Even those who don't follow the spectacle of pro wrestling might be familiar with the name Ric Flair. He is, after all, "the most famous man in the billion-dollar, 65-year history of professional wrestling as we know it," writes Dave Schilling at Bleacher Report. Flair is 68 now and out of the ring—in fact, he's currently recuperating from an undisclosed life-threatening health scare, notes the Charlotte Observer—and for years wrestling fans expected one of his sons, especially Reid, to continue the family legacy. But in the wake of Reid's death from a drug overdose in 2013, something unexpected has happened: That legacy is being carried on by Flair's 31-year-old daughter, Charlotte. Indeed, she has become the "standard-bearer for the women's revolution inside WWE's big business," writes Schilling in a profile.
It's safe to say few predicted this. When Charlotte first began to wrestle, she was forbidden from using the family stage name of Flair. (Her real name is Ashley Fliehr, with "Charlotte" borrowed from the city in which she was born.) She recalls being booed out of an arena as recently as 2015 by fans who thought she was coasting on her father's reputation. "So that night, when I went to the hotel, I was crying. I was like, 'You know what? I need to use what people think of me as a character." She transformed into an "arrogant queen" and took off in popularity. And dad is on board. "I'm living my life vicariously through her," he says. Click for the full profile, which suggests that a bout between Charlotte Flair and mixed-martial arts celeb Ronda Rousey is in the offing. (More Longform stories.)
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