WWE SmackDown Live Superstar, Charlotte Flair recently spoke with ESPN ahead of her Body Issue feature where she spoke openly about her career.

Wanting to carry on Ric Flair’s legacy:

“I do want to carry on my dad’s legacy, but I also want to carve out my own path. I have to work harder, I think, just because I do have that last name. I don’t want people to think that’s why I am where I am in this industry. I put in the time, and I want to be just as good as my dad was.”

Early WWE struggles:

Click Here: South Sydney Rabbitohs jersey

“When I first started in the WWE, I had a really hard time because I didn’t look the part. I had the athleticism, but I didn’t have the extra swag and the glam — what my character Charlotte has become today. But when I’m in that ring, I want the audience and little girls and children and adults to see me as the athlete I am, not just a tall blonde that’s a WWE Superstar. No. I am all athlete, and that’s important, that my looks have nothing to do with what I do in the WWE.”

The biggest challenge for female wrestlers:

“The most challenging thing that female wrestlers face is time. Getting those segments on Raw, getting one, two, three, four segments on SmackDown, main-eventing a pay-per-view, being considered a face of the division. … And I have said it since day one, I want to be an attraction for the company. I want to be a Roman Reigns; I want to be a John Cena. And right now the women are stealing the show and working harder than we ever have. We have had a lot of firsts, and I think we’re on the right path.”

Her battle scars:

“With injuries, every match varies. The black eyes are accidents. The broken noses are accidents. But the bumps from when we land on the mat, they’re hard. I think it looks easier, or the fans don’t really understand what’s happening, but it does take a toll. Every week I have some kind of mark on me. And that goes for all the girls. I think that’s what separates us from other people, we’re always walking around with our battle scars, and we’re proud of them.”