Charlotte Flair Says Wrestling In 40s Is New Territory: ‘I’m Not Gonna Age Out Of My Career, I’m Gonna Quit When I Want To Quit’

Charlotte Flair says she’s not thinking about her retirement.

A lot of the time in wrestling, age is just a matter. There are wrestlers who’re just starting out in their 20s. At the same time, there are people much older who’ve just now started seeing some success. Charlotte Flair is one of those wrestlers who has been at the top of her game since she made her wrestling debut, and it seems she’s not going to stop anytime soon.

Flair was a recent guest on Casuals with Katie Nolan, where she was asked if she’s started thinking about retirement now that she’s in her 40s.

“It’s unfortunate that those sentences happen because I feel like in my industry, men don’t reach their prime until 40. Because I started late, I didn’t win my first title until I was 30. Where the girls now, which is awesome, a lot of people are in their younger 20s. But I graduated, had my awkward 20s of not knowing what to do, and then wrestling came later in life. But saying that the men don’t hit their prime till 40, why am I not hitting my prime now? I realize that I think it would be easier for people to label me in that box, but I’m not going to let anyone put me in that box. I hope women in any profession who are about to turn 40 don’t think that that is a slowdown or an endgame. But if anything – this is whatever industry that you’re in and in sport like Lindsey Vonn did – it’s whatever you are capable of and are willing to do, put in the time. I’m very fortunate. I started out on top. It might seem like my career is longer, but I just have had the opportunity to be at the top of the game. I’m not gonna say sorry anymore for winning, I’m not gonna age out of my career, I’m gonna quit when I want to quit. I’m gonna lace it up when I want to lace it up. I do feel like if nobody knew how old I was, and you saw me out in the ring, you wouldn’t look at me with the group of girls and be like, ‘Oh, she’s been here for 10 years, and she’s 40.’ It’s just unfortunate because that’s how society is, and it’s changing slowly, but like 40 has had such a stigma around it, for women not men. What is it? Men get better, women get older? Yeah, no, I’m only getting better. So what does that make? But I feel like if we don’t let that dialogue sit back there, it’s like no, here’s the thing. It’s new territory. It was new territory when I debuted in 2015, and it’s new territory now. So, I hope I am part of the progress of changing that.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Charlotte talked about potentially investing in a women’s sports league. Fans can check her comments here.

If you use any of the quotes above, please credit the original source with a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.