Charlotte Flair
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr (born April 5, 1986) is an American
professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...
. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the
SmackDown brand SmackDown is a WWE brand extension, brand of the American professional wrestling promotion WWE that was established on March 25, 2002. Brands are divisions of WWE's roster where wrestlers are assigned to perform on a weekly basis when a brand ex ...
under the
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...
Charlotte Flair. Flair is a second-generation professional wrestler, being the daughter of
Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Flair's career spanned 50 years. He is ...
. She made her first appearance in professional wrestling alongside her father in
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of National W ...
in 1993. In 2012, she began training with WWE, and debuted in NXT the following year. In 2014, she was named Rookie of the Year by ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
'' (''PWI''), and was promoted to WWE's main roster in 2015. In 2016, ''PWI'' readers voted Flair Woman of the Year and Top Female Professional Wrestler. Flair is a 14-time women's world champion, having held the WWE Divas Championship once, of which she was the final holder, the WWE (Raw) Women's Championship a record six times, of which she was the inaugural holder, and the SmackDown Women's Championship a record seven times, with the latter now known as the Women's World Championship. She has also held the NXT Women's Championship twice and the
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling Women's Tag Team Championship, women's tag team Professional wrestling, championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE. It is th ...
once, making her a Triple Crown Champion and Grand Slam Champion. Flair also won the Royal Rumble match in
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
and
2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...
, becoming the first woman to win multiple Royal Rumble matches. In October 2016, she became the first woman (alongside
Sasha Banks Sacha, Sasha, or Sascha may refer to: People * Sasha (name), includes list of people with the name and the variants Sascha or Sacha Musicians * Sacha (singer), born Sacha Visagie, Canadian singer and songwriter * Sasha (DJ) (born 1969), born Alex ...
) to
headline The headline is the text indicating the content or nature of the article below it, typically by providing a form of brief summary of its contents. The large type ''front page headline'' did not come into use until the late 19th century when incre ...
a WWE pay-per-view event. Her match with
Becky Lynch Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987), better known by the ring name Becky Lynch, is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand and is the current WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion in her ...
and Ronda Rousey at 2019's WrestleMania 35 was the first time that a women's match had headlined WWE's flagship event.


Early life

Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr was born in
Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...
, on April 5, 1986, to
Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Flair's career spanned 50 years. He is ...
and his then-wife Elizabeth Harrell. She has an older half-sister, Megan, and an older half-brother,
David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...
, while her younger brother Reid died on March 29, 2013. Fliehr won two NCHSAA 4 A-State championships for
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
during her time at Providence High School and was team captain and player of the year in 2004–2005. She attended
Appalachian State University Appalachian State University (), or App State, is a Public university, public research university in Boone, North Carolina, United States. It was founded as a normal school, teachers' college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and th ...
in
Boone, North Carolina Boone is a town in and the county seat of Watauga County, North Carolina, United States. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Boone is the home of Appalachian State University and the headquarters of the disaster and me ...
, playing volleyball in the 2005 and 2006 seasons before transferring to
North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...
, where she graduated with a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
in
public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...
in Spring 2008 while also being a certified
personal trainer A personal trainer is an individual who creates and delivers safe and effective exercise programs for healthy individuals and groups, or those with medical clearance to exercise. They motivate clients by collaborating to set goals, providing m ...
prior to becoming a wrestler. Flair was at ringside for the December 6, 2004, episode of ''Raw'' in her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, where Lita and Trish Stratus competed in the
main event In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
for the
WWE Women's Championship The WWE Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defe ...
. Almost 12 years later, on October 3, 2016, Flair herself and rival
Sasha Banks Sacha, Sasha, or Sascha may refer to: People * Sasha (name), includes list of people with the name and the variants Sascha or Sacha Musicians * Sacha (singer), born Sacha Visagie, Canadian singer and songwriter * Sasha (DJ) (born 1969), born Alex ...
would do the same, marking the third time a Women's Championship match main-evented ''Raw''.


Professional wrestling career


World Championship Wrestling (2000)

In 2000, Ashley appeared alongside her father in WCW as part of his feud with Vince Russo and her half-brother
David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...
. On the May 15 episode of '' Monday Nitro'', Flair appeared in a vignette in which Russo, David and
Daffney Shannon Claire Spruill (July 17, 1975 – September 1, 2021) was an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler, Manager (professional wrestling), wrestling manager and actress better known by her ring name Daffney. Daffney began her ...
invaded the Flair family home until being confronted by Flair, her mother Beth, and her brother Reid. At The Great American Bash on June 11, Flair was at ringside for a retirement match between Ric and David. After Russo attempted to interfere in the match on David's behalf, she and her brother Reid attacked him and handcuffed him, enabling their father to go on to defeat David. On the following evening's episode of ''Monday Nitro'', David and Russo faced Ric in a
handicap match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
with the Flair family once again at ringside. Flair attempted to interfere on her father's behalf, but was restrained by R&B Security, Russo's henchmen, allowing David and Russo to defeat Ric and partially shave his head.


WWE


Early years in NXT (2012–2014)

On May 17, 2012, she signed a developmental contract with WWE and trained under Lodi in North Carolina before joining NXT, the WWE developmental territory, in
Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...
. Her trainers in NXT included Sara Del Rey. Fliehr adopted the
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...
Charlotte and had her first televised singles match on the July 17, 2013, episode of '' NXT'', where she defeated Bayley. In late 2013, Charlotte formed a
tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...
with Bayley, and the two defeated Aksana and Alicia Fox on the September 4 episode of ''NXT''. On the October 10 episode of ''NXT'', Bayley accompanied Charlotte to a match against Santana Garrett, which she won, but during the match The BFFs—Beautiful, Fierce Females (
Sasha Banks Sacha, Sasha, or Sascha may refer to: People * Sasha (name), includes list of people with the name and the variants Sascha or Sacha Musicians * Sacha (singer), born Sacha Visagie, Canadian singer and songwriter * Sasha (DJ) (born 1969), born Alex ...
and Summer Rae) came to the ring and attempted to convince Bayley to join them, much to Charlotte's annoyance. On the November 13 episode of ''NXT'', Charlotte attacked Bayley and joined the BFFs, establishing herself as a
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
in the process. After a two-month absence due to a
legit Legit, a slang abbreviation of the word '' legitimate'', may refer to: * Legit (professional wrestling) * ''Legit'' (2006 TV series), a Scottish sitcom * ''Legit'' (2013 TV series), created by comedian Jim Jefferies * Legit.ng, a Nigerian digi ...
injury, Charlotte returned on the January 22, 2014, episode of ''NXT'' and began accompanying Rae and Banks to their matches. In February, Charlotte confronted and challenged NXT Women's Champion Paige during an interview with Renee Young. Following Rae's elevation to WWE's main roster, Charlotte and Banks feuded with Bayley, who formed an
alliance An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or sovereign state, states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an a ...
with Natalya, who defeated Charlotte by disqualification after Banks interfered on the March 27 episode of ''NXT''. On April 6 at WrestleMania XXX, she appeared alongside Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss in
Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (; born July 27, 1969), also known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as its chief content officer. Levesque began his wres ...
's entrance in his match against Daniel Bryan. The feud between Charlotte and Paige ended on the April 24 episode of ''NXT'', when Charlotte and Banks defeated Emma and Paige, with Charlotte scoring the pinfall over Paige.


NXT Women's Champion (2014–2015)

The following month, Charlotte competed in an eight-woman
tournament A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
for the vacant NXT Women's Championship, defeating Emma in the first round, Alexa Bliss in the semi-finals and Natalya in the finals at
TakeOver In business, a takeover is the purchase of one company (the ''target'') by another (the ''acquirer'' or ''bidder''). In the UK, the term refers to the acquisition of a public company whose shares are publicly listed, in contrast to the acquisi ...
on May 29 to win the NXT Women's Championship for the first time in her career, her first championship in WWE. After a four-month absence from the show, Summer Rae returned on the June 6 episode of ''NXT'', distracting Bayley and allowing Charlotte to defeat her, after which the BFFs attempted to attack Bayley, only to be chased away by Emma and the returning Paige. The altercation prompted a six-woman tag team match on the June 12 episode of '' NXT'', which the BFFs lost after Bayley pinned Charlotte. On the July 3 episode of ''NXT'', Charlotte got a measure of retribution over Bayley in a tag team match, where she and
Sasha Banks Sacha, Sasha, or Sascha may refer to: People * Sasha (name), includes list of people with the name and the variants Sascha or Sacha Musicians * Sacha (singer), born Sacha Visagie, Canadian singer and songwriter * Sasha (DJ) (born 1969), born Alex ...
defeated Bayley and
Becky Lynch Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987), better known by the ring name Becky Lynch, is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand and is the current WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion in her ...
. After the match, Charlotte left Banks to get attacked by Bayley, with Banks officially disbanding the BFFs in a backstage segment later that night. On the July 24 episode of ''NXT'', Charlotte retained the women's
championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
against Summer Rae. Charlotte then went on to retain against Bayley at TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way on September 11, after which she stopped Banks from attacking Bayley afterwards, and after defeating Bayley in a rematch on October 2 episode of ''NXT'', she raised Bayley's arm before they shared a hug and shook hands,
turning Turning is a machining process in which a cutting tool, typically a non-rotary tool bit, describes a helix toolpath by moving more or less linearly while the workpiece rotates. Usually the term "turning" is reserved for the generation of ...
Charlotte back into a fan favorite character. Following this, Charlotte and Bayley feuded with Banks and her partner Becky Lynch throughout the following several weeks. Charlotte made her first appearance on WWE's main roster on the Slammy Awards special episode of '' Raw'' on December 8, where she lost to Natalya in a non-title match. Charlotte retained the NXT Women's Championship against Banks at TakeOver: R Evolution on December 11, and in rematches that took place on the December 25 and the January 21, 2015, episodes of ''NXT'', respectively. At TakeOver: Rival on February 11, Charlotte dropped the championship to Banks in a fatal four-way match that also involved Bayley and Becky Lynch, ending her reign at 258 days. She failed to regain the championship in a rematch against Banks that took place on the March 4 episode of ''NXT''. At TakeOver: Unstoppable on May 20, Charlotte teamed up with Bayley to defeat Emma and Dana Brooke. After defeating Emma and Brooke again on the July 8 episode of ''NXT'', this time teaming with her rival Sasha Banks, Charlotte challenged Banks to an NXT Women's Championship match, which Banks accepted. They had their championship match the following week on the July 15 episode of ''NXT'', in which Banks retained the championship, and afterwards the two shared a hug and Banks raised Charlotte's hand as a sign of respect.


