Tessa Blanchard Expected To Return To TNA, All The Details
Added 2024-12-13 16:37:33 +0000 UTCTessa Blanchard appears to be poised to be headed back to TNA.
Fightful Select had heard from various talent around the wrestling world on December 12 that believed Tessa Blanchard was en route back to TNA sooner than later. On December 13, Wrestling Observer reported that was the plan.
Fightful had spoken to talent in AEW, WWE and TNA Thursday, in disbelief that the company was moving in that direction. The news was kept away from the entire roster as of the time of the details emerging, and even many of the staff who are usually in the know. We're told this was done intentionally, as there was fear of backlash internally. There are some people that remain with the company that have remained friends with Tessa, but one person in the know said that the hope is that there's enough new talent to work with that haven't soured on her. Another source believes Blanchard will be on "best behavior" as this is a major opportunity.
We're told that the plan has been in motion for at least the last two weeks, and was the decision of "a top person in Anthem," and they were warned against by others in the company. It is not the work of new Anthem President Carlos Silva, who just joined the company.
The plan is to have Tessa Blanchard involved by next month, where she's slated to work against Jordynne Grace and win. We're told that Jordynne Grace had pushed back on working with Blanchard. The current plan is for Blanchard to come into the company as a heel.
Tessa Blanchard left TNA in 2020 after refusing to give up the TNA Championship and allegedly holding the company up for more money to drop the title. She was crowned champion amid allegations of using racial slurs towards La Rosa Negra and bullying numerous talent across wrestling. We've never heard of a specific apology that was made, but she an La Rosa Negra posed for pictures together in recent years. The situation made her untouchable by WWE, who had interest prior to the allegations. There were a couple of people early on who pushed for her to join AEW in 2019 by some who are no longer with the company, but it was made clear that talent did not want her there at that time.
Blanchard eventually joined WOW as the product that was originally planned to become a women's wrestling alternative became a Tessa Blanchard rehabilitation project. That didn't end up lasting long, and Blanchard left and ended up working in Mexico. We're also told that as of 2020, Blanchard was no longer working with the high profile agent she had prior.
One source believed TNA was motivated to bring in new talent as they expect to lose Speedball Mike Bailey, Jordynne Grace and Josh Alexander.
In an update, we're told that Tessa Blanchard hasn't been seen at the venue yet, but is expected there later. A number of talent and staff reached out to Fightful today to communicate they had no idea Blanchard was coming in until the reports emerged.
Comments
Yikes
Alex Sabo
2024-12-14 14:04:58 +0000 UTCnever say never in wrestling i guess
e d
2024-12-14 01:15:28 +0000 UTCTo me, Jordynne's final days in TNA should be used to elevate somebody to the championship level. Tessa is not going to sell tickets and does not need a win like this as die-hards know who she is. I hope Tessa's contact has a strong morals clause that allows them to easily kick her to the curb is she misbehaves.
Lynchman
2024-12-13 23:43:40 +0000 UTCWWE fans don’t want her
Collin Ingram
2024-12-13 22:38:07 +0000 UTCEach time it looks like TNA is getting on the right track they do things like fire Scott D'Amore or hire someone who deserves to be blackballed by the entire industry for their deplorable actions. Jordynne deserves better than this at the end of her career-making run with TNA. I'm disgusted by their inability to do things correctly in such a massive and disgusting way.
Silvermander!
2024-12-13 22:00:14 +0000 UTCLOLTNA
Flameducky
2024-12-13 21:01:00 +0000 UTCI feel bad for CMLL, as they have had to vacate their women's tag title . . . Again.
AEW Fan Hub
2024-12-13 20:39:47 +0000 UTCSinner & Saint will probably take a babyface turn in February when Josh leaves and join the tag division
Joel Pearl
2024-12-13 20:02:21 +0000 UTCEvery time I start watching TNA again, they immediately do lolTNA things.
rocksolid124
2024-12-13 19:53:03 +0000 UTCIf Josh leaves tha I wonder what will happen to Judis icarus and his partner
Steve Gargus
2024-12-13 19:44:34 +0000 UTCChelsea Green has a ton of issues with her besides wrestling & I don't expect them to ever reconcile
Rj
2024-12-13 19:32:28 +0000 UTCThe story doesn't say they have beef, just that Jordyn pushed back on working with her. Probably wasn't a huge fan of potentially going out on her back to a person with Tessa's public reputation right now
LostRhino
2024-12-13 19:22:51 +0000 UTCChelsea Green said she never apologised to the TNA/Impact roster
Stew Sizer
2024-12-13 19:21:31 +0000 UTCTNA losing Josh Alexander feels like a big loss for them. I hope he moves up and gets used well by whoever he chooses to work for next.
