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Professional wrestling would possibly by no means see another celebrity fairly like the limousine riding, leer jet flying, wheelin’ dealin’ kiss stealin’ son of a gun, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair. However, if somebody’s going to return close, most likely his personal flesh and blood may have a better shot than most. While the efforts of Ric’s two sons led to sadness and tragedy, his daughter, Charlotte, seems to be strolling closely in her father’s footsteps on her way against wrestling historical past. Charlotte has already been integral in revolutionizing girls’s wrestling in WWE, and Ric used to be proudly status beside her from the very starting. They eventually split onscreen, however the father-daughter connection remains strong in the actual world, regardless of a couple of surprising stories and extremely emotional moments that briefly threatened to pressure the family aside.
Most WWE enthusiasts are aware of Ric Flair’s penchant for partying and personal chaos, and it appears to be like as regardless that his daughter may reflect his profession on this respect, as smartly. Charlotte isn’t as much a partier as Ric, however the personal chaos is surely there, and sometimes that chaos spills onscreen and turns into part of WWE storylines to highly controversial results. The one thing that has remained transparent about Ric and Charlotte’s relationship through the years is that Ric is very proud of his daughter irrespective of what she does onscreen or off, and can possibly continue to support her as long as he is capable of doing so. To to find some perception into why, stay reading and learn 15 facts you never knew about Ric and Charlotte Flair’s relationship.
15. Charlotte's Mother Was Ric's Second Wife
Although the precise definition of “Nature Boy” has never been pinned down, one thing we know evidently about Ric Flair is that he has a penchant for the ladies. Charlotte used to be born in 1986 when Flair used to be 37-years-old, so it goes with out pronouncing that her mother probably wasn’t the first love of his life. In truth, Charlotte’s mother, Elizabeth, was once Flair’s second wife. Flair’s first wife used to be Leslie Goodman, whom he married in 1971 and divorced in 1983. He didn’t wait lengthy sooner than transferring directly to Elizabeth, as the two have been engaged in August of the same yr. Charlotte’s mom would possibly if truth be told be familiar to diehard WCW fans, as she made a handful of appearances operating for the company throughout her husband’s feud with Eric Bischoff. The couple lasted nearly twice so long as Flair’s first marriage, and but they nonetheless determined to call it quits in 2006. Flair has gone on to marry two extra times since then, with each finishing in divorce. Charlotte hasn't ever commented much on her father’s tumultuous love existence, excluding to make it clear that she stays shut with either one of her oldsters without reference to what came about between them.
14. Ric Pushed Charlotte Into Sports At A Young Age
Surprisingly, Charlotte has long past on file a number of times to say that her father’s popularity didn’t precisely encourage her to grow to be a wrestler from a young age. This wasn’t as a result of she lacked his athleticism, regardless that, as she proved at the volleyball courts as a standout celebrity from high school till faculty. Charlotte was so excellent at volleyball that she earned a full scholarship at Appalachian State University, the place she changed into certified as a private trainer en route to receiving her stage. Ric did his part in pushing his daughter towards athletic pursuits, as he claimed to bringing her to more than a few sporting occasions by the point she became 4. Ric additionally said that he always saved the power on his daughter to be successful, while also taking time to step back and celebrate her many successes alongside the best way. In addition to volleyball, Charlotte additionally had nice passion in collegiate gymnastics and basketball, with her father predictably calling her an improbable skill at all three sports activities she performed.
13. David Flair Is Charlotte's Half-Brother
The children of large stars are always expected to have the similar if now not better talents than their parents, and Charlotte has been proving to be one of the few to no less than display promise of coming just about her father as she exponentially improves with each passing fit. This isn’t a total anomaly within the sports international, however enthusiasts have been still somewhat shocked via Charlotte’s luck bearing in mind the disappointing occupation of Ric’s son, David. David Flair is Charlotte’s half-brother, one of Ric’s two children with his first wife. Their other daughter, Megan, is the one family member to have by no means gotten involved with wrestling whatsoever. To be honest, whilst David’s occupation didn’t fit up to his father’s, that didn’t imply it was once fully unmemorable. David was once accountable for quite a few entertaining and unique WCW moments, albeit far fewer respectable fits. Unlike his sister, David it sounds as if lacked his father’s enthusiasm for the business, which coupled with a lack of in-ring coordination led to his profession to briefly peter out as soon as WCW went out of business.
