Charlotte Flair may not decide whether she wins or loses, but The Queen has plenty of control over what happens between the bells. Flair says WWE has trusted her to construct her own matches for years.
She explained the creative process while speaking to Ilona Maher on Power Hour. Maher asked whether Charlotte had gained more influence over her work after spending more than a decade in WWE. Flair said the company can determine the winner and specify whether it wants a pinfall or submission. When it comes to laying out the physical story of the match, however, Charlotte is given room to put the pieces together.
“I’ve had, for years now, the freedom for putting the match together. They might have, like, ‘She’s winning,’ or ‘She’s winning. We’d like her to win by submission or pinfall.’ But in terms of the dance, they’ve always allowed me to put the dance together.”
Earlier in the conversation, Flair explained why that level of creative input matters to her. She comes from an athletic background and still has strong competitive instincts, even though WWE matches are built around storytelling rather than legitimate competition.
“A lot of people that I work with haven’t played sports, and I also feel, being a woman in the industry, sometimes if I do have an opinion, it’s like, ‘Oh man, she’s just difficult.’ No, I’m not difficult. I have an opinion. I’ve done this for a long time. I deserve to have it.”
Charlotte said she has also learned to accept the company’s larger creative direction. Even when she would prefer a different result, she understands that the objective is to create emotion and move the story forward.
“You kind of have to let down your ego as an athlete and go, ‘We are here to tell stories, and we’re here to elicit emotion.’ If that’s what’s best for the story, then you have to just eat it.”
WWE may hand Charlotte Flair the destination, but she has been trusted to map out much of the journey. After more than a decade in the ring, The Queen has earned significant control over how her matches unfold.
Do you think wrestlers should be allowed to construct their own matches, or should WWE producers control more of the action? Let us know in the comments.
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