7 Wrestling World Champions Who Were Fired

2. Tessa Blanchard

Tessa Blanchard Impact Champion
Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling fired Tessa Blanchard and stripped her of their World Championship on 25 July 2020, with PWInsider citing the "increasingly icy relationship" between promoter and wrestler as the reason.

Blanchard had found herself on increasingly thin ice after failing to submit promos requested by the promotion while she self-isolated in Mexico. Impact then asked Tessa to film content for an interview segment for their 1 June episode, which she didn't do, leading to the company having to re-edit huge chunks of the show and fears that she'd ghost the upcoming Slammiversary PPV, where she was supposed to defend against Ace Austin, Trey Miguel, Michael Elgin, and Eddie Edwards.

Impact and Blanchard had failed to come to an agreement on a deal to have her show up and drop the strap, so the promotion cut her ahead of her contract's expiration on 30 June.

An uncertain future awaits Tessa. A phenomenally talented wrestler she may be, though past behavioural issues, allegations of immaturity, and the January 2020 racism scandal have poisoned her brand at 24 years old.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.