Charlotte Flair has commented on her character change over the past year after previously facing “greatness hate” from WWE fans.
With 14 world championships on her résumé, Charlotte Flair is the most successful female performer in WWE history and has rarely been out of title contention throughout her tenure.
Heading into WrestleMania 42 however, Flair will not be competing for a major singles championship for the first time at “The Grandest Stage of Them All.” Instead, she and Alexa Bliss will participate in a four-way for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles alongside Lyra Valkyria & Bayley, The Bella Twins and reigning champions The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax & Lash Legend).
Flair’s pivot to tag team competition came after she faced considerable fan backlash ahead of her WWE Women’s Title Match with Tiffany Stratton at last year’s WrestleMania 41, but the audience did ultimately return to her side once she exited the world title picture in favor of her odd couple pairing with Bliss.
Speaking with Busted Open, Flair agreed with Dave LaGreca that she is a victim of “greatness hate,” but feels that her time in the tag team division has helped her add layers to her character for when she eventually returns to singles competition.
Flair said:
“Yeah. You don’t want the Patriots to win every year. You don’t want the Yankees to win every year. You don’t want Alabama to win every year. So, I understand. I’ve never been an underdog. Not like I’m an underdog right now.
“I couldn’t understand why, ‘Hey guys do you know what it takes to be on top this long? And what the title means and how important it is. What do you mean that’s not enough?’ And then understanding this past year that you don’t always need to be perfect to be in that spot, but there are layers that I have added to Charlotte where when you see that switch again I think people are going to appreciate it more because you’re like, ‘Holy s**t, I forgot that she’s that intense.’ And I think that’s what this year is doing for me.
“When I came back last year I thought I was playing my role, the bad guy, well, but I think because I’ve always been the bad guy it’s easy. Now that I’ve been away from, not that I haven’t been serious in the role that I am in with Lexi, but I’m allowing the character to take those moments to enjoy instead of being so intense.
“Letting my hair down, but it doesn’t mean that I’m not looking at it with the same amount of intensity or respect, or treating the tag titles like the world title. But playing off of someone and not being like, damn, I gave it my all last year and I lost, but showing what that’s been like for the character to unravel. Not unravel in a sense emotionally but take the piss out of Charlotte for being serious all the time.
“I am (having fun). But I don’t want to change that fun when it is time for me to go back for the world title. I think its all fun, I just think when that gear change happens people are gonna appreciate what that meant.”
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