Is Charlotte Flair already the greatest female wrestler?

In hindsight, it was always inevitable that Charlotte Flair was destined for great things. Since her debut back in 2012, a mere five years ago, she has captured more championships and made more headlines than any other female athlete on the WWE roster. So, considering her tremendous and various successes in such a short time span, I believe it would be fair to realistically pose the question 'Is Charlotte Flair already the greatest female wrestler?' Let's examine some of her greatest achievements to make an informed decision:

It is important to remember when discussing Charlotte's road to glory, that it was never her original intention to follow in her legendary father's footsteps. Rather, she resented the wrestling business for the negative impact it had on her father and her family growing up. But, after the tragic death of her brother Richard (Reid Flair), Charlotte made the valiant decision to chase her brother's dream of becoming a professional wrestler in honour of his memory. Now, after reaching the very pinnacle of the wrestling business, it's safe to say she has done him proud.

After only a short year of training in NXT developmental, it was decided that Charlotte was more than ready to show off her skills in front of WWE cameras. She defeated Bayley in her very first televised match and went on to achieve notable success, but would suffer a sidelining injury that would keep her out of action for two months leading into the new year. Four months after her return, 'The Queen' took her rightful place by capturing the NXT Women's championship, defeating Alexa Bliss, Emma and Natalya in the process. These three names in succession look good on any female wrestler's resume.

The speed with which Charlotte stormed her way through developmental and NXT is not only a testament to her ability in the ring but also her determination to fill her father's shoes.

Upon her main roster debut, Charlotte spearheaded the Divas revolution on Monday night RAW and picked up her first Divas championship just two months later, defeating Nikki Bella. She would then go on to compete in what is now widely regarded as the greatest women's match in Wrestlemania history, facing off against Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch in a triple threat match. In her victory, Charlotte was awarded the brand new WWE Women's championship.

Not only was this another notch on the belt for the Nature Boy's daughter, but also symbolised a distinct movement for women's wrestling in WWE. Finally, women were being viewed with the same athletic admiration as the male athletes. And, when looking at the class that was on display in the triple threat, this served as perfect timing.

After being drafted to the Raw brand in the 2016 draft, Charlotte entered into a feud with Sasha Banks. A rivalry which would produce some of the finest in-ring work from both competitors and ended up being named pro wrestling illustrated's 'Feud of the Year' for 2016 - another accolade for the Carolina girl.

Not only this, but Flair and Banks were able to break even more ground by taking part in the first-ever women's Hell in a Cell match at the pay per view of the same name. While the ending wasn't as thrilling as the match that preceded it, there was no doubt that the women were just as capable as the men at pulling off a big-match feel in spades.

After this, WWE started to employ an Undertaker-like streak with Charlotte who, in the end, would go on to secure a staggering fifteen pay per view singles victories without a loss before eventually dropping a win. It was clear to all that mattered that not just the fans but the WWE had faith in Charlotte to be the next big thing in women's wrestling.

Skip ahead several months and Charlotte found herself with another opportunity to shine by being drafted to the Smackdown women's division. Many felt this was a bad move considering the difference in class between the two brands was obvious. But, the more reasonable explanation was that Charlotte was being moved to elevate the ladies on Smackdown to new heights so that they could realistically compete with those on Raw. Again, the faith the company was showing in Charlotte failed to cease.

As expected, Charlotte thrived on team blue but was forced to take a hiatus from the competition when her father, Ric Flair, took seriously ill. But, upon her return, Charlotte found herself as a fan favourite rather than a villain and used her new-found favour with the fans to secure her first Smackdown women's title from Natalya last month. A title she still holds to this day.

This made Charlotte Flair the first and only woman ever to hold the NXT, Divas, Raw and Smackdown Women's championships in what is one of the most impressive strings of championships ever seen in professional wrestling.

All these accomplishments, in spite of various physical and emotional setbacks, are why we can reasonably include Charlotte Flair in a list of some of the greatest female wrestlers of all time. Trish Stratus, Moolah and Alundra Blayze are massive names to live up to. But, if she keeps going the way she is going, it won't be long before Flair finds herself among those revered names. On the other hand, some would say she has already surpassed their accomplishments.

Whatever you make of the argument, one thing is for sure: A hall of fame career is being forged before our eyes. Long live The Queen.