LostRhino
2024-12-13 19:20:33 +0000 UTCWas it Ed Nordholm's call, maybe? Speculative thinking. Everything doesn't necessarily have to be public for things to have been smoothed over, but so many people called her a bully (with details) that she really should have addressed that publicly. I still don't know how to take the La Rosa Negra photo. It seems that she could have apologized directly, but it's all of the other grandstanding that Tessa did that just really made me dislike her completely. Tough because I wanted her to really be a big player in wrestling and beyond. She threw it away. I don't blame anyone that doesn't want to work with her, and Impact doesn't need her in particular. Give someone else that spot. Multiple talents actually. It's disappointing, but we'll see how it goes. I'm rooting for the Impact talent here.
Shannon Willis
2024-12-13 18:53:19 +0000 UTCNot sure why they would want to go this route and upset a united locker room. I don't see how she will drive further revenue to offset the negative consequences that will follow. Yes TNA will lose some of their top talent, but there are better routes to go.
Robbie Wray
2024-12-13 18:49:36 +0000 UTCI doubt it. They'll probably just never have Tessa work with any WWE talent. WWE fans won't care either way.
Josh Boutwell
2024-12-13 18:43:26 +0000 UTCThey put the World Title on her... then she couldn't be bothered to even shoot promos from home when she refused to show up to tapings. Then, she held them up for more money or she wouldn't drop the belt. She is a cancer.
Josh Boutwell
2024-12-13 18:42:32 +0000 UTCAfter everything she pulled in TNA, they deserve it when she burns that bridge again.
Josh Boutwell
2024-12-13 18:41:38 +0000 UTCTo my knowledge she has never apologized or held herself accountable for her actions. That make this a non-starter for me as a viewer. Forgiveness is fine, but not without acknowledgement of your wrongdoing.
Tempo1337
2024-12-13 18:21:58 +0000 UTCAs a wrestler she’s phenomenal & I thought she could of been a top star for AEW or WWE a number of years back. As a human being there are a lot of things she has either said or allegedly said that she never apologised for & refused to do so. I get TNA have lost a lot of talent to WWE & AEW this year with Speedball & Deonna going to AEW & Naomi & MCMG going to WWE. I get Grace & Alexander are both likely leaving Grace to WWE & Alexander could show up in either AEW or WWE but for as talented as Blanchard is I think it’s a mistake to bring her in she hasn’t apologised for what she did or shown any growth as a person this feels like a lol TNA moment
Matt Hennessy
2024-12-13 17:32:04 +0000 UTCI don't think there's a problem with Tessa coming back to tha as long as she behaves and watchs what she says
Steve Gargus
2024-12-13 17:20:05 +0000 UTCWhat a horrible thing to say
Fightful Select
2024-12-13 17:06:18 +0000 UTCYikes
Rachael
2024-12-13 16:59:35 +0000 UTCI know they are desperate after losing a bunch of people soon, but I didn't think Tessa desperate.
Forceofwilliam
2024-12-13 16:58:18 +0000 UTCSeems TNA lockerroom is united and now this. If it's not broken, don't fix it.
Scott George
2024-12-13 16:55:29 +0000 UTCDel Rio next... would this sour their relationship with WWE? Gotta imagine it would a little bit..
Rob Iapicca
2024-12-13 16:51:15 +0000 UTCIt's a bold strategy, Cotton.
Stuart Beresford
2024-12-13 16:46:53 +0000 UTCJordynne has beef with Tessa?since when?last i recall they were friends. Also Tessa has made amends with la rosa negra but that's not to say there isn't a lot of female wrestlers out there that still aren't cool with her. If she can keep her attitude under control then I don't see why she can't get a second chance,she's incredibly talented in the ring
Rj
2024-12-13 16:45:39 +0000 UTCDebtCollector
2024-12-13 16:45:23 +0000 UTCGross
Andrew Bates
2024-12-13 16:43:42 +0000 UTC
