WWE wrestler Charlotte Flair meets Long Island kids

Before a recent WWE match at Nassau Coliseum, we went backstage to meet WWE wrestling star Charlotte Flair.

What age were you when you decided to become a wrestler?

Twenty-seven. I was old.

Do you wear certain outfits?

Yes. My top and bottom can change colors, but I always have a few, if you look closely, the detail is peacock feathers because I love peacocks. And then I switch up my robes, different colors. But the robes always have peacock feathers as like a crown on my shoulders, except the robe. Are you guys staying for the show tonight? The robe that I’m wearing tonight was my first-ever robe made. And it’s actually made from my dad’s very last robe that he had made, same material and everything. Crazy.

Your dad, Ric Flair, has a signature saying, "Wooh." What is your favorite saying or tagline?

Wooh. It’s "Wooh, do it with flair."

What was the easiest and hardest fight you ever had?

The hardest was probably fighting my best friend, Becky Lynch, because we both are very competitive. We both wanted the same thing. It was hard not wanting to hurt her in the ring and beat her. But I didn’t beat her. And then the easiest — I don’t think I had an easy match. I think the easiest part of it is walking out the curtain.

What’s your favorite part about being a wrestler?

Getting to meet you guys. Traveling the world. Getting to meet the audience, whether it’s VIPs or appearances elsewhere. It’s just making an impact.

If you weren’t a wrestler, what would you be doing?

Probably a coach, or a personal trainer.

Who was your best friend? What’s it like to compete against each other?

My best friend is Becky Lynch. It was very challenging fighting for the same thing because we always travel together, eat together, work out together, share everything. So when we started competing against each other, I lost that one person that I relied on. But it made me stronger in the process.

Do you like wrestling because of your father?

Actually, no. I like it because my little brother wanted to be a wrestler. And he’s not with us anymore, so I’m continuing his dream because he wanted to be just like my dad.

Do you have a routine before the match?

Yes. So if you watch the show and you look closely, most of the girls don’t wear old-school wrestling boots anymore. They are the ones that come up and you lace them up. But all the guys wear them. And I like to be traditional. So before my match it takes like 10 minutes to lace those things up. So I just focus, and it’s just the routine of lacing up the boots.

How do you recover from a match physically?

Eat a pint of Ben and Jerry’s.

If you have any kids, wouldn’t you like to be keeping the tradition going by wrestling?

If it’s something that they wanted to do. I don’t want to push them. Like for me, it was never something that my parents wanted me to do or asked me to do or suggested. So if that’s what my little boy or girl wanted to do, I would support them 100 percent. But they’d have to want to do it. I don’t want to influence their decisions. My parents were always like, you’ve got to play basketball, softball, or soccer, gymnastics, ballet, tap, jazz.

Do you wear certain gloves?

No, but I need to because of all my calluses.

Do you like to dance? Can you show us your best dance move?

I tried flossing, but I’m not good at it. Hey, Macarena! There’s my dance.

How do you manage to be a part of a world full of men?

I’m trying to think of the best way. I think it’s the mindset. I don’t think of it as a male-dominated world. I think of it as, we’re equals and we can do anything that the men can do, if not better.

Do you get in arguments with the crowd?

It depends on if I’m a good guy or a bad guy, and my mood.

What was your favorite subject in school?

Social studies.

Do you have a lucky charm before the match?

I always pray before I leave the curtain.

If you had to wrestle your father, who would win?

Oh, me. Figure-eight [leg lock] is twice as good.

Hot fudge sundae or chocolate cake?

Hot fudge sundae.

Do you like being recognized in public?

I don’t mind it.

Theresa Moskowski’s fifth-grade students, Walnut Street School, Uniondale