Divas Champion (2015–2016)

On the July 13, 2015, episode of ''Raw'',
Stephanie McMahon Stephanie Marie McMahon Levesque ( ; ; born September 24, 1976) is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is known for her various roles within WWE between 1998 and 2023. The daughter of Vince McMahon, Vince and Lind ...
called for a "revolution" in the Divas division, subsequently introducing Charlotte,
Becky Lynch Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987), better known by the ring name Becky Lynch, is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand and is the current WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion in her ...
, and
Sasha Banks Sacha, Sasha, or Sascha may refer to: People * Sasha (name), includes list of people with the name and the variants Sascha or Sacha Musicians * Sacha (singer), born Sacha Visagie, Canadian singer and songwriter * Sasha (DJ) (born 1969), born Alex ...
as members of the main roster. Charlotte and Lynch allied with Paige, who was engaged in a feud with Team Bella ( Alicia Fox and The Bella Twins), while Banks allied with Tamina and Naomi, starting a rivalry between the three teams. The trio of Charlotte, Lynch, and Paige was dubbed Team PCB after the first name initials of each wrestler. On July 19 at
Battleground A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troop ...
, Charlotte defeated Banks and Brie Bella in a triple threat match in her WWE pay-per-view debut. The three teams faced off at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
on August 23 in a three team elimination match, which Charlotte's team won after Lynch pinned Brie Bella. On the August 31 episode of ''Raw'', Charlotte overcame fellow Team PCB members' records in the first ever Divas Beat the Clock Challenge, and was named the new number one contender to Nikki Bella's Divas Championship. Her title match against Nikki Bella, initially advertised for Night of Champions, took place on the September 14 episode of ''Raw'', so Charlotte could stop Bella from surpassing
AJ Lee April Jeanette Mendez (born March 19, 1987) is an American author, screenwriter and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. Mendez began her professional wrestling career in 2007 in New ...
's record and becoming the longest-reigning Divas Champion. Charlotte won the match by disqualification after she pinned Brie due to the twins switching places, causing Nikki to retain her title and beat the record in the process. On September 20 at Night of Champions, Charlotte defeated Nikki in a rematch to win the Divas Championship for the first time. During Charlotte's celebration the following night on ''Raw'', Paige cut a
worked shoot A shoot in professional wrestling is any unplanned, unscripted, or real-life occurrence within a wrestling event. It is a carny term shortened from "straight shooting", which originally referred to a gun in a carnival target shooting game that ...
promo PROMO (Promoting Missouri) is a Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territ ...
and turned on her and Lynch, berating them and the Divas division. Paige acted as if she wanted to reconcile with Lynch and Charlotte, only to attack them both and cement her departure from the team the night after Charlotte retained her championship against Nikki Bella at
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
on October 25. Charlotte then retained her title against Paige on three occasions—at
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
on November 22, in a rematch the following night on ''Raw'' and at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 13. In November, Charlotte began displaying villainous traits after defeating her friend Becky Lynch by feigning a leg injury, followed by a distraction provided by her father. Throughout December, the relationship between Charlotte and Lynch continued to strain, and after losing to her on the January 4, 2016, episode ''Raw'', Charlotte attacked Lynch and solidified her villainous turn in the process for the first time since 2014 in NXT. Charlotte retained the Divas Championship against Lynch with help from her father three days later on '' SmackDown'', and at the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
on January 24. In February, after she lost to her in a non–title match, Brie Bella received a title match at Fastlane on February 21, where Charlotte once again retained her title. A few weeks later, on March 12 at
Roadblock A roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be: * Roadworks *Temporary road closure during special events * Police chase *Robbery * Sobriety checkpoint * Protests In peaceful ...
, Charlotte retained the title against Natalya. Also in March, Charlotte caused a number one contender's match between Lynch and Banks to end in a no contest after she attacked both contenders. As a result, a triple threat match between Charlotte, Banks and Lynch for the Divas Championship was scheduled for WrestleMania 32. At the event on April 3, a new
WWE Women's Championship The WWE Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defe ...
replaced the Divas Championship and Charlotte defeated Banks and Lynch to become the inaugural champion.


Raw Women's Champion (2016–2017)

