Tessa Blanchard Comments on Backstage Locker Room Reaction to Her TNA Return
As noted before, Tessa Blanchard made her surprise return to TNA Wrestling at this past December’s Final Resolution 2024 event in Atlanta, Georgia.
A recent episode of Sportskeeda’s WrestleBinge podcast featured Blanchard as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Blanchard’s thoughts about the backstage locker room reaction to her recent return to TNA.
“First and foremost, a lot of people, you can tell them the sky is green and they would believe it. There are a lot of stories and things out there that, I read it and, ‘this came out of left field, I don’t even know where they cooked this up.’ There are some stories where there is 20% truth to something and some things got completely twisted in telephone, telegram, tell a wrestler. As far as the locker room, everyone is going to feel something or think something. A lot of people were fed a story from someone who is no longer with the company, that is completely not true and completely manipulated into something that it wasn’t. Now, the conversations that I need to have, or feel I need to have, I’m having them. There are a lot of one-sided things out in the public, and my side has never really been told. My side has never really been shared with a lot of these people. When I left wrestling for around three years, I was in a mental state where I didn’t want to see a wrestling ring, I didn’t want to talk about wrestling, I didn’t want to see anyone that had to do with the wrestling world. I completely cut it off, deleted certain social media that were bad. I was getting flooded with messages, and my family as well, that no person or 14-year-old little sister should have to read. It was better for me to separate myself. I went back to college. I joined Army ROTC, I’m going after my Global Affairs degree now, and I know who I am without wrestling. That’s what I didn’t know before. Everything in my life was wrestling, and when you lose that thing that is absolutely everything to you, you better know who you are because if you fall, you fall hard.
Now, I’m coming back and I know who Tessa is without wrestling. I’m an absolute force, but I’m a different woman. For anyone in the locker room, any fans who want to judge me or think that they know me or know truth about a certain situation that quite possibly, people need to look at a situation and think, ‘maybe this could have been manipulated,’ or every reaction has a reaction. A lot of things get turned into something it’s not. For me, it’s easier to let people think what they think than to defend myself, at the time, which maybe isn’t the best answer, and maybe I haven’t always made the right decsions, but that’s the way my head was at the time and we move on from there.
As far as the locker room, there are a lot of people who have never had an experience with me, it’s a whole different company now, and this was around four or five years ago that I was even in IMPACT. You’re not the same person you were two months ago, a year ago, and all of these people are going to have to relearn who Tessa Blanchard is. I’m okay with that. I’m no stranger to hard work. I’ve always said my last name doesn’t do much for me because once you get in the ring, it doesn’t take the bumps for you, it doesn’t drive the miles for you, it doesn’t pay the bills for you. It’s your training and what you are able to do in there. I always heard it’s who you know to get there and what you can do to stay there. When I moved to Mexico to go to CMLL, it was the same story. I had to start over from scratch and relearn a whole new style. I had to make new friends and redefine who Tessa Blanchard is. That didn’t scare me. Hard work doesn’t scare me. Starting over from the ground and working up doesn’t scare me. That might intimidate a lot of people, so if someone is intimated, it’s easier to villainize a person. That’s okay with me. Whatever you or anyone else thinks about me, that has everyting to do with you, but nothing to do with me.”
Transcript h/t: Fightful.com
Nic Nemeth Comments on His Run as TNA World Champion & TNA’s Backstage Environment Being Big Reason He Signed with TNA
TV Insider held a recent interview with Nic Nemeth. One of the topics discussed included Nemeth’s thoughts about him joining TNA Wrestling and how he did not want to hold the TNA World Championship unless it happened organically for him in the company.
“One of the first things I told them was I didn’t want to be the champion or in the title picture for six months to a year. If it doesn’t come to me somewhat organically, then I didn’t want it to happen. Storyline-wise three or four months in we got to a match, but still Moose remained champion. Slowly, different pieces fell into place where it felt right for the time for what TNA was doing. I think we’re all doing such great work that I’m happy to be a piece of it as champion at the moment.
At first, I wasn’t sure what to do. I’d just gotten out of a 20-year relationship and wanted to take a break and not immediately jump into another one. I wanted to check out the independents, go to some different countries and do things I haven’t done without the umbrella of WWE. I wanted to have a bunch of matches I never thought I would. Scott D’Amore kept saying to give them a chance, check out the locker room, and that they had something special going on over here. He wanted me to be a part of it. I got a text from Frankie Kazarian, Brian Myers, Bobby Roode, so many different people were like, “You’ve got to give it a try.” I said, “Let’s find a way where I could dip my toe here and be affiliated with you guys but still do my own thing. After the first payday, I got the locker room, the vibe and how everyone was on the same team. I thought, ‘Let’s go. Let me lock in and be a part of this.’”
In a recent separate interview with Sports Illustrated, Nemeth gave his thoughts about TNA’s backstage workplace environment and how TNA management deals with talent being one of the reasons why he decided to sign with the company.
“I’m a link in this team that is kicking ass behind the scenes. Ariel (Schnerer), Tommy (Dreamer), Gail (Kim), kicking ass. Motivating all the talent, having a relationship with the talent where it’s like, ‘how about this? How about this,’ and then meeting in the middle. Like, whoa, that can happen. Like, this is the coolest thing ever.”
Misc. Wrestling News & Notes
Game Changer Wrestling reportedly has sold and distributed around 1,698 tickets for their Jan. 19th The People vs. GCW event at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, New York as of Saturday, according to WrestleTix.
Lucha Blog reported that Lucha Libre AAA is currently believed to have potentially lost their television deal with Space in Mexico. It was reported that Space had not promoted the airing of AAA’s Origenes show for Saturday, January 18th on their network network and instead AAA had announced it would air exclusively on their YouTube channel. It was also reported that if AAA has lost their TV deal with Space, then that would be a serious blow to the company. In a follow-up report, it was reported that Space did not air AAA’s newest Origenes show on their network on Saturday.
New Japan Pro Wrestling reportedly drew an attendance of 1,814 (1,664 WrestleTix) for their Jan. 11th Battle In The Valley 2025 event in San Jose, California, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Stardom reportedly drew a paid attendance of 409 for their Jan. 11th New Year Stars 2025 event in Nagoya, 544 for their Jan. 12th New Year Stars 2025 event in Nagoya, and 1,233 for their Jan. 13th New Year Stars 2025 In Korakuen Hall event in Tokyo, Japan, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre reportedly drew an attendance of 8,000 for their Jan. 10th Super Viernes event at the Arena Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Major League Wrestling reportedly drew an attendance of around 2,400 for their Jan. 11th Kings of Colosseum 2025 event in North Richland Hills, Texas, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Dave Meltzer reported that his sources stated that MLW’s actual number was smaller than the 2,400 number they announced but the show was still a legit sellout in terms of ticket sales.
In a recent interview with the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast, Matt Hardy gave his thoughts about the future of his wrestling career and potential retirement plans. Hardy stated “I just think I’m just gonna ride the spiral till it ends. I’m just gonna ride the spiral till it ends. I think in the past I have, I’m just gonna see how I feel and just roll with it. I try not to think too far ahead. I try not to overwhelm myself. I’m more of a day-by-day person. I just try and get through every single day and make it as good as possible.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)
Revolution Pro Wrestling recently announced two new matches for the card of their Live In London 92 event on February 2nd in London, England:
- Kuro vs. Robbie X
- Leon Cage vs. Leon Slater