Charlotte Flair recently sat down with Forbes to discuss a variety of topics, including how Rhea Ripley differs from her past opponents.
Additionally, the reigning WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion expressed her desire to work with her husband, Andrade El Idolo, on television at some point.
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On how Rhea Ripley differs from past opponents: “Oh, each opponent’s so different. Rhea and I already have a built-in story. We faced each other at NXT. I beat her for the NXT title. We faced each other in a Triple Threat at WrestleMania Backlash after WrestleMania in Tampa, which was me, her, and Asuka. Then I faced her at Money in the Bank in Texas, then in a Triple Threat in Las Vegas at SummerSlam, me, her and Nikki ASH. So we aren’t strangers to each other, it’s just she’s three years better and I’m three years better. I feel like I taught her a lesson during all of these encounters and now she needs to come to me. I need to know that she’s learning and digesting and taking it all in and doing what it takes to be at the top of the division. And so far she has, I mean, winning the Rumble from one to 30—first ever—is incredible. And she’s taking every moment that she’s been given and knocking it out of the park. And that’s what’s important at her level, is taking every opportunity and showing that you have what it takes. So she’s a much different player going into this Mania than the one before.”
On the character she plays now: “I think the character is just bigger than placing her in a good guy box or a bad guy box. I think I’m an attraction, and that’s the role I need to play. My character has always done whatever it takes to win, and I think that’s something people can get behind. Would I succumb to cheating? I don’t know. I haven’t been put in that position yet, the character doesn’t know that territory. But I think the most important thing that I’ve thought about when I’ve walked out there is just enjoying the crowd. For so long I was just so focused on ‘they have to dislike me, they have to dislike me.’ And now it’s kind of embracing the respect and going with it and not overthinking what it means to be a good guy. Like you can be arrogant and really good as a good guy and that’s okay to have swag. People like swag, like look at my dad.”
On a reunion with Andrade: “I hope so, yes. As long as he’s happy. I just wanna be on camera with him at some point. Wherever that ends up? Do I think there’s a timetable? I don’t think you can put a timetable in wrestling. I mean, look at Lita and Trish being back how many years later. I’d like to be with him sooner rather than later, but it’s just whatever, you know, destiny holds for us.”