Following WrestleMania 32, Charlotte began a
feud A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...
with Natalya, successfully defending the title against her on the April 11, 2016, episode of '' Raw''. Due to the disqualification ending, a rematch took place at Payback on May 1, where she defeated Natalya after
referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other title ...
Charles Robinson ended the match as Charlotte held Natalya in the
sharpshooter A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with " marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" ...
, even though Natalya had not submitted, in a reference to the infamous " shoot screwjob" the
Montreal Screwjob The Montreal Screwjob (also called the Montreal Incident) was a notorious professional wrestling incident where the outcome of a major match was changed without one of the wrestlers being informed – in order to "screw over" Bret Hart, who was i ...
. After the match, both Natalya and
Bret Hart Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal U ...
, who was in Natalya's corner, applied the Sharpshooter on Charlotte and
Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Flair's career spanned 50 years. He is ...
. At Extreme Rules on May 22, Charlotte retained her title against Natalya in a submission match after a distraction provided by Dana Brooke who was dressed as Flair. The following night on ''Raw'', Charlotte turned on her father by claiming she no longer needed him, further aligning herself with Brooke who would be dubbed as her protege. At Money in the Bank on June 19, Charlotte and Brooke defeated Natalya and Lynch in a tag team match. On the June 20 episode of ''Raw'', Charlotte retained her title over Paige with help of Brooke, with the two attacking Paige after the match, which ended with Banks making the save. This led to a tag team match the following week, where Banks and Paige scored the victory. On July 24 at
Battleground A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troop ...
, Charlotte and Brooke were defeated by Banks and the debuting Bayley. After being drafted to the Raw brand as part of the 2016 WWE draft on July 19, Charlotte made her first appearance for the brand on the July 25 episode of ''Raw'', where she lost the
WWE Women's Championship The WWE Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defe ...
to
Sasha Banks Sacha, Sasha, or Sascha may refer to: People * Sasha (name), includes list of people with the name and the variants Sascha or Sacha Musicians * Sacha (singer), born Sacha Visagie, Canadian singer and songwriter * Sasha (DJ) (born 1969), born Alex ...
, ending her reign at 113 days. On August 21 at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
, Charlotte competed against Banks in a rematch for the title, in which Flair was victorious, becoming a two-time champion. At Clash of Champions on September 25, Charlotte retained the title (which had been renamed Raw Women's Championship after the creation of the SmackDown Women's Championship) in a triple threat match against Banks and Bayley. However, Charlotte dropped the title to Banks once again in the
main event In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
of the October 3 episode of ''Raw''. Around this time, Charlotte's ring name was lengthened to Charlotte Flair. At
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
on October 30, Flair regained the title from Banks in the first ever women's
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
match to become a three-time women's champion. This was also the first time a women's match was the last match on a WWE pay-per-view. The following night on ''Raw'', Flair was revealed as captain of Team Raw for
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
on November 20, where Team Raw defeated Team SmackDown with Flair and Bayley being the survivors for Team Raw. On the November 28 episode of ''Raw'', Flair competed against Banks in a
falls count anywhere match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
, where Banks defeated Flair for the title, after which
Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Flair's career spanned 50 years. He is ...
came out and celebrated with Banks. A 30-minute iron man match between the two was scheduled for Roadblock: End of the Line on December 18, which resulted in a 2–2 draw, but Flair defeated Banks 3–2 in sudden death overtime, becoming a record four-time Raw Women's Champion, as well as ending their six-month feud since it was stipulated that Banks could not invoke her rematch clause after that. Shortly after, Flair started a feud with Bayley who managed to defeat her in two non-title matches since her main roster debut in August. This led to a title match between the two that took place at the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
on January 29, 2017, where Flair retained the title over Bayley. On the February 13 episode of ''Raw'', Flair dropped the title to Bayley in the main event. She later failed to regain the title in a rematch against Bayley at Fastlane on March 5, marking her first pay-per-view singles match loss after 16 singles victories. Also in March, Flair ended her association with Brooke and defeated her in a singles match. At
WrestleMania 33 WrestleMania 33 was a 2017 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 33rd annual WrestleMania and took place on April 2, 2017, at Camping Wo ...
on April 2, Flair competed in a four-way elimination match against Bayley, Banks, and Nia Jax, being the last woman eliminated by eventual winner Bayley. On the April 10 episode of ''Raw'', Flair was defeated by Jax in her final match for the brand.


SmackDown Women's Champion (2017–2018)

