WWE News: Charlotte Wants To Be A Female Version Of The Rock

Current WWE Divas Champion Charlotte already has a legendary family lineage in the professional wrestling industry, but she is looking to do more than follow in her father’s footsteps.

In a recent interview with the News & Observer, Charlotte — whose real name is Ashley Fliehr — spoke about her career to this point. Being the daughter of the legendary “Nature Boy” Ric Flair may be a daunting task for many, but Fliehr admits that a lot of what people see on television is a mere extension of who she is as a person.

“Having my dad in the business and using a lot of what’s been real life… most of Charlotte’s character is really who she is. A lot of who Ashley is is Charlotte and the same with my dad. It’s not like I’m the Joker.”

The article mentions that just a few years prior, Charlotte had no idea she would make a living as a professional wrestler. She was a fitness instructor just about four years ago and had no intentions of getting into wrestling, despite her brothers Reid and David having done so.

Not too long after that, Charlotte’s brother Reid passed away from a drug overdose, inspiring her to get into the family business. Reid’s passing was recently used in Charlotte’s on-screen feud with Paige, which caused a ton of controversy.

But Charlotte said, “It’s not the first time people’s real lives have come into play.”

After she entered the WWE family, however, she quickly ascended the ranks of WWE’s developmental system in NXT, eventually winning the NXT Women’s Championship. Then, not too long after that, she made her main roster debut alongside fellow NXT standouts Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks.

It’s only been a few months since that happened, and Charlotte says it has been difficult to admire what she’s accomplished, given the grueling life of a wrestler on the road.

“It’s amazing. It’s hard to think I only debuted in July. I haven’t had a chance to sit back and really grasp all that’s happened.”

But now that it’s happened, Charlotte is setting the bar even higher for herself.

It’d be easy for Charlotte to rest on her laurels and just do exactly what her dad has been doing for five decades. Whether it be a simple “Wooo!” or doing a strut, anything Charlotte does will find a way back to her father. That is why there is another popular superstar in wrestling history that Charlotte can see herself being like.

“I’m not 21 anymore, and I’ve got a good head on my shoulders. I’m on cloud nine. I want to be the female Rock. Honestly, I can’t believe I’m here today. Where I’m going to be in three years, I’m sure I’ll be blown away.”

Being a female version of The Rock would likely be an electrifying experience for Charlotte. Not only electrifying, but it would likely catapult Charlotte into the record books as one of the most successful female competitors in the history of the WWE. The Rock was one of the staples of WWE’s Attitude Era, one of the most successful superstars of all-time, and is now a box-office attraction on the big screen.

With the revolution of women in sports, Charlotte may achieve that success she speaks of one day, but at this time, she’s focused on setting an example for the younger portion of the WWE audience.

“That’s probably the main focus – to be a role model for younger girls and send positive messages to never give up and be who they want to be. That’s a really big part of the job where you talk to kids at (places like) Make a Wish and have that opportunity to interact.”

[Images via WWE]