Charlotte Flair on Her Relationship with Four Horsewomen, Special Moment with Becky Lynch & Mercedes Mone Prior to Their Match at WrestleMania 32, Charlotte Flair vs. Ashley Fliehr, Being “Rocked Legit” Mentally by Tiffany Stratton’s Promo

Charlotte Flair recently released an article on The Player’s Tribune. One of the topics discussed included Flair’s thoughts about her current relationship with the other Four Horsewomen’s Becky Lynch, Bayley, and Mercedes Mone and the potential of a reunion in the future.

“The Four Horsewomen. The thing about the Horsewomen is — we never even did The Match. Me vs. Mercedes vs. Becky vs. Bayley, on the main roster, is still to this day probably the biggest-money women’s wrestling match that you could book. And I do think one day it’ll happen. But I also think the fact that it hasn’t happened, and yet we’re all still so intertwined with each other’s careers, it just speaks to the uniqueness of our impact, and our connection. It speaks to the way that, while there have always been cool stories to tell within the Horsewomen, the coolest story has always been the one of the Horsewomen.

We’ve definitely had our ups and downs over the years. I won’t pretend we’re best friends…… or that we’re all even friends at the moment. I won’t pretend there’s a 4HW group chat I’ll send this article to when it publishes. And thinking about it that way, it does make me sad sometimes. But I also think it’s part of life, you know? Especially at the highest levels of professional competition. And on a professional level?? The respect between the four of us is absolute — and the bonds we share are f***ing indestructible. There’s not another person alive who knows what we’ve been through as a group, or what it’s taken for us to all still be active, and to all still be at the top of our games, as women working in a business that’s still learning how to treat women. I have a different, perfect chemistry with each of them — and if I wrote about them individually, I’d be writing forever. So instead I’ll just say this one thing, that is very meaningful for me, and that will always tie them together in my heart as a trio: I grew up in wrestling because of my dad … I got into wrestling because of my brother. But I fell in love with wrestling because of the Horsewomen. I fell in love with wrestling because I fell in love with Becky, Bayley and Mercedes as wrestlers. And nothing will ever change that.”

Flair also gave her thoughts about her special moment backstage with Mercedes Mone and Becky Lynch prior to their WWE Women’s Championship Triple Threat match at WrestleMania 32.

“I have this memory…… It’s about nine years ago. It’s WrestleMania 32, in 2016, at a sold-out AT&T Stadium in Dallas. It’s me vs. Becky vs. Mercedes in a triple-threat match. To crown the first-ever WWE women’s champion. I feel like this weird thing happens when you look back on history, where in retrospect stuff feels inevitable — when it actually really f***ing wasn’t. And that’s kind of what I think happens now with 32, and the way people remember our match. It’s part of WWE history. It’s so iconic. So it’s like, OF COURSE we killed it. OF COURSE we stole the show, and outwrestled every man on that card. OF COURSE it was the first of many women’s classics at WrestleMania. Except……. NOT of course????? No, for real: We could have just sucked!!! I really do wonder that sometimes: What if we’d had a bad match that night? Who knows when — who knows IF! — the women would have been given another shot. Like, maybe everything would be different now. And it’s so funny, because if I told you “we knew” how high the stakes were in that moment, obviously I’d be lying. We were way too young, way too excited, and WAY too nervous to be thinking outside of ourselves. But at the same time … I swear: Deep down, on some level, some part of us knew. I remember before we went out there for our entrances, in those last few seconds when we were in Gorilla together, the three of us locked arms in this little huddle. And I don’t even really think we said anything to each other. Not out loud, anyway. We just sort of looked at each other….. me to Becky, Becky to Mercedes, Mercedes back to me…… and we smiled. And it was like: Who knows. Then probably a half hour later, we looked at each other and smiled again. But this time it was: We did it.”

Flair also gave her thoughts about her on-screen Charlotte Flair character and her real life as Ashley Fliehr.

“Like the concept that I’m not Charlotte Flair.

Charlotte Flair … She’s the QUEEN!!! She’s the villain. She’s supremely confident, and she never gets rattled. She THRIVES on you booing her — thrives on you hating her. She’s blonde, 5’10”, athletic as hell. Wins constantly. A FOURTEEN-TIME world champ. I mean, she showed up to a WrestleMania one year in a robe with freaking peacock feathers on it. Literally who does that??