On April 11, 2017, Flair was moved to
SmackDown brand SmackDown is a WWE brand extension, brand of the American professional wrestling promotion WWE that was established on March 25, 2002. Brands are divisions of WWE's roster where wrestlers are assigned to perform on a weekly basis when a brand ex ...
as part of the Superstar Shake-up. The following week on '' SmackDown Live'', she defeated SmackDown Women's Champion Naomi in a non-title match, to earn a title opportunity, which ended in a no-contest after The Welcoming Committee (Natalya, Carmella, and Tamina) attacked both contestants. This match made Flair the first woman in WWE history to ever compete in the
main event In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
s of ''Raw'', ''SmackDown'' and a WWE pay-per-view. On May 2, 2017 on Smackdown, Flair aligned with Becky Lynch and Naomi against The Welcoming Committee, turning
face The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
in the process. At
Backlash Backlash may refer to: Literature * '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi * ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston * Backlash (Marc Slayton), a comic book character from ...
on May 21, The Welcoming Committee defeated Flair, Naomi and Lynch in a six-woman tag team match when the latter submitted to Natalya's
sharpshooter A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with " marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" ...
. Shortly afterwards, Flair competed at Money in the Bank, as part of the first ever women's
money in the bank ladder match The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First performed at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate WWE Money in the Bank, Money in the Bank event w ...
, which was won by Carmella. At
Battleground A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troop ...
on July 23, Flair competed in a five-way elimination match to determine the number one contender for the championship but was the last woman eliminated by eventual winner Natalya. After taking a hiatus to assist her father in his
legit Legit, a slang abbreviation of the word '' legitimate'', may refer to: * Legit (professional wrestling) * ''Legit'' (2006 TV series), a Scottish sitcom * ''Legit'' (2013 TV series), created by comedian Jim Jefferies * Legit.ng, a Nigerian digi ...
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 Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
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 Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
on November 19, which Flair won. A month later, at Clash of Champions on December 17, Flair retained the title against Natalya in a lumberjack match. Towards the end of 2017, Flair once again aligned with Becky Lynch and Naomi to feud with the debuting Riott Squad ( Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan), after the three attacked them shortly after their debut. At Fastlane on March 11, 2018, Flair defeated Ruby Riott to retain the SmackDown Women's Championship and was subsequently challenged by
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
winner Asuka. Flair won the ensuing title match at WrestleMania 34 on April 8 by making Asuka submit, ending the challenger's undefeated streak at 914 days in the process. Two days later, on the April 10 episode of ''SmackDown'', The IIconics ( Peyton Royce and
Billie Kay Jessica McKay (born 23 June 1989) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Jessie McKay. She is known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Billie ...
) attacked Flair. Carmella used the opportunity to cash in her Money in the Bank contract and won the championship for the first time in her career. Flair failed to regain the title in a rematch on May 6 at
Backlash Backlash may refer to: Literature * '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi * ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston * Backlash (Marc Slayton), a comic book character from ...
. Flair competed in her second
Money in the Bank ladder match The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First performed at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate WWE Money in the Bank, Money in the Bank event w ...
on June 17, which was ultimately won by Alexa Bliss. On the July 31 episode of ''SmackDown'', Flair saved Becky Lynch from an attack by Carmella. She later defeated Carmella to be inserted into the championship match between Carmella and Lynch at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
, making it a triple threat match. At the event on August 19, Flair pinned Lynch to win the SmackDown Women's Championship for a second time in her career. With the win, Flair became the second woman in WWE history to hold seven women's championships, alongside
WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when An ...
r Trish Stratus. After the match, Lynch attacked Flair, igniting a
feud A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...
between the two, which led to a match at
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
on September 16, in which Flair lost the title to Lynch. Flair defeated Lynch via disqualification at Super Show-Down on October 6 and fought her in a rematch two days later on ''SmackDown'', which ended in a double count-out. As a result of this, Flair received another title opportunity against Lynch in the first Last Woman Standing match at
Evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...
on October 28, in which Lynch defeated Flair.


Championship reigns (2018–2020)

Flair was picked by Becky Lynch as her replacement in a match against Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey at
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
on November 18, which she lost via disqualification after brutally attacking Rousey with a kendo stick and a chair, turning
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
in the process. The following month, on December 16 at the
TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...
pay-per-view, Flair competed in the first ever women's Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match against both Lynch and Asuka, who would go on to win the match after Rousey pushed both Flair and Lynch off a ladder. At
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
on January 27, Flair competed in the women's Royal Rumble match, eliminating five women, before being last eliminated by Becky Lynch. As a result, Lynch earned a title match against Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 35. However, in February,
Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon ( ; born August 24, 1945) is an American businessman and former professional wrestling promoter. McMahon, along with his later-estranged wife Linda McMahon, Linda, is a co-founder of the modern WWE, the world's largest ...
