to put like your face on top of like I brought it and it was cool and then you know, and then you know, I think I had a glass or two at the event. It was a good idea. It was a great idea, and I saw another and I got like a couple of days later I put it on. I said, my wife goes, where are you gonna wear that? I was like, I don't know. So big, Oh, it's like, I'm five nine. I'm not five eight. I'm not five ten. I am five nine. It's hious. It makes me feel

I didn't know you had it. I'm now I'm impressed. Yeah, I bought it as nice. They wanted me to wear, Jake, So when I bought it, we were still playing back in the day, so Jake was like, man, you should wear the robe coming out of the tunnel. One day, I couldn't do it even with my pats still too big. Yes, you tried it on with your pads, yes, and I'm still little nature boy. Alright, No, not a little nature boy. She's pretty. Let me the first time. All right, let's go.

Let's transition to something else. Please. So how physical and mentally mentally demanding is becoming a w w W E superstar like yourself? It has to become your life because you're on the road more when you are at home. Um, you're always having to evolve. You're not just you know,

an athlete in the ring. You're you're an actor. You're an athlete, you're a public speaker, you're I mean, anything that they need you to be any given day, whether it's appearances, commercials, shows, Um, like the travel all over the world. I mean sometimes you're not home for a month at a time. Wow, it's crazy. There's no there's no there's no off season in wrestling unless you're hurt. How do you how do you recover in a sport that has no off season? You're just tough a sell.

Unless something you know, like someone gets injured, you usually don't have an off season. And depending on your storyline, whether you're in the title picture or not in the title picture where your own pay per views, Uh, it's um. I don't think the general public really understands all what goes into sports entertainment. Like I'm the biggest advocate trying to explain just how hard it is, like live television

every single week, live television. You know, obviously for myself, I do analysts work on live television, so I can understand that. But doing live television and using your athleticism and you're solo, like you know, playing ball is easy because you know left tackle miss is a block that the next play you can you can you can do a double team slide left. There's there's there's ways to help you know if the pump returner that the team is kicking to is really really good, you just kick

it out of time. It's a team sport. It's a team sport. You your team is there, but they're not actually in the sport. If it goes hey in the hay basket in the ring, you have to figure it off like it's on you. But so it's a team sport, but it's not like you want to look better than your opponent. No matter if you're the good guy or the bad guy, you're still like, hey, this is my body. I'm relying on you to take care of me, Like you have to have that trust within the ring um.

But it's like while you're trying to look good, tell a story, whether you're good bad, listening to the audience,

changing depending on how the audience is reacting. And then you have segments and TV commercials and cutaways, and you're dealing with the times while trying to tell a story and beating someone up and yeah, people don't really understand tactics and training and mental and physical where on your body, and and then living out of hotels, airbnbs four months, getting in the air planes, buck Covid, I'm just just just regular life that you are experiencing. That me as

a customer, you're just tuning on the TV. I just turned on TV. I don't see who wins. But you have no like like Charlotte said, the general public has no idea. I think what all goes on behind the scenes. I think more of anything is as a consumer and also understanding the business of sports. A lot of fanatics slash fans don't even care. No, they don't. They really don't see that. You can see that from the team sports side, they don't. They don't really care that, you know.

And I used to always say before I go out, if I accept the jurgy, I gotta show up the fanes in the top row or the faintness in the suite, whether it's a thousand dollar ticket or filet dollar ticket. They don't care if your pop is sick. They don't care if your grandmother or your grandfather has cancer. They honestly don't give a crap the show. And that's I think. As a performer, athlete, whatever you want to label yourself as, that's the hard part. Knowing that the show goes on

with or without you. I know that is for me as a performer, I think it's about that time just take a little breather. Good. Do it good, do good. Let's get down, do it good. Hey Gerard, why did you get that tea shirt? You mean this thing? Oh yes, I got it from cut to a podcast dot com where we have exclusive merchandise. Shout out to our guys at seven or four shot. But yeah, you can go on, buy you a T shirt, subscribe to us wherever you

listen to podcasts. One of the toughest things mentally for me that just going into talking ball and mental health is when you got injured, it almost felt like punishment. Yeah, you almost you almost was like banished. You know, like if you had crutches. There was a thing in the locker room like don't touch the crutches, right, don't you

know if you're an injured don't touch the crutches. You know you're because you're have crutches, or you're a little bit hobbled, or you're late, you have treatment, you come in late, you or you come in early. It was this kind of like like like Charlotte says that the show must go on, and you feel like you're on island or you are because people people they don't say it and tell me if I'm wrong with this or that.

