WWE’s Charlotte Flair Recalls Initial Feelings After Suffering Major Injury
Charlotte Flair was so devastated by a serious knee injury that she felt like her “life was over.”
During a WWE SmackDown match with Asuka in December 2023, former 12-time WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus in her left knee.
In early January 2024, Charlotte Flair underwent surgery to repair her serious knee injury, which meant she hasn’t competed in a WWE match this year, which is a first for her after starting in WWE over a decade ago.
Throughout her rehab process, Flair has posted video and photo updates on social media regularly to show that she misses being in front of the WWE Universe.
Charlotte Flair spoke to the Forever Young Podcast with Dr. John Layke and Dr. Payman Danielpour to reveal how scared she was when the injury happened.
“When it first happened, I thought my life was over. I was like, ‘oh my gosh, a perfect storm’. My husband (Andrade) had just come back to the company or was on his way back. I knew he was going to be debuting soon. From the moment I was taken out, I just have kept telling myself that I’m going to come back the best version of the Queen when I do come back, and you never like to be sidelined due to an injury. But then again, I’m not sure if I would have ever sidelined myself had it not been for the injury.”
“So it’s been a challenge, but a challenge I know that’s going to make me in the long run because I’ve had the opportunity over these, I think it’s been like nine, eight months now to go back and see things that I would have done over. What can I do over? Look at the landscape of the division and try to figure out where I can add character layers when I come back.”
Charlotte Flair Went Through A Lot Of Emotions While Rehabbing Knee Injury
As she continued, Charlotte Flair spoke about how in the long run, she’s going to be okay.
“I think the biggest struggle for me mentally is I’ve never not been able to rely on my athleticism. So like where I might not be the best on the mic or a certain look, or I’ve always been so proud of like how physical I am and not having that feel a hundred percent has been an adjustment for me where like before I was like, Llke, I know the girls respected me for being tough and, you know, not being injured.”
“When this happened, I was like, I can be injured. So it really, like, it’s been a mixed blessing. For me, it feels very vulnerable. But I know that in the long run, it’s going to be better for me.”
A torn ACL knee injury requires a long layoff that can be anywhere from seven to nine months, but sometimes it can be longer. In Charlotte Flair’s case, there have been recent reports that suggest she may not be back in a WWE ring at all in 2024, which certainly could change based on how she is feeling.