12. Reid Flair Is Charlotte's Brother
In spite in their nice luck, Ric and Charlotte’s lives haven’t been very best over the past few years, as they lost the youngest member of their family, Reid Flair, in 2013. Born in 1988, Reid used to be Charlotte’s complete brother, and at one level seemed to show essentially the most athletic attainable of someone within the Flair circle of relatives. Reid made history as probably the youngest wrestler to paintings for WCW when he defeated Eric Bischoff on Monday Nitro in 1998 whilst 10-years-old, and had a promising amateur wrestling career that can have intended the formative years win was once more than a goof. Tragically, Reid wasn’t with out his vices, and so they resulted in him being found dead in a North Carolina hotel room due to an overdose of heroin and prescribed drugs. The Flair circle of relatives was understandably devastated, although it wasn’t an entire surprise, as Reid had been struggling with substance problems for a minimum of six years previous to his death.
11. Charlotte Appreciated Ric More When She Started Wrestling
With volleyball and her other athletic pursuits taking on most of Charlotte’s time, she someway failed to notice exactly how large of a celebrity her father was for an incredibly long time. Charlotte knew Ric was once a famous wrestler and understood her brothers had been looking to apply in his footsteps to develop into the similar, but she hardly ever learned that he was once one of the preeminent legends of the business regarded as by way of many as the best of all time. Charlotte mentioned this changed at long last when she entered the trade herself, and really quickly learned how vital her dad used to be to the odd international of wrestling. Charlotte did admit that she understood her dad used to be “vital,” but for the most section the only factor she knew about her father and wrestling was that the trade kept him clear of home for weeks at a time. Once Charlotte began wrestling and loving the industry, she began to understand how her father used to be willing to take the ones lengthy trips that led to him to fail to notice her early life.
10. Ric Had Nothing To Do With Charlotte's Training
For all of Ric’s efforts making sure that his daughter had an interest in sports activities, he didn’t do much to make her interested in the wrestling business. According to Charlotte, her father by no means clued her into the insider phrases of the business at all, telling Chris Jericho on his podcast that her father’s philosophy was once “wrestling is one thing you have to learn on your own.” Therefore, even basic terms like “heel,” “babyface,” and “kayfabe” were issues Charlotte needed to uncover all over her coaching, or no less than at the Internet like the common fan at the moment. Ric persevered stonewalling his daughter even as soon as she started her training, with both of them adamant that he had and can stay to don't have anything to do with her all of a sudden improving in-ring performances. It would even be cheap to indicate that Ric is hardly ever recognized for his talents as a trainer, having only trained one different famous person during his lengthy career in tag staff specialist “Sweet” Stan Lane.
9. Charlotte Wanted To Name Her Character After Her Mother
Onscreen, she has long gone back and forth between being referred to as merely Charlotte or Charlotte Flair, in connection with her famous father and her homeland. In fact, Charlotte’s start name is Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr, and there are more names to come when discussing what her authentic ideas had been for her wrestling title. Initially, Charlotte pitched 10 names to WWE executives, with her favorite of the lot being “Miss Elizabeth.” As noted, Charlotte didn’t have a lot hobby in wrestling previous to getting into the industry, and thus didn’t notice there was once already a legendary WWE performer by means of that title. She selected the identify as a tribute to her mom. Also at the record have been Elizabeth Reid and Ella Reid, which managed to honor her brother, as smartly. In hindsight, Charlotte is somewhat dismissive of the executives who settled on Charlotte, pronouncing they almost definitely simply settled the choice that required the least effort. True sufficient, it might have created a gorgeous complicated timeline had WWE let her do as she pleased and play with history as they regularly do.
