Rhea Ripley defeated Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania in April, after Flair had taken significant time off due to injury ahead of WrestleMania season. Her return was brief, as she has remained off WWE programming since losing the title match.
Flair has accomplished plenty in her decade in WWE, including headlining multiple WrestleManias and becoming one of the most decorated women’s champions in company history. But like others before her, she’s pondering how top WWE stars have sought opportunities in the wider entertainment world and found incredible success.
In an interview with Boardroom, when asked about what she still wants to accomplish that she hasn’t yet, Flair said it’s about “getting to that next level” of cross-entertainment fame like her WWE predecessors have — the likes of John Cena, Batista and The Rock.
I think now, it’s just getting to that next level. Like, I know that my name is popular within sports entertainment, but I wanna get to that male level of John Cena, The Rock, Batista still. I want to cross over like my dad has so gracefully, and I’ll continue to do that until I get to that point. I hate that I started so late in the game, but I’m here. I think that’s just a matter of time.
If that’s the case, it sounds like Flair has her eyes on post-WWE life, or integrating more outside opportunities into her business pursuits.
At age 37, Flair is behind when Cena and The Rock started their Hollywood careers, but Batista made a name for himself in his late 40s with Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy” and other starring movie roles. While Cena did begin earlier, his ascension arguably began in his early 40s as well.
Flair is slightly behind her male counterparts chronologically, but it’s still the perfect time for her to start a new career outside WWE when she chooses.