(
kayfabe In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced ) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants. The term has evolved to become a code word ...
) suspended Lynch for 60 days and replaced her with Flair. Lynch was soon reinstated, and at Fastlane on March 10, she defeated Flair via disqualification, after Rousey attacked Lynch to give her the win, making the title match at WrestleMania a triple threat match. Just a few days before WrestleMania, on the March 26 episode of ''SmackDown'', Flair defeated Asuka to win the SmackDown Women's Championship for a third time, becoming the only woman in WWE history to have won eight women's championships. At the event on April 7, in what was the first time that women main-evented a WrestleMania event, Flair lost her championship in a
Winner Takes All match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
for both her SmackDown and Ronda Rousey's Raw Women's Championships when Lynch pinned Rousey to win both titles. Shortly after WrestleMania, Flair continued her feud with Lynch over the SmackDown Women's Championship, stating that she had not been defeated at WrestleMania. She earned a rematch by defeating Bayley and at Money in the Bank on May 19, regained the title by defeating Lynch after interference from
Lacey Evans Macey Estrella-Kadlec ( Evans; born March 24, 1990) is an American professional wrestler and former U.S. Marine. She is best known for her tenure in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Lacey Evans. Originally introduced to wrestling wh ...
. After the match, the two continued to attack Lynch until Bayley made the save. Bayley, who had won the Money in the Bank contract earlier in the night, cashed in and defeated Flair to end her reign at just 4 minutes and 55 seconds, marking the shortest reign in the title's history. After Money in the Bank, Lynch focused on defending her Raw championship, putting an end to the almost year-long feud between the two. After a brief hiatus, Flair returned on the July 16 episode of ''SmackDown''. She called herself "the greatest female superstar of all time" a week later, and entered into a short storyline with
WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when An ...
r Trish Stratus. At
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
on August 11, Flair defeated Stratus by submission in what was the latter's second
retirement Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
match. After that win, Flair felt that she deserved an opportunity at the SmackDown Women's Championship and re-ignited her feud with Bayley. On September 15, at Clash of Champions, Bayley retained against Flair after she used an exposed turnbuckle. After making Bayley submit during a tag team match, Flair earned herself another title opportunity. At
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
on October 6, Flair defeated Bayley to win her record fifth SmackDown Women's Championship, her tenth women's championship on WWE's main roster. Five days later on ''SmackDown'', Flair dropped the title back to Bayley. As part of the 2019 draft, Flair was drafted to the Raw brand. She was revealed as captain of Team Raw for
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
on November 24, where Team Raw and Team Smackdown lost to Team NXT, after Team Raw member Asuka spit green mist in Flair's face, causing Flair to be eliminated by
Lacey Evans Macey Estrella-Kadlec ( Evans; born March 24, 1990) is an American professional wrestler and former U.S. Marine. She is best known for her tenure in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Lacey Evans. Originally introduced to wrestling wh ...
. The following night on ''Raw'', Flair lost to Asuka, with some assistance from her tag team partner,
Kairi Sane is a Japanese professional wrestler and actress. she is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name . From 2012 to 2017, she wrestled for the Japanese promotion World Wonder Ring Stardom under the ring name . E ...
. Flair then joined forces with Becky Lynch to face The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) for the
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling Women's Tag Team Championship, women's tag team Professional wrestling, championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE. It is th ...
in a TLC match at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 15, but the two were unsuccessful. On January 26, 2020, at the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
pay-per-view, Flair won the annual Royal Rumble match by lastly eliminating
Shayna Baszler Shayna Andrea Baszler ( ; born August 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and a former kickboxer and mixed martial artist. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she became a former List of NXT Women's Champions, two-time and lon ...
. After weeks of teasing an announcement regarding her championship opponent at
WrestleMania 36 WrestleMania 36 was a 2020 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was the 36th annual WrestleMania and was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and NXT brand divisions, the ...
, that led to several confrontations with NXT Women's Champion
Rhea Ripley Demi Bennett (born 11 October 1996) is an Australian professional wrestler. As of July 2017, she is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Rhea Ripley. She is a List of Women ...
on ''Raw'' and ''NXT''. At TakeOver: Portland on February 16, Flair attacked Ripley and accepted her challenge. On the second night of WrestleMania 36 on April 5, Flair defeated Ripley by submission to capture her second NXT Women's Championship, which overall marked her 12th women's championship in WWE. At TakeOver: In Your House on June 7, Flair lost the title to Io Shirai in a triple threat match, also involving
Rhea Ripley Demi Bennett (born 11 October 1996) is an Australian professional wrestler. As of July 2017, she is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Rhea Ripley. She is a List of Women ...
, ending her reign at 63 days. In late June, she was attacked by Nia Jax that led to a
kayfabe In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced ) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants. The term has evolved to become a code word ...
arm injury. This was done to write Flair off television so she could take some time off to undergo another surgery on her
breast implant A breast implant is a prosthesis used to change the size, shape, and contour of a person's breast. In reconstructive plastic surgery, breast implants can be placed to restore a natural looking breast following a mastectomy, to correct congenita ...
s.