They don't say it, but it does kind of come across their like better hurt in me or better him than me. I mean I need it that way. And I know people generally, like your fellow co workers, feel bad, but at the same time, like, that's a spot that's open, that's an opportunity. Now it's an opportunity. Um well, I missed WrestleMania this year due to COVID. I got it in March and they were nervous that I wouldn't be okay in time for WrestleMania and Tampa, so they immediately

took me out and replaced me with another girl. And I like, I mean, it crushed me. Like I work every year for WrestleMania. Like, after WrestleMania, I'm already thinking, Okay, what's I mean, that's been my I mean, it is our super Bowl. But to me, it's just something that or the show that I've always shined the most on. I mean, so when they replace me, you know, she's thinking, oh, I'm sorry. I mean, I'm sad. I'm sad that Charlotte

has COVID, but now I'm going to Wrestlemaniasia. So yeah, it's it yeah, but sometimes like that's you have to look at it all comes full circle, like if something doesn't happen, it's a break for whoever that opponent is that gets to come in. And she's like it all works out right, give and take in a male dominant sport, How tough has it been for you, for yourself and other women to get the get the just dude that you women deserve? So I think, because I don't know.

When I started in two thousand and two, well and here I am today. I was scared of performing. I didn't have a character. I didn't know how to wrestle. But the one thing I did believe is in myself. And I'd watch these guys even though I had no idea what went into a match or what went into a character. I just would watch and I go, well, I could do that, Well, I can do that. Well

I can do that. I can do that. And then we'd have blow up drills or conditioning drills in the ring, and there was nothing in my mind that would be like, well these guys are better than me. No, you're not. You have a character, Yes I don't, you're better performing. I don't know how to do a match. But like there is nothing like I just I never had that mindset that they were better than me. It just took

me a long time to figure out. Not a long time, but it took me time to to figure out, like, Okay, how do I have a stage presence? And then they told me, well, you can't woo, you can't do anything like your dad. And then a year later, okay, you can come out to your dad's music and your dad your manager. Like it was me just figuring out, yeah, how to be a star. That's what I didn't know. I didn't know how to be a star. I wasn't polished. I didn't know how to carry myself like I knew

the in between and the footwork and the conditioning. That was what I think. Kept like, that's what how do I say it? That's why I progressed so fast. But when I started in an x T there were three other girls that I came up with um and we just were like, we're gonna steal the show. We're gonna have the best match on the card. Like we just had this mindset and just fed off of each other.

And then in two thousand and fifteen on Raw, when the hashtag give divas a chance started trending from a man with these women, Isabella's Nicky Bree Page and Emma I believe it was the four of them started trending because their match was cut short and I could be I I might be missing a name. I know A j Lee was a part of something too, don't quote me.

But they started to give women more opportunities, and then when my group of girls debuted, I just kept thinking, like, well, if I can main event an x T, I can main event a pay per view on rour SmackDown, Okay, well I'm going to main event Wrestlemanian. I just kept saying it and saying and saying it, like so it's just mindset is everything, I guess ultimately is what I'm trying to say, and I never Uh, it's male dominated, yes,

but that just makes me want to be that much better. Like, yeah, it's male dominated, but no one's looking at my work because I'm a hot girl. They're going, well, Charlotte Russell like a guy, and that's what I try to do. Like no one's going, oh, that's a great female wrestler. No, I'm a great wrestler. Nice. Who were your who were the female influences in the business back then, and maybe who are who are those influences now? She's side of yourself.

