Charlotte Flair is paying the price for Ric Flair's issues, ex-WWE star speculates

Modified Apr 10, 2025 18:23 GMT

Ric Flair (left) and Charlotte Flair (right) [Image Credit: wwe.com]

Tiffany Stratton mentioned Ric Flair's name during a heated promo segment with Charlotte Flair on the April 4 episode of SmackDown. Stevie Richards, a WWE wrestler from 1999 to 2008, recently explained how The Nature Boy's antics might have caused fans to turn against his daughter.

After a 14-month absence due to injury, Charlotte Flair returned to WWE in-ring action in February as a babyface. However, many fans rejected the 2025 Women's Royal Rumble winner's character and booed when she spoke on the microphone.

Richards speculated on The Stevie Richards Show that WWE audiences might have jeered Charlotte Flair because they disliked her father:

"Maybe, just maybe, just speculation, maybe Ric Flair's goodwill to the fans with all his extracurricular garbage has finally worn thin on the fans, and they're taking it out on her because, think about it, they booed when she [Tiffany Stratton] mentioned Ric Flair." [8:48 – 9:07]

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Ric Flair is a two-time WWE Hall of Famer and 16-time World Champion. In recent years, he has become a controversial figure following public spats with Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, and several others.

The 76-year-old's behavior also came under scrutiny in 2021 after a flight attendant accused him of sexual misconduct. Flair denied the allegations.

Stevie Richards thinks Charlotte Flair is "completely disinterested"

The latest SmackDown segment between Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton caused controversy online. Amid speculation that they have real-life animosity, the WrestleMania 41 opponents traded several personal insults and reportedly went off-script.

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Stevie Richards disliked the 14-time World Champion's behavior during the segment and thinks she was bothered by the fans' negative reactions toward her, despite appearing disinterested:

"Charlotte is acting completely disinterested in this entire angle leading into WrestleMania while also letting everything get to her at the same time. That's what she's doing. She's acting like she's too good for this match and too good for WrestleMania, and at the same time acting like she's trying to get over as a babyface to the fans when she's doing this promo." [14:27 – 14:56]

In the same episode, Richards compared Flair's polarizing character to Roman Reigns' babyface persona when he won the Royal Rumble in 2015.

Please credit The Stevie Richards Show and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart