The Problem With Tessa Blanchard That No One Wants To Talk About

Tessa Blanchard, former Impact World Champion and elite-level professional wrestler, is currently gathering dust on a shelf after four months as a free agent, having wrestled only once since June. Meanwhile, Ben Carter (so new he doesn't even have a CAGEMATCH profile) is currently the most sought-after freelancer in the sport on the back of just three AEW appearances (only one of which went down on Dynamite).

Promotions are ravenous for new blood at the moment. Carter is already phenomenal, though he is in a position similar to Will Ospreay's prior to joining New Japan in 2016. The tools are clearly there and his ceiling appears to be limitless, though he would ideally spend the next 2-3 years on the indies, rubbing his rougher edges away before signing an exclusive deal. Not in 2020. Promotions are so desperate to secure wrestlers that they'll extend offers to anyone with even the slightest hint of buzz, regardless of their experience.

Four years ago, Carter would be allowed to grow, nurture, and add layers on the indies, as Ospreay was allowed to do under the freedom of his NJPW deal. Now, it's likely a matter of days before one of AEW or WWE snaps him up.

What does Carter's situation have to do with Blanchard's? Everything. If young Ben is a hot commodity after a single appearance on national television, Tessa should be like the surface of the sun. Unfortunately for her, it seems her reputation has blotted out the light, leaving her benched for the foreseeable future.

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