Staying away from the WWE banner, Tessa Blanchard managed to prove her potential in the wrestling ring by performing mostly in the TNA/Impact Knockouts division and also in the independent circuit. Due to her controversial run in the circuit, she had to cut ties for several years, but that doesn’t wipe out the fact that she is a talented second-generation athlete whom the WWE never utilized in a fair way.
Hailing from Mexico, Tessa Blanchard made her way to the top in the Impact Knockouts division as a multi-time champion. Also, she is the one-of-a-kind athlete who managed to capture the Men’s Impact World title, as well, during her heyday in the early part of this decade. Before finding a foothold in TNA, she also had a brief stint in WWE NXT back in 2016, which led her to get frustrated.
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While speaking on her YouTube channel, Tessa Blanchard talked about getting calls from WWE’s developmental territory to do extra spots on their shows. To do those stunts, she had to drive eight hours from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Orlando, Florida, even though she was still a newbie in wrestling and barely making any money. Despite her efforts, she never got a chance to wrestle or have a match.
Tessa Blanchard didn’t have enough money in WWE NXT days
As the conversation proceeded, Tessa Blanchard admitted that it was tough for her to deal with such empty promises at such an early stage in her career. But at the same time, she also tried to accept those days since this is how the pro-wrestling business works. At that point, she was still young and inexperienced. Not having enough money to rent a hotel room, she also ended up sleeping in a Wawa parking lot before driving back home.
“I remember I got a call from William Regal and he said, ‘Okay, we’ve got another opportunity for you in NXT. You’re going to have a match this time.’ And I remember driving all the way there and did not have a match that time,” recalled Tessa Blanchard on WWE constantly making false promises to her.
“And I remember just feeling so defeated, like I was like, damn. Like they said I was going to have a match and I didn’t have a match. Turned around, drove all the way back home.” (quotes courtesy Ringside News)
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Upon enjoying a long hiatus from the pro-wrestling scene, Tessa Blanchard returned to the circuit on her home turf of the TNA Wrestling promotion in late 2024. Targeting the top Knockouts Division star, Jordynne Grace, she essentially declared her intention to take back the charge. However, this move of TNA to bring her back was criticized due to her past controversies with racism issues.