Tessa Blanchard is an American professional wrestler who has been signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) since December 2024.
She is a former Impact World Champion and Impact Knockouts Champion.
Blanchard previously performed for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), where she was a former one-time CMLL World Women’s Tag Team Champion.
Highlights
- Tessa Blanchard is a professional American wrestler signed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
- Tessa Blanchard faced public criticism from TNA wrestling fans after she appeared in the arena after a long hiatus.
- Fellow wrestlers accused Tessa of bullying and racism in 2020.
Tessa Blanchard has recently made headlines with her return to TNA Wrestling after a long hiatus.
At the Final Resolution event in December 2024, she attacked Jordynne Grace, setting the stage for a feud between the two.
This rivalry culminated in a match at the Genesis pay-per-view on January 19, 2025, in which Blanchard marked victory over Grace.
A “she’s a racist” chant broke out at #TNAGenesis tonight for Tessa Blanchard.
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) January 20, 2025
pic.twitter.com/WtWtRrpc2B
Moreover, during the event, Blanchard faced a hostile crowd, with fans chanting, “she’s a racist,” referring to the past allegations against her.
In addition, Tessa has accused Jordynne Grance of using TNA as a stepping stone to joining WWE, asserting herself as the rightful face of the Knockouts division.
Following the January 19, 2025, match at Genesis, it was reported that Jordynne Grace had left the company.
In 2020, Blanchard Was Accused Of Racism And bullying, Leading To Her Termination From TNA
Tessa Blanchard is back in wrestling after about five years of hiatus since her departure from the TNA in 2020.
However, TNA Wrestling fans did not seem happy with the comeback. The whole arena chanted, “She’s a racist,” and similar sentiments swarmed across the social media platforms. One netizen wrote,
It’s things like this and Tessa Blanchard being called racist in Texas of all places that gives me hope that the iwc is healing.
X.com
The allegations of racism and bullying against Tessa Blanchard date back to January 2020.
The accusations included an incident involving Blanchard spitting in a Puerto Rican wrestler, Black Rose‘s face, and calling her a racial slur.
According to the reports, the incident happened in Japan in 2017.
However, Tessa Blanchard denied the allegations.
On her X (formerly Twitter), she released a statement writing,
Over the last week I have been accused of calling a fellow wrestler a racial slur. To read this allegation has been personally upsetting. To be clear, I absolutely did not use that word. That word is not in my vocabulary. That word is not in my heart. Racism is not in my heart.
thesportster.com
Following her allegation, Tessa Blanchard’s contract was terminated on June 25, 2020, before it expired on June 30, 2020.
Tessa Blanchard’s Wrestling Colleagues Had Posted A Violent Sea Of Backlash After She Tweeted About Supporting Each Other
On January 12, 2020, Blanchard defeated Callihan to win the Impact World Championship.
A day before the match, she tweeted,
Hey women, try supporting one another. Cool things happen
X.com
However, a positive message that anybody could get behind took a turn into allegations and accusations.
Fellow wrestlers Chelsea Green, Allysin Kay, Priscilla Kelly, Renne Michelle, Shanna, and Tanea Brooks replied to the tweet with criticism.
I suddenly love #TNA Wrestling fans letting Tessa Blanchard and @ThisIsTNA know no one has forgotten… "She's a racist…" #TNAGenesis pic.twitter.com/NRX8DeN5jp
— FVC (@fueledviacoffee) January 20, 2025
Canadian professional wrestler and WWE NXT Superstar Chelsea Green wrote,
You’ve consistently put down, bullied and belittled countless female co-workers, including me. Is that support.
X.com
Similarly, American professional wrestler Gigi Dolin said,
Remember publicly putting me down on twitter last year for something that didn’t involve you whatsoever, then continuing to drag my name to other people for it? Pepperidge Farm Remembers. You should probably delete this tweet.
X.com
Recently, following Tessa Blanchard and Jordynne Grace’s match, Chelsea praised Grace and wrote,
You Deserves everything
X.com
Additional Information
- Tessa Blanchard is a third-generation professional wrestler, the daughter of Tully Blanchard, and the granddaughter of wrestling promoter Joe Blanchard.
- Tessa Blanchard was married to fellow Miguel Olivo in August 2020. The couple announced their separation in January 2023.
- Tessa Blanchard has three siblings from her father and twin half-siblings from her stepfather, Magnum T.A.