Grand Slam Champion and hiatuses (2020–2024)

At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 20, Flair returned as a
face The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
as the surprise tag team partner of Asuka, with whom she defeated Nia Jax and
Shayna Baszler Shayna Andrea Baszler ( ; born August 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and a former kickboxer and mixed martial artist. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she became a former List of NXT Women's Champions, two-time and lon ...
to win the
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling Women's Tag Team Championship, women's tag team Professional wrestling, championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE. It is th ...
. With the win, Flair became the fifth Women's Triple Crown Champion and fourth Women's Grand Slam Champion. Flair then began a feud with
Lacey Evans Macey Estrella-Kadlec ( Evans; born March 24, 1990) is an American professional wrestler and former U.S. Marine. She is best known for her tenure in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Lacey Evans. Originally introduced to wrestling wh ...
and her father, Ric Flair, who began to interfere in her matches. Flair and Asuka would lose the tag team titles back to Jax and Baszler at the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
on January 31, 2021, due to interference from Flair and Evans. On the February 15 episode of ''Raw'', after Lacey Evans announced she was legitimately pregnant, the Raw Women's Championship match between her and Asuka at
Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was created by Triple H, and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure which ...
on February 21 was cancelled. On the March 1 episode of ''Raw'', Flair made her intentions to challenge Asuka for the Raw Women's Championship at
WrestleMania 37 WrestleMania 37 was a 2021 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was the 37th annual WrestleMania and took place as a two-night event on Saturday, April 10, and Sunday, April 11, 2021, at Raymond ...
clear, but that did not happen due to Flair testing positive for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
, removing her from the WrestleMania title picture. Flair returned on the April 12 episode of ''Raw'' and interfered in the Raw Women's Championship match between Asuka and Rhea Ripley later that night, turning heel in the process. Charlotte would also have several title matches over the next three pay-per-views, including a triple threat match against Asuka and Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania Backlash on May 16 and against Ripley at
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
on June 20, which both she was unsuccessful in, but got another opportunity at Money in the Bank on July 18, which she won by submission, making her a record-tying five time Raw Women's Champion. Flair lost the title the next night on ''Raw'' to Nikki A.S.H., who cashed her Money in the Bank briefcase, but regained the title at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
. As a part of the 2021 Draft, Flair was drafted to SmackDown as the Raw Women's Champion. On the October 22 episode of ''SmackDown'', Flair and Lynch exchanged their titles, thus making Flair the SmackDown Women's Champion for the record sixth time. It was then announced that Flair would face Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch at
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
on November 21, where she was defeated by Lynch. She entered the Women's Royal Rumble match on January 29, 2022, being the last woman eliminated by the returning Ronda Rousey. On the February 4 episode of ''SmackDown'', Rousey chose to challenge Flair for the SmackDown Women's Championship at
WrestleMania 38 WrestleMania 38 was a 2022 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 38th annual WrestleMania and took place as a two-night event on Saturda ...
. Flair retained the title against Rousey on the first night of the event on April 2, ending her undefeated singles streak. At WrestleMania Backlash on May 8, Flair lost the championship to Rousey in an "I Quit" match, ending her reign at 198 days. During the match, she (in
kayfabe In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced ) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants. The term has evolved to become a code word ...
) broke her left arm. After the event, Flair took time off to marry Andrade. After a seven-month hiatus, Flair returned as a face on the December 30 episode of ''SmackDown'', challenging Ronda Rousey to an impromptu match for the SmackDown Women's Championship. Flair defeated Rousey in under a minute to win the title for a record-setting seventh time. This made her a 14-time women's world champion and marked her 17th championship overall. The following week, Flair retained her title in an open challenge against Sonya Deville. On the February 3 episode of ''SmackDown,'' Flair defeated Deville in a rematch to retain her title and end their feud. At WrestleMania 39 Night 1, Flair lost the title to Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley in a critically acclaimed match, ending her reign at 92 days. On the June 9 episode of ''SmackDown'', Flair returned after a two-month hiatus and challenged Asuka to a match for the
WWE Women's Championship The WWE Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defe ...
, which Asuka accepted. Three weeks later on June 30, the match ended in a disqualification after
Bianca Belair Bianca Nicole Crawford (née Blair; born April 9, 1989) is an American professional wrestler and fitness and figure competitor. she is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under t ...
attacked both Asuka and Flair. At
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
on August 5, Flair failed to win the title in a triple threat match after Belair pinned Asuka to regain the title, ending Flair's undefeated SummerSlam streak. At Fastlane, Flair failed to win the title in a triple threat match against Asuka and defending champion Iyo Sky after the referee was distracted by Sky's Damage CTRL stablemate Bayley and did not see Flair forcing Asuka to submit. On the October 20 episode of ''SmackDown,'' Flair failed to win the title from Sky after interference from Bayley and Dakota Kai. At Survivor Series: WarGames on November 25, Flair, Belair,
Becky Lynch Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987), better known by the ring name Becky Lynch, is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand and is the current WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion in her ...
and
Shotzi Ashley Louise Alfaro (Birth name, née Urbanski; born March 14, 1992), better known by the ring name Shotzi Blackheart, is an American professional wrestler. She is best known for her tenure in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Shotzi ...
defeated Damage CTRL (Bayley, Sky, Asuka and
Kairi Sane is a Japanese professional wrestler and actress. she is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name . From 2012 to 2017, she wrestled for the Japanese promotion World Wonder Ring Stardom under the ring name . E ...
) in a
WarGames match WarGames is a specialized steel cage match in professional wrestling. The match usually involves two teams of four or more wrestlers locked inside a steel cage that encompasses two rings placed side by side. The cage may or may not have a roof, de ...
. On the December 8 episode of ''SmackDown'', Flair suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus during her match against Asuka. The following week, it was announced that Flair would be out of action for approximately nine months due to the injury, which would result in her missing WrestleMania XL.


Record chasing (2025–present)

After over a year out of action, Flair returned from injury on February 1, 2025 at the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
; entering the women's Royal Rumble match at #27, she won the match for the second time by lastly eliminating Roxanne Perez. With this victory, she became the eleventh person, and first woman, to win the Royal Rumble match more than once. She appeared on Raw, SmackDown and NXT, ultimately choosing to challenge Tiffany Stratton for the
WWE Women's Championship The WWE Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defe ...
at WrestleMania 41. Flair adopted a more aggressive persona, referring to herself as the "Top Girl" and bragging about her family's wrestling legacy, turning heel in the process. On Night 1 of WrestleMania 41 on April 19, Flair failed to win the title from Stratton.


Other media

Fliehr appeared in the January 2016 issue of ''
Muscle & Fitness ''Muscle & Fitness'' is an American fitness and bodybuilding magazine founded in 1935 by Canadian entrepreneur Joe Weider. It was originally published under the title ''Your Physique'', before being renamed to ''Muscle Builder'' in 1954, and ac ...
''. Fliehr ranked 29th out of 50 in the 2017 ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' fittest woman athletes of the year. In June 2018, Fliehr appeared in the ESPN Body 10 magazine. Fliehr made her video game debut as a playable character in '' WWE 2K17'' and has since appeared in ''
WWE 2K18 ''WWE 2K18'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K (company), 2K. It is the nineteenth instalment in the WWE 2K, WWE game series (fifth under the ''WWE 2K'' banner) and a follow-up to ''WWE 2K17''. It wa ...
'', '' WWE 2K19'', '' WWE 2K20'', '' WWE 2K22'', '' WWE 2K Battlegrounds'', '' WWE 2K23'', '' WWE 2K24'', and '' WWE 2K25''. Fliehr released ''Second Nature: The Legacy of Ric Flair and the Rise of Charlotte'', co-written with her father and Brian Shields, author of the '' WWE Encyclopedia''. On December 7, 2017, Fliehr made her film debut on '' Psych: The Movie'', where she played Heather Rockrear, the side kick of the villainous Thin White Duke, portrayed by
Zachary Levi Zachary Levi Pugh ( ; born September 29, 1980) is an American actor. He starred as Chuck Bartowski in the action comedy series ''Chuck (TV series), Chuck'' (2007–2012), and as Captain Marvel (DC Comics), the titular character in the superher ...
. In 2021, Fliehr made a guest appearance on ''
Punky Brewster ''Punky Brewster'' is an American Situation comedy, sitcom television series about a young girl (Soleil Moon Frye) being raised by a foster parent (George Gaynes) in Chicago. The show ran on NBC from September 16, 1984, to March 9, 1986, and ag ...
'' as her wrestling's persona alongside fellow professional wrestler Alexa Bliss. On March 15, it was announced that Fliehr would star in the remake of '' Walking Tall'', however, further information had yet to be revealed. On May 14, 2024, it was reported that Fliehr was cast in an indie horror filmed named ''You Lose You Die'', where she would portray the character of "Ms. Perfect". On October 12, 2022, Fliehr collaborated with
jewellery Jewellery (or jewelry in American English) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment such as brooches, ring (jewellery), rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the ...
brand Rockford Collection, as they released a new line of designer rings named ''Eminence''.


