Jim Ross believes WWE is leaving something on the table with Charlotte Flair. Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer argued that the promotion could push the decorated 14-time women’s champion harder, even as she remains one of the most over acts on the roster.
Ross’s take came out of a broader conversation about character identity in wrestling, but his most pointed remarks were reserved for Flair. His view that she has been underbooked is his opinion, expressed on the podcast, and WWE has not commented on it.
What Jim Ross Said About Charlotte Flair
The discussion started with Ross reacting to Triple H’s comments on WWE: Unreal Season Three, where the WWE creative head noted that Bron Breakker needs to become his own star rather than simply “the next Steiner.” Ross agreed, stressing that performers cannot lean on imitation.
It’s not a copycat league. The originality of your character is important as hell,” Ross said. “You got to keep reinventing until you get this sh*t down.
From there, he pivoted to Flair and made his assessment plain.
Charlotte’s probably been underbooked, in my opinion. Largely, she’s very over. But I just think that they could probably do a little bit more with her, quite frankly,” Ross said.
Where Flair Sits In WWE’s Women’s Division
WWE officially recognizes Flair as a 14-time women’s world champion, with reigns spanning the Raw Women’s Championship, SmackDown Women’s Championship, Divas Championship, and NXT Women’s Championship. That resume is central to Ross’s argument that the company could be doing more with her.
As of mid-July 2026, though, Flair sits outside the title picture. Rhea Ripley holds the WWE Women’s Championship after defeating Jade Cargill at WrestleMania 42, while Liv Morgan is the reigning Women’s World Champion.
On the tag side, Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid) captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship from Paige and Brie Bella at Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 18, 2026.
Flair has recently been used to anchor multi-woman matches, including the fatal four-way tag team bout at WrestleMania 42 that saw Paige and Brie Bella win the tag titles, a match in which Flair did not take the fall. That pattern of leaning on her name value without building around her lines up with the underutilization concern Ross raised.
The question of Flair’s creative direction is not new. She has previously pitched untapped storyline ideas of her own, offering a counterpoint to the notion that the material simply is not there. Ross, for his part, framed the fix as a matter of commitment from the top.
You gotta’ go all in, and you got to get the company that’s going to be behind you,” he said.