Oh and one other thing: She’s a bad f***ing bitch.

But I’m not her.

Not always, anyway. I know that a lot of people want me to be her. I know that sometimes even I want me to be her. But I’m not. When that camera turns off, I’m just Ashley Fliehr. And unlike Charlotte, Ashley is not always supremely confident. And sometimes she does get rattled.

And she doesn’t win constantly.

Actually….. I lose pretty often. I’ve spent a lot of my life losing. And if I’m being really real — I’ve spent a lot of my life feeling like a loser. I’ve lost at just about everything there is to lose at: I’ve flaked on promises. I’ve cut and run from challenges. I’ve quit on dreams. I’ve had my childhood home foreclosed on. I’ve alienated friends. I’ve disappointed family. I’ve given up on myself. I’ve lost people I love. And yeah, let’s just get it out of the way: I’ve gotten divorced three times.

And I know that none of that makes me unique…. and I know that nothing in a million years will make me “normal,” or relatable, or sympathetic.

But I’m still human.

And I think in those times when people have seen me appear rattled by the booing, those are just the times when I’ve felt like — at least for a moment — the boos aren’t for Charlotte. They’re for Ashley. They’re for me. They’re because of the way I look. Or because of the energy I’m giving off as a woman. Or because of real trauma I’ve gone through in real life. So when it got mentioned that I have an “0-3 record at marriages” in Chicago … yeah, it rocked me legit. I’m not too proud to tell you that. I don’t need everyone thinking I’m playing 5-D chess all of the time. My reaction to that line was as genuine as it gets. Because — and maybe this makes me naive — in my head?? Charlotte hasn’t been divorced. So I wasn’t expecting it to come up in that promo….. and then all of a sudden I had an entire arena cheering as I got mocked for something that was (and frankly still is) devastating to me.

Which isn’t the end of the world. I moved past it — I always do. But when I reflect on my time in WWE … honestly, that stuff hits me harder than any bump I’ve taken. Like, it’s tough enough to play a queen on your BEST day, you know??? On your worst day, it’s even tougher. And on those days when you’re feeling insecure, or anxious, or ugly, or weak, or — yes — heartbroken?

It’s almost impossible.”

Flair also gave her thoughts about her real-time reaction to her promo segment with Tiffany Stratton during the April 4th episode of WWE SmackDown and how both Stratton’s words and the crowd’s reaction “rocked me legit.”

“And I think in those times when people have seen me appear rattled by the booing, those are just the times when I’ve felt like — at least for a moment — the boos aren’t for Charlotte. They’re for Ashley. They’re for me. They’re because of the way I look. Or because of the energy I’m giving off as a woman. Or because of real trauma I’ve gone through in real life. So when it got mentioned in Chicago that I have an “0–3 record at marriages” … yeah, it rocked me legit. I’m not too proud to tell you that. I don’t need everyone thinking I’m playing 5-D chess all of the time. My reaction to that line was as genuine as it gets. Because — and maybe this makes me naive — in my head?? Charlotte hasn’t been divorced. So I wasn’t expecting it to come up in that promo….. and then all of a sudden I had an entire arena cheering as I got mocked for something that was (and frankly still is) devastating to me.”

Flair also gave her thoughts about the double standard in the wrestling industry in regards to how male wrestlers are treated compared to female wrestlers as they get older in age.

“I’m 39. But as a female wrestler who’s pushing 40, I promise you: there are people in this industry who already consider me old. Nevermind that I’m literally younger than Cody, who is considered the face of the company, and Roman, who is probably our biggest star. Nevermind that CM Punk, who I’m seven years younger than, main-evented Night 1 of Mania … and John Cena, who I’m nine years younger than, main-evented Night 2. Nevermind that we live in an era when athletes are extending their primes for longer than ever. For men — and I say this with so much respect for the guys I just mentioned — there’s no such thing as “aging out.” For WOMEN, though?? The rules are just different. For women, as depressing as it sounds, I think a lot of people still only know ONE way to value them: as young and disposable.”