8. Charlotte Nearly Spent Time In Jail For Assaulting Ric
On best of his boisterous occupation in the squared circle, Ric Flair has been widely recognized for his many run-ins with the regulation over time, and unfortunately there were indicators that his daughter could be echoing her father in this regard in addition to their similar profession paths. Approximately four years sooner than her wrestling profession began, Charlotte was once arrested for assaulting Ric and resisting arrest through assaulting a police officer in 2008. Charlotte’s boyfriend at the time, Riki Johnson, was once also at the scene. The complete tale stays relatively of a mystery, even supposing we do know that The Nature Boy refused to press charges in opposition to his daughter. Charlotte nonetheless had to face the crime of assaulting an officer, although, which firstly saw her sentenced to Forty five days in jail. Lucky for her, the sentence was once suspended to probation and a small wonderful. Charlotte later married Johnson, best to divorce him two years later. Neither Charlotte, Ric, nor Johnson have spoken a lot about the incident because it happened.
7. They Travel In Groups Of Four
Chief amongst Ric Flair’s accomplishments within the wrestling world was once founding The Four Horsemen, a gaggle of superstars so iconic that they defined the term wherein wrestlers operating in pairs could be referred to as (stables). Dozens of earlier men had the honour of being called Horsemen over the years, with Flair, Arn Anderson, Barry Windham, and Tully Blanchard serving because the core four inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012. Although they never appeared onscreen as such, wrestling lovers know that Charlotte has a behind the curtain crew of her own that mimics her father’s well-known staff through calling themselves the Four Horsewomen. In addition to Charlotte, the opposite 3 horsewomen are Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and Bayley, all of whom have remained intrinsically linked with the key moments in Charlotte’s occupation since they started together in NXT. The 4 cemented their status through posing in the ring with 4 arms raised at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, in a second that has existed outdoor of the WWE canon.
6. Ric Didn't Know Charlotte Would Use Reid In An Angle
Charlotte hasn’t been wrestling for long, and but she already has at least one extremely controversial second on her record that outshines any questionable angles her father could have reduced himself to. This checklist already lined the tragedy of Reid Flair’s early death, and whilst crucial element of Charlotte’s existence history and personal tale, real-life tragedies of that kind have no position in the wrestling ring. Unfortunately, WWE proved that they really feel in a different way in this matter in November of 2015, when Reid’s loss of life used to be many times mentioned all through a contract signing between Charlotte and her rival, Paige. The section began with a touch of respectability, with Charlotte dedicating the fit to Reid, only for Paige to shatter any hope of decency by means of sniping, “your little child brother, he didn’t have a lot battle in him, did he?” Many fans considered the assault some distance, a ways too private for a wrestling perspective, with either one of Charlotte’s oldsters firmly in agreement. Ric opined WWE executives will have to have driven Charlotte into doing the attitude, and whilst he understood she had little choice, he remained deeply saddened and disillusioned when he watched the phase unfold on tv.
5. Their Split Drew Controversy From Fans
Six months after bringing up her brother’s tragic death, Charlotte engaged in some other extremely controversial segment on Raw, albeit for completely different reasons. The one similarity was once that her family was as soon as once more concerned, this time with reference to her father’s role as her supervisor, which he were appearing off and on since 2015. On May 23, 2016, Charlotte villainously “disowned” her father onscreen, ending their skilled alliance and writing Ric off television for the indefinite future. The elementary thought of keeping apart the two wasn’t horrible, however enthusiasts felt the section itself was once a failure, with neither in a position to play their position to the group’s pleasure. Charlotte’s voice broke again and again as she attempted to berate her father and decry how laborious it had been to step out of his shadow, making it exhausting for enthusiasts to buy her sincerity and turning the instant into a dud. The excellent news is that it hasn’t harm Charlotte’s career within the slightest, and there may well be various time for Ric to make a return and get a more suitable sendoff at some time one day.
