Update On Tessa Blanchard's Wrestling Future
Has Blanchard already signed her next big wrestling contract?
Impact Wrestling officials believe the reason Tessa Blanchard didn't sign a new contract for the promotion while holding its World Championship was because she had received a better offer from another company, writes Dave Meltzer in this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Blanchard left Impact in June. The 25-year-old reportedly failed to submit requested video content while self-isolating in Mexico, leading to an internal belief that she would no-show a scheduled title defence at Slammiversary the following month. Thus, she was let go and stripped of the strap, with Eddie Edwards crowned her successor.
This came five months after a racism scandal that saw Tessa accused of using a slur against Puerto Rican wrestler La Rosa Negra.
As reported earlier this week, Blanchard will return to wrestling later this month, facing Kylie Rae for Illinois' Warrior Wrestling. Forecasting what happens next is difficult. WWE has been reported as a favoured landing spot, though there are lingering backstage issues stemming from alleged behavioural problems when Blanchard has moonlighted for the promotion in the past. AEW may pass on her following January's allegations, though she'd be a considerable boost to their women's division based on talent alone.