TNA
The backstage reaction to the reported imminent return of Tessa Blanchard to TNA Wrestling this weekend has been revealed.
It was reported today in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that former TNA/IMPACT World Champion Tessa Blanchard is set to return to the promotion, four years after her contract was terminated back in 2020.
It was reported that TNA is planning to have Blanchard return to feud with Jordynne Grace before Grace’s contract expires early next year, with her expected to land in WWE.
Following the report, CMLL officially announced the departure of Blanchard, with the CMLL Women’s Tag Team Championship being vacated.
They wrote:
Official Announcement: The CMLL Women’s World Tag Team Championship has been vacated following the departure of Tessa Blanchard from the company. The title will be contested next year in a playoff.
The news of Blanchard’s return has caused a lot of discussions online, and the backstage reaction to her imminent return has been revealed.
Per Fightful Select (subscription required), various talent around the wrestling world on December 12 were of the belief that Blanchard was headed back to TNA, a day before the report from the Wrestling Observer.
Fightful had spoken to talent in AEW, WWE and TNA on Thursday, with them being in disbelief that the company was moving in that direction.
The news had been kept away from the entire roster as of the time of the details emerging, with even many of the staff usually in the know being kept in the dark. Fightful was told that this was done intentionally due to a fear of internal backlash.
There are some people that remain with TNA that have remained friends with Tessa, but one person in the know saying that the hope is that there is enough new talent to work with that haven’t soured on her, with another source believing that Blanchard will be on her ‘best behaviour’ due to this being a big opportunity for her.
Fightful was told that the plan had been in motion for at least the past two weeks, and was the decision of a ‘top person’ in Anthem, with them being warned against it by others in the company. It was not the work of Carlos Silva, the new President of Anthem who just joined the company this week.
Fightful corroborates that the plan is for Tess to be involved with Jordynne Grace, coming into the company as a heel and winning, but that Jordynne had pushed back on working with Tessa.
One source was of the belief that TNA was motivated to bring in new talent, as they expect to lose Mike Bailey, Jordynne Grace and Josh Alexander in the coming months.
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