Charlotte Flair likes being the villain, but nowadays, she sees herself as “the woman,” not a good guy or a bad guy.
For years, Flair has been one of WWE’s top heels. The 14-time champion has been a polarizing figure among fans, given her nearly constant success and prominence. But after she missed several months of 2022, she was given a warm reception upon her return on the December 30 episode of WWE SmackDown, where she beat Ronda Rousey to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Since then, she has been presented as a face on the blue brand.
During an appearance on The Dan LeBatard Show, “The Queen” discussed her character work as a heel and noted that it’s easier to be the bad guy.
“Yes, it’s fun. To me, it’s just easier,” Flair said when asked if she enjoys being an “asshole” on screen. “For my experience, my dad is Ric Flair. I come from a legacy. I’m bigger, faster, stronger. It’s hard to be like, ‘Like me, I’m relatable.’ How do you say that humbly?”
“The Queen” continued by sharing her mindset around her place on the face/heel divide; she stated that she views herself as “the woman.” She also described how she’s trying not to overthink it now, in regards to getting fans to boo her. Instead, Flair noted that fans want to cheer her out of respect for her accomplishments.
“Now, my mindset is I’m not a good guy, I’m not a bad guy. I’m just the woman,” Flair said. “I spent so many years trying to get people to boo me, and now with the reception from the fans and them being so excited to see me, I try not to overthink it. I think they want to see me be arrogant now. They want to cheer that. They don’t want me to be corny, they want me to be me. It’s more of a respect thing because of everything I’ve done in the industry.”
When asked if she ever felt like she went through a period where she was too likable, Flair laughed and quickly said, “No.”
Flair is scheduled to defend the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship against Rhea Ripley at WWE WrestleMania.
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