10 Wrestlers Who Failed In NXT (But Were Successful Elsewhere)
1. Tessa Blanchard
Right now, Tessa Blanchard is one of the hottest names in the wrestling business. So much so, The Queen of the Carolinas recently headlined Impact’s Slammiversary PPV in an intergender match against Sami Callihan.
Blanchard has a swagger and legitimacy to her wrestling persona and in-ring work, and at only 23 years of age she has an extremely bright future ahead of her. Tessa may have landed on the radar of long-time wrestling fans due to being the daughter of legendary Four Horsemen stalwart Tully Blanchard, but she’s already crafted a reputation completely of her own as being a standout performer.
When it comes to NXT, Tessa had a run with the WWE’s developmental brand back in 2016 ahead of competing in the 2017 Mae Young Classic. Unfortunately for Blanchard, her first-round Mae Young Classic bout saw her going up against eventual winner Kairi Sane. And like that, Tessa Blanchard was eliminated from the tournament in her very first match.
WWE must be absolutely kicking themselves at not being able to tie Tessa down for a prolonged run in NXT; Blanchard is thriving in Impact Wrestling.