“In my eyes when people kept saying that Charlotte Flair, ‘She’s just a champion,’ to me, I’m thinking, yeah, I’m the 14-time women’s champion. I redefined an entire generation, and you’re telling me that’s not enough?” Charlotte continued. “Even though that’s all I have thought about every second, every minute, every day was being the best and that’s not enough? And now where I am now knowing that I have this unmatched resume, but understanding people just couldn’t connect to me because I was holding so much back. So whether that was opening up about being divorced or being embarrassed or being compared to my father or being insecure of whether it’s what I look like or how old I am, because unfortunately men seem to get better and women seem to get older.”

Last month, Charlotte celebrated her 40th birthday. Also in the same month, she and Bliss vied for the Women’s Tag Team Championships once more, this time in a fatal-four-way match at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas. There, WWE Hall of Famer Brie Bella and a returning Paige secured the win after the latter blocked a Twisted Bliss, then drove the former “Goddess” into the mat with the Rampaige.

Charlotte, the daughter of Hall of Famer Ric Flair, made the jump from personal training to professional wrestling by joining WWE in 2012. Across the next decade, she’d enjoy 14 reigns as a world champion in the company, the latest of which ended at the hands of Rhea Ripley in April 2023. Hopes for a 15th have been put on hold as Charlotte remains in the tag team spotlight alongside Bliss instead.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Sports Illustrated” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.