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Charlotte Flair pushed back on what she believed was a double standard in the pro wrestling industry when it came to her age and any notion she’s at the back end of her career.
She pointed to several of her male colleagues, including Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, CM Punk and John Cena in a column for The Players’ Tribune.
She wrote that the next step for female competitors “isn’t the same amount of TV segments, or main events, or titles or money or opportunities as men. The next big step is the same amount of years as men.”
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Raquel Rodriguez slams Chelsea Green during Wrestlemania 39 Night 2 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., April 2, 2023. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)
Raquel Rodriguez, who will be a part of the all-female premium live event, Evolution, on Sunday, told Fox News Digital in a recent interview she agreed with Flair’s assessment and praised the legendary pro wrestler for her vulnerability and bravery for putting her heart on the line.
“I do agree with her,” Rodriguez said. “I do agree there is a little bit of a double standard there. I do feel like, because we are women, we are told, at a certain age, ‘You have to stop. At a certain age, you should be thinking about other things, having kids, getting married, whatever it is. At a certain age, you shouldn’t be pushed in the main story anymore. You had your time.
“I do see something wrong with that because there are men on the other side that are aging gracefully, and aging like fine wine and so are the women. But they are getting used a little more and put in these situations where the women just have to keep trying to compete and constantly being put in that pressure cooker of performing and accelerating, and it is difficult.”
Raquel Rodriguez enters the ring during Monday Night RAW at Nationwide Arena June 23, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)
WWE STAR DREW MCINTYRE TALKS PUTTING HIMSELF UNDER THE MICROSCOPE TO GET BACK INTO SHAPE BEFORE RETURN
Rodriguez explained that with aging comes longer times to rest and recuperate, and the potential of performing like a gymnast in the ring lessens.
“It is difficult because, you know, with age also comes more need of rest and recuperation. And we can’t do as many things like these beautiful gymnasts that are in NXT flipping in and outside of the ring,” she said.
“Older women, they are not going to be able to accomplish those kinds of feats, but there is other ways and purposes that our superstars can continue to perform and provide for the WWE company, and I see that for all of our women.
“They are so talented, and it has taken so much time and so much hard work to build their start to where it is at. And I think they deserve to keep their start up there and to have it pushed even more if their work ethic and their stars is asking for it, yeah 100%.”
Rodriguez will be a part of Evolution this time around. She was still in the WWE Performance Center for the first all-female premium live event in 2016.
Raquel Rodriguez during the Women’s Royal Rumble at WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Feb. 1, 2025. (Joe Camporeale/Imagn Images)
She and Roxanne Perez will defend their tag-team titles in a fatal four-way match against Flair and Alexa Bliss, Sol Ruca and Zaria and Kairi Sane and Asuka.
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The event begins Sunday.
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