She's one of those influences, I would say, outside of yourself, outside of myself. Um, well, definitely the women that I came up with page Uh, Emma her stage name is Emma Anymore, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Bailey, Natalia. Was this group of women that I came up with. Um, And was there anyone you looked to before? Um? I mean I really liked Tory Wilson, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Um, Molly Holly, China, But it's I didn't really know the business then, so I just looked at like all these

women are so beautiful. Like that's always why I thought like I wouldn't be a w W superstar because the women are coming out in bikinis or they were just they were just so glamorous. I played sports my whole life. I was more of like a tomboy, not until I started wrestling, so like, oh, this is how I did my makeup? Like, well, I just didn't. I just was so I couldn't picture myself. I think that's why I

just couldn't put your myself in that role. But when I figured it out, like, no, being dominant and independent and confident in a male dominated world is what makes you sexy. It's not you know, the glitz and the glam like me being like Charlotte, being Charlotte and as good as she the character is, that's what makes her, you know, Adiva, mhm, do you prefer to be the hero? No, I'm the villain, my friend? WHOA why are you the villain? Um? Because everyone thinks I am. So if you think I

am that, I'm gonna be that. Mhm. I just want to give you just want to get people what they want. Well, I mean it's not giving them what they want, but if you are, if they already have that assumption of you, then fine. Because like when I first started, I was like, why do you why? Like why why do the fans not like me? Like, yes, I look like my dad, duh, he's my fun works God, she looks like Rick. Well,

no ship her. And then they'd be like, oh, she's only here because she's Rick's daughter, or um, she's only given these opportunities because she's Ricks. I mean, it's just it's so easy and then I'm like, wait, I'm five tin, I'm athletic, and I'm blonde. Oh that's terrible. I guess okay, Like I just it was really hard, like I didn't have the like the issues growing up or in my early twenties, but then when I started to realize what my dad meant to the industry, and then it's like

it the double standard is crazy. But if I didn't have it, or if it if it wasn't there, if I didn't have the chip on my shoulder, I don't think I'd be as good as I am today because it's constantly like I have to prove you wrong, like I'm here because I'm that good, Like I shouldn't have to say, like my dad didn't put in the miles or the bumps like I have the last but if any I mean it's I would never I wouldn't change it for anything. Now. I don't wish it upon anybody,

because being a legacy or being a generation kid is hard. Um. But at the same time, it's like, come on, bring that challenge. I always tell my kids that your last name will get you in the door, but if you don't have the hard work that last name to get you out the door. I passed the torch. I took it. Yeah, because that's that's the standard. Like you being a flair. When you hear flair, you hear you know, obviously you put it towards longevity, you put it towards flair, you

put it towards flamboyant. So you also put it towards um, athleticism, moxie and the standard. Yeah. Standard, But then you got that for the second generation or for for a family name. Your name can't be the only thing that keeps you there because that's only gonna that's only gonna last so long, right, And just reading off all of your championships, all of

the stuff that you have. Let's see Women's Champion, Raw Women's Champion, w w E Champion, Women's Champion, excuse me, Diva's Champion, Women's Royal Rumber, Women's Royal Rumble match winner. Say that's seventeen times fast, and next Women's Champion and the w w E Women's Tag Team Champion. Do we leave anything off as as a triple crown winner, not a triple crown champion like yourself. I see what you did there, right? What what is what is next for

Charlotte Flair. You, I mean some of these champions five times, like the SmackDown World Women's Championship a record five times. I mean, you're only going to be able to so long. You got to accomplish something else. So that's when you asked me, like, what what hobbies did I find during COVID. I think for me, like in this moment, I didn't come this far to come this far, Like I always want to evolve and get better in the ring, but