4. Ric And Charlotte Are Happy About The Split
Fans and critics alike have complained about the phase that separated Ric and Charlotte’s onscreen alliance, but no less than two other folks were totally cool with it: Ric and Charlotte. Regardless of how other folks responded to the breakup, the end result was the same, that being Charlotte Flair was once free from her father’s influence and in a position to shine as a star on her personal. Typically, wrestlers best want managers if they lack microphone skills, and Charlotte admitted that she felt self-conscious about being paired with her father as it supposed her mic abilities it sounds as if weren’t up to snuff when she was by myself. Ric’s legacy is also so important to wrestling that there'll at all times be lovers not able to appear past him if he’s status close to the hoop, so simply having him close by genuinely can have been preserving Charlotte again in small but necessary techniques. With all of this in mind, the 2 could be right of their trust that it used to be a good factor that they separated once and for all.
3. Ric Is Highly Impressed By Charlotte's Moves
Ric Flair is this kind of great wrestler that a theory existed right through his peak, alleging that he may combat a broomstick to a good match. The flipside to this idea is that Flair’s matches could every so often lean towards the formulaic, a minimum of when neither he nor his opponent felt like giving it their best possible effort. Practically each wrestler in historical past could be to blame of phoning it in once or twice, and Charlotte is most likely no different from her previous guy in this regard, either. Although, it will more than likely be slightly more difficult for her to sleepwalk thru corkscrew moonsaults and her other highly aerial logos than it was for Ric to go during the motions of his mat-based offenses. The Nature Boy himself admits that his daughter’s in-ring talents are massively impressive, stating in an interview that he had “by no means accomplished a moonsault to any person off the highest rope.” One drawback may well be that Charlotte’s style isn’t somewhat as viable as Ric’s in the long run, regardless that we’re rooting for Charlotte to turn out us mistaken on that.
2. Charlotte/Sasha = Steamboat/Flair?
The idea of evaluating Charlotte’s occupation to that of her father has change into so widespread that Ric himself is getting heavily caught up within the motion, lining up numerous parallels that just a individual with firsthand wisdom would be able to notice. Perhaps probably the most interesting comparisons Ric has been drawing aren’t those about his daughter, but fairly those about the women his daughter are certain to be related to through historical past, both as her competitors and her closest friends. Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Ric went as far as to check a few of Charlotte’s maximum memorable feuds to the greatest in his personal profession. According to Naitch, Becky Lynch is Charlotte’s Sting, Bayley is her Shawn Michaels, Nattie Neidhart is her Wahoo McDaniel, and most importantly, Sasha Banks is her Ricky Steamboat. Nattie additionally earned a comparison to Harley Race for her position as Charlotte’s first high-profile opponent. Each of these comparisons should have been highly flattering to the ladies named, particularly Sasha Banks, who Flair went on to claim had chemistry with his daughter related to that of the best feuds in wrestling historical past, including the ones he had nothing to do with.
(*15*)1. Ric Already Thinks Charlotte Is The Greatest Of All TimeIt must be lovely clear by now that Ric Flair is a particularly proud father, and Charlotte has given him dozens of causes to really feel the way in which he does. That in mind, Charlotte has only been in the wrestling industry for a little over 4 years and nonetheless has a protracted option to go relating to matching her father’s accomplishments. Granted, Ric doesn’t precisely see it this manner, as he already refers to his daughter as “the greatest of all time.” Part of Ric’s appeal has at all times been a point of self-aggrandizement, and most likely he was understandably overhyping his personal daughter for the needs of an interview, however there’s a great opportunity that Flair was merely telling the journalists what he truly believed. All that’s left for Charlotte to do is end up her father correct, and although she isn’t the best of all time, merely getting down to impress Ric Flair will most likely be enough to send Charlotte to her place in historical past, status proudly beside her previous man.
Sources: WWE, ABC 11, Wrestling Inc, Sports Illustrated, Fansided
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