WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair has addressed the negative attention she receives and how she has learnt to rise above it.

WWE’s Queens has repeatedly faced accusations of being over-utilised in WWE, having dominated the women’s division since moving to the Raw roster in the summer of 2015. Speaking in an interview with TV Source magazine, Flair says she now knows how to ignore the negativity and has learnt to be unapologetic about her success.

“I just wanted to come back unapologetic. I just couldn’t keep apologizing for what I’ve accomplished. If someone else was in my spot, they wouldn’t apologize for being there. I realized I’m damned if I do, damned if I don’t. I just had to own it. I will never understand why people think I should be content with what I’ve done. I don’t want to be that person that just feels like I’ve peaked. I always come back hungry because there is so much more that I can do.
Do men’s careers end after five years? They don’t get criticized for wanting to do more and be better. You don’t tell the men that they have an expiration date on their careers. No woman should have an expiration date.”

Charlotte is the most decorated female in WWE history, with thirteen world title reigns to her name as well as two NXT Title runs and a tag team title triumph alongside Asuka. However, Flair feels there is still plenty left for her to do in WWE and told the magazine of the goals she’s still got in mind.

“I want another storyline that catches fire, I want to main event Mania, and I want to do an action movie. I feel like I grow into more of myself every year. I don’t want to do the Men’s Rumble, but if the opportunity for Elimination Chamber presented itself, definitely.”

Her immediate future will be as a competitor in this month’s Royal Rumble - the first-time one of the actual champions has entered the women’s rumble match - and then a possible WrestleMania bout with Sasha Banks - if The Boss recovers from injury in time. And it’s a match and a rivalry Flair can’t wait to get stuck back into.

“Sasha and I haven’t had a program on TV in five years, but when we cross paths again on TV, I believe it will be what everyone expects and more.”

You all the action from the Royal Rumble on January 29 live in the US on Peacock and in all other international markers on the WWE Network.