I'm like, what is next? Like I had no idea, Like I was scared of my own shadow, Like I was timid girl from Charlotte who was just personal training, uh loss. And then here I am like I first woman of main event WrestleMania. Like I don't even care about the championships. It's the equality, the gender equality, and that we're all superstars were not divas and male superstars were all the same. Um. I just to me, it's like, Okay,

what is next? And it's trying to find what's next because I would have never in a million years believed this was going to be my life. So if I can come, I mean, it's just where do I go from here? I don't want that just to be it Like it was kind of like, oh, you've made evented WrestleMania. You may invented Helena, so you may have been in pay per views Raw SmackDown. You have all these titles like what else do you want? What do you mean? What else do I want? Like why can't I not

want more? And I should want more? Like I want to made in the wrestle Mania again. You you stated that you were a personal trainer. What made you come to the realization that you want to become a a wrestler. When I graduated two thousand and ten, UM, for like two years, my brother app off and on with me.

UM and he had a really bad drug addiction and he had been wrestling the independent scene trying to make a name for himself and wanted to get into w w E UM, I mean he just I mean my dad was his idol, Like he just wanted to be the next Rid Flare. Um. So on two thousand and twelve, we were in Miami for WrestleMania and me, my little brother, and my dad and a guy by the name of Johnny Laurnitis who was the talent hire e at the time.

We were all sitting at dinner, and I don't know if my dad had said something to Johnny like, hey, ask my real name is Ashley, asked Ashley, you know, why isn't she doing this? But I don't know if it was like more too like upset my brother to get him more motivated or to get him on the right path. So Johnny at dinner was like, so are you doing this, kid, and his like graspy voice, and I was like, I don't know. And this was in April of two thousand and twelve, and the next thing

I know, I'm like, sure, I'll do it. Like what wait, I have to move to Florida. Wait, what am I doing wrestling? What huh? And the process kept going. So the talent, another guy by the name of Canyon Sieman, called me, and then Triple H called me and he was like, you know, just because we're letting you in doesn't mean or we're giving you this opportunity. Is I mean we're going to give you reads opportunity to read

an opportunity. I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. So I showed up in July of two thousand and twelve, and then when my brother died a year later, Um, I just dedicated everything to him because I feel like I spent so much time wanting his life to be better that ultimately he made mine better. Mhm. So yeah, like he live to breathe dreamed professional wrestling, and like the people were so mean to him, obviously being Ric

Flair's son. So I think, to this day, I take it so serious because it's like I wish I could take all those critics away from him, you know, like that criticism like that must have eating him alive, like it eats me alive. But I'm somehow able to control it. Not control. I mean, yeah, I have my bad days, but I like, I just wish I could take all that pain away from him at that time. So yeah, so here I am. And it's because of my little brother. Mhm.

It's pretty cool. And thanks for sharing it. Oh yeah, for sure, I appreciate that vulnerability. And even even when you mentioned bad days, how do you how do you keep up? How do you preserve your own mental health? I work harder in wrestling. Um, I just have to remember that people don't know me, like, and then again it plays into the whole bad guy thing because I'm like, it's you know that saying it's like, no matter what I do, like I don't have to prove anything anymore,

and just remind myself that mm hmm. Man, I don't know if hold on it out, I don't know this sounds easier said, It's been a pleasure to talk to. You really enjoyed it, Charlotte, Steve, thank you so much. Thanks guy, I appreciate it. You are a unique person. You are well worth it, you are competent and most of all, your lovable. I'm Steve Smith Singer, I'm Gerard Little John and this is cut to It. Cut to

It with Steve Smith Singer. That Is Me is a production of Cut to It LLC, Balto Creative Media, The Black Effect and I Heart Radio. For more podcast from I Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio, Apple Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows from Cut to It. Executive producer Steve Smith, Singer, co host Gerard Little John, talent and booking manager Joe Fucci, Social media team Wesley Robinson and John Show from Balto Creative Media.

Cut to It is produced by Brian Balta Chevitch and Meredith Carter, with production assistance by Alex Lebrec Production coordinator Taylor Robinson. Theme music by Alex Johnson, Lyrics and vocals by Anthony Hamilton. You heard about it, then we're about to let you know. It's all