The NXT brand was showcased like never before at Wrestlemania 36 as Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley battled over the brand’s Women’s title to open the show on night two.
The Queen would come out on top against the precocious 23-year-old Ripley, but it was a hell of a battle all the same.
The young Aussie was tipped by fans to defeat the ten-time world champion Flair by many fans expecting Ripley, and thus, the NXT brand to get the rub.
When talkSPORT had the chance to talk to Charlotte the day after WrestleMania 36, we asked Flair about the online reaction to her victory.
Hi Charlotte! A lot of fans seemed to be either surprised or unhappy that you defeated Ripley at WrestleMania. What would you say to fans who felt that Ripley needed the win more that you did?
I would disagree. It’s not how you win the title, it’s how you lose the title. If anything, Rhea’s performance and going toe-to-toe with me should speak more volumes than losing the title.
So would it be fair to say there is perhaps a long story in play here with you and Ripley?
I think so. I think we’ve only scratched the surface. That’s why I say you can’t slay the dragon on the first night, then there’s no story to be told!
When we spoke to your father Ric, he made a point of saying you didn’t see wrestling for the NXT title as a step down or anything, quite the opposite. Coming full circle and helping shine a spotlight on a brand you helped build must have been a thrill for you?
I looked at it this way – we opened WrestleMania! I didn’t really ever go ‘I’m wrestling for the NXT title’, I thought ‘I’m on WrestleMania, I won the Royal Rumble, how do I have the best match on the card?’ and ‘How do we have the best female match of the two nights?’ So I wasn’t thinking Raw, SmackDown or NXT, I was just thinking I hope Rhea is up for the challenge, because we’re going to have the best match [laughs].
I didn’t think of it that way [as a demotion]. I thought ‘OK, if I main evented WrestleMania last year, this is an opportunity to do something fresh and new. But it’s also another opportunity for NXT to become an equal third brand. And if I can be apart of that, that says something.
Speaking of fresh and new, what were your thoughts on the Boneyard match and the Firefly Funhouse match? Seems like the vast majority loved it.
I’m just so impressed by the creativity and WrestleMania gave a little bit of everything. I thought it was fun, entertaining, it was a rollercoaster and it was just great. Only in WWE!
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The post EXCLUSIVE – Charlotte Flair explains why she beat Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 36 – ‘we’ve only scratched the surface’ appeared first on Kenya Latest.
