WWE legend Ric Flair believes that his own legacy has been eclipsed by that of his daughter, Charlotte. With fans constantly debating their “Mount Rushmore” of wrestling icons, one name that continues to be an ever-present part of that conversation is Ric Flair. Best known for his work in promotions such as WWE, WCW and TNA, Flair is billed as a 16-time World Champion, and is tied with John Cena for the record of most world title reigns. Known for his dastardly heel antics, endless charisma and dazzling in-ring ability, Flair is cited as a major influence by the likes of Triple H and his “Woo!” catchphrase continues to live on today, any time a wrestler delivers a mean chop to the chest.
Following in her father’s footsteps over the past six years is Ric’s daughter, Charlotte. After beginning her wrestling education with WWE, Charlotte enjoyed a meteoric rise through the women’s division, picking up belts on NXT, Raw and Smackdown Live! and bulldozing a path for female wrestling with a series of “first-ever” moments in feuds with the likes of Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch. Earning herself a reputation for being one of the best wrestlers in the world, male or female, Charlotte broke another milestone at last night’s Wrestlemania 35, participating in the first ever women’s Wrestlemania main event alongside Lynch and former UFC star, Ronda Rousey.
Despite her relative youth, Ric Flair has now claimed in a heartfelt social media post that he believes Charlotte’s legacy has beaten his own. Speaking shortly prior to Wrestlemania 35, Ric writes:
Any wrestler with a parent in the business suffers the inevitable tag of being nothing more than that famous wrestler’s son or daughter, but as the offspring of the one-and-only Ric Flair, Charlotte has been forced to deal with this more than most. While this was perhaps to be expected when Charlotte was still a rookie, the record-breaking eight-time World Champion moved out from her father’s shadow long ago, but still frequently suffers the demeaning label of being just “Ric Flair’s daughter.” ESPN recently made this very mistake, incurring Charlotte’s wrath and likely inspiring Ric’s latest emotional tribute.
While very few wrestling fans would dare argue that Charlotte hasn’t done more than enough to be judged by her own merits, it’s still perhaps too early to truly claim that she has eclipsed the legacy of her father, purely because Charlotte may still have more than a decade as an active wrestler, and it’ll take some years before WWE fans see the true measure of her influence. However, given Charlotte’s current list of accomplishments and the ground she has broken for women’s wrestling, there seems little doubt that when she does eventually hang up her boots, Charlotte Flair’s impact on the business will be greater than that of her father.
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Source: Ric Flair/Twitter
