Charlotte Flair

By PWPIX on February 15, 2016

Though she may not ride limousines or fly jets, the daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair is absolutely destined for greatness. A former volleyball player in high school and certifiable personal trainer, Charlotte has quickly risen through the ranks of an industry her father helped revolutionize.

Latest Charlotte News, Photos and Videos ▸
Charlotte on PWPIX.net, your go-to source for the latest news, rumors, photos and videos on the reigning Divas Champion (and daughter of the 16-time World Champion Ric Flair) . . .

Bikini Photos Of Charlotte | Charlotte’s Mugshot After Being Arrested | Pre-WWE Twitter Photos | More Pre-WWE Photos | Check Out More Charlotte Photos

Exhibiting a level of athleticism that few women in the professional wrestling history have ever reached, the Charlotte, North Carolina native has drawn the attention of grappling fans all across the globe through her exploits on WWE NXT. With her legendary father observing at ringside, Charlotte beat Natalya at NXT TakeOver on May 29, 2014 to win an eight-Diva tournament for the vacated NXT Women’s Championship. The self-proclaimed “genetically superior athlete” continued her momentum weeks later when she retained her title against her former partner in crime, Summer Rae, in a dazzling, back-and-forth affair.

On December 11, 2014 at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution, the extraordinary athlete accepted the challenge of Sasha Banks, her former ally in the BFFs (Beautiful Fierce Females). In an amazing display of grappling and athleticism, the Pro Wrestling Illustrated Rookie of the Year for 2014 successfully defended her title against on “The Boss” after executing a forward somersault cutter from the top rope—branded as the Natural Selection.

On the January 21, 2015 episode of WWE NXT, Charlotte discovered she has even more foes to contend with. After her match against Banks was halted due to interference from Becky Lynch, a fiery redhead from Dublin, Ireland, Bayley stormed the ring to assist Charlotte. Visibly eying the NXT Women’s Championship, the bashful NXT Diva stunned the daughter of Ric Flair with a Belly-to-Bayley suplex. The California-born Diva’s actions set the stage for a Fatal 4-Way Match for the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT TakeOver: Rival on February 11, 2015. At the event, Charlotte was pinned by Banks and lost the NXT Women’s Championship to her former best friend. With the defeat, her title reign ended at 258 days.

If her remarkable progress in such a short period of time is any indication, Charlotte’s future in the professional wrestling industry will be very bright.

A Natural Flair

Still seemingly holding a cloud over the professional wrestling industry’s premiere promotion, 2014 was a topsy-turvy year when it came to the standard of grappling in WWE. In the midst of several injuries to significant members of the roster, a largely absent World Heavyweight Champion, and creative that actually subtracted from the popularity of some performers, it was often difficult to get excited for the next slice of hype.

The antidote to WWE’s bizarre brand of booking was actually to be found from within, however, as NXT branded itself as the home of some of the company’s best talents who, just as importantly, were given the time to tell stories while most of the main roster had to make do with a limerick. Indeed, NXT was the group’s main producer of quality performances and logical character arcs, and such a philosophy benefited no-one more than Charlotte, who would prove to be not just one of the surprise packages in all of wrestling, but also one of WWE’s most consistent performers.

On February 11, 2015, Charlotte lost the NXT Women’s Championship, but the reality was that it was yet another victory for both her, and the entire division. Charlotte had convincingly seen off all contenders, and was dethroned only in a Fatal 4-Way Match at NXT TakeOver: Rival, kicking off red=hot Sasha Banks’ reign with a real bang.

The loss, however, was an indicator that a call-up to the main roster might soon occur. Could Charlotte redefine the female competitor on Raw and SmackDown, too?

A Fliehr For The Gold

Born Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr, the third child of Ric Flair was a supreme athlete from a young age. Spending much of her childhood close to her youngest brother, Reid, from her father she gained a first-hand insight of the effects of life on the road, as the kids were often separated from their dad for long stretches while he hit the squared circle.

She found solace in sports, however, drifting towards cheerleading and excelling in volleyball. As a cheerleader, Fliehr was a national champion in 2000, at the age of 14, and was singled out as the MVP of the All-Star squad in the year that followed.

In volleyball, she captained her Providence High School, and led the squad to two NCHSA 4-A State championships. Her personal contributions were also acknowledged in the form of awards for Best Defensive Player (2002-03), Most Valuable Player (2003), and North Carolina Player of the Year (2004-05). She was a highly-anticipated prospect at Appalachian State University, a full scholarship athlete in varsity volleyball, playing for the Southern Conference squad. As a member of the Mountaineers, she earned personal accolades in a feisty team that had a tough reputation.

“Ashley is an athletic player who can excel at multiple positions for us,” said her coach, Chad Callihan, when she signed up in 2005. “She has played every front row position but her greatest strength may be her competitive desire. She will push herself and this team to reach their potential. Her development will depend on how quickly she learns our system and the overall speed of the collegiate game.”

By the time she finished her education, Fliehr wasn’t just an athlete, but also a fitness instructor who could boast a degree, graduating as a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations in North Carolina. If her life appeared to be all sunshine and rainbows, however, that was not always the case, as she was infamously arrested on September 5, 2008 after a drunk brawl involving her first husband, Riki Johnson, and her father. When Fliehr kicked an intervening police officer, she was tasered and brought in for assaulting law enforcement and resisting arrest. Eventually, she was sentenced to 45 days of supervised probation and was fined $200 after pleading guilty to resisting arrest, while the charge of assaulting an officer was dismissed as part of a plea deal.

Though the situation was clearly serious, it would seem to have been a flip for the then 22-year-old. She picked herself up, serving as a health and fitness specialist, before the lure of the squared circle beckoned. Training under former WCW competitor Lodi and then veteran George South at the Rings facility in North Carolina, she showed a desire to get into the thick of the action, making her progress all the more rapid.

Charlotte News Archive

Charlotte Not Involved In Bram’s Domestic Violence Arrest
August 31, 2015 – Multiple sources now report that not only was WWE Diva Charlotte not involved in the domestic violence arrest of Thomas Latimer, better known as TNA wrestler Bram, but that the two are separated and in the process of divorcing.

F4WOnline.com goes so far as to state that the two are “no longer married,” a fact that had not been reported on by any media outlets until the story of Latimer’s arrest, and subsequent suspension by TNA, was announced this morning.

Still no official word on the victim of the alleged domestic assault by strangulation and false imprisonment, but Latimer posted images on social media of himself with a girlfriend over the past few months, further reinforcing the notion that he and Charlotte, real name Ashley Fliehr, are no longer together.

Latimer had been dating Ashley Allen, who was promoting Bram merchandise up until last week on Twitter.

Charlotte was in action at Friday’s night’s WWE live event in Orlando, as well as last night’s show in Daytona Beach. She has also been active on her social media over the weekend, and posted the following tweet to promote her involvement in the “Beat the Clock” challenge on Raw.

Who Will Face Charlotte At WrestleMania 32?

February 22, 2016 – After enduring weeks of insults from Charlotte, Brie Bella was felled by Divas Champion Charlotte at Fastlane. So what’s next for the daughter of the legendary Ric Flair?

Current plans call for Charlotte to defend the Divas Championship against Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks in a Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania 32, Dave Meltzer revealed after Fastlane on Wrestling Observer Radio.

Lynch and Banks simultaneously causing Naomi and Tamina to submit at Fastlane was done to build them up for the match.