DEVASTATING Acts Of Self-Sabotage That RUINED Wrestling Careers

5. Tessa Blanchard "Bullies And Belittles Countless Female Wrestlers"

AEW Collision CM Punk Terry Funk
Impact Wrestling

Tessa Blanchard had the world at her feet and - literally, by all accounts - spat on its face.

She had an "in" to the business, being the daughter of wrestling royalty Tully Blanchard - and she could not have broken through at a more opportune time. She debuted in 2014, just one year before WWE was pestered into giving a sh*t about women's wrestling. She was a precocious talent who turned heads with her distinct, dynamic powerhouse game when the demand for high-end women's wrestling was stronger than ever in the North American market.

The conditions could not be more favourable. Very quickly, she had lapped all but a handful of her peers as an in-ring talent. She exuded an unteachable star presence. And, not to be too Jim Ross about things, but it's important: she boasted a physique that developed her fanbase.

Talk about "down bad": the stans practically fainted when she did nothing except turn around.

Why, then, isn't she one of the biggest stars in wrestling?

Because she alienated entire locker rooms with her entitlement and arrogance, was by several accounts impossible to deal with, and even, as Allysin Kay alleged, "spat in a black woman's face in Japan and called her the N-word".

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!