Filmography


Personal life

On September 5, 2008, in
Chapel Hill, North Carolina Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, Orange and Durham County, North Carolina, Durham counties, North Carolina, United States. Its population was 61,960 in the 2020 United States census, making Chapel Hill the List of municipa ...
, Flair was arrested for assaulting a police officer, after a fight involving her then-boyfriend and her father. She
pleaded guilty In law, a plea is a defendant's response to a criminal charge. A defendant may plead guilty or not guilty. Depending on jurisdiction, additional pleas may be available, including '' nolo contendere'' (no contest), no case to answer (in the ...
to a lesser charge and was sentenced to 45 days in jail, which was reduced to supervised
probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offence (law), offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incar ...
and a $200 fine. From May 2010 until February 2013, Flair was married to Riki Johnson. In ''Second Nature'', a joint biography of her and her father released in late 2017, she revealed that she allegedly left Johnson after having been the victim of domestic assault multiple times. In October 2018, Johnson filed a lawsuit against Flair, her father, author Brian Shields, and WWE for "defamatory statements" in the book. From 2013 to October 2015, Flair was married to English wrestler Thomas Latimer, better known as Bram. She began dating Mexican wrestler Manuel Andrade Oropeza, better known as Andrade, in February 2019. The couple got engaged on January 1, 2020, and were married on May 27, 2022, in
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. Flair filed for divorce in June 2024, and the divorce was finalized that October. Flair has multiple tattoos, including two hearts above her waistline, her first husband Riki's name below her waistline, a heart on her left wrist, a quote from the Bible on the left side of her torso that reads "guard your heart above all else, for it will determine the course of your life" ( Proverbs 4:23), a cross on the right side of her torso, and a quote on her right forearm reading "a little patience..." from the
Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 as a merger of local bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" line-up consisted of vocalist Axl R ...
song "
Patience or forbearance, is the ability to endure difficult or undesired long-term circumstances. Patience involves perseverance or tolerance in the face of delay, provocation, or stress without responding negatively, such as reacting with disrespect ...
". The latter two are tributes to her late brother, Reid.


Championships and accomplishments

* ''
The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...
'' ** WWE Female Wrestler of the Year (2016) *
CBS Sports CBS Sports is the American sports programming division of Paramount Global that is responsible for sports broadcasts carried by its broadcast network CBS and streaming service Paramount+, as well as the operator of its cable channel CBS Sports N ...
** WWE Match of the Year (2018) * ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
'' ** Feud of the Year (2016) ** Rookie of the Year (2014) ** Woman of the Year (2016) ** Match of the Year (2023) ** Ranked No. 1 of the top 50 female wrestlers in the '' PWI Female 50'' in 2016 * ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' ** Ranked No. 2 of the 10 best WWE wrestlers of 2016 * ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' ** Ranked No. 2 of the top 10 women's wrestlers in 2018 * ''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four Wee ...
'' ** Worst Feud of the Year (2015) * WWE ** WWE (Raw) Women's Championship ( 6 times, inaugural) ** WWE SmackDown Women's Championship ( 7 times) ** WWE Divas Championship ( 1 time, final) ** NXT Women's Championship ( 2 times) **
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling Women's Tag Team Championship, women's tag team Professional wrestling, championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE. It is th ...
( 1 time) – with Asuka ** Fifth Women's Triple Crown Champion ** Fourth Women's Grand Slam Champion ** NXT Women's Championship Tournament (2014) ** Women's Royal Rumble (
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
,
2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...
) ** Slammy Award for Match of the Year (
2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
) ** WWE Year-End Award for Match of the Year (2018)


Notes


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Flair, Charlotte 1986 births 21st-century female professional wrestlers 21st-century American professional wrestlers American female professional wrestlers Anderson family Appalachian State Mountaineers women's volleyball players Living people North Carolina State University alumni NXT Women's Champions Professional wrestling managers and valets Professional wrestlers from Charlotte, North Carolina WWE Grand Slam champions WWE Divas Champions Women's World Champions (WWE) WWE Women's Champions Royal Rumble match winners