Over the past few weeks TNA Wrestling’s seen a string of departures that parent company Anthem classified as an ultimately beneficial “workforce reduction”… even though they appear to be for different reasons, and not particularly well coordinated.
Reports told us that former World and Knockouts champion Tessa Blanchard requested her release because she was asked to choose between working with CMLL in Mexico or with TNA in the United States, but different outlets heard different things on whether
AEW and New Japan partner CMLL gave Blanchard the ultimatum, or if TNA’s partner WWE did.
Blanchard appeared on CMLL Informa Wednesday night (June 17), a day after her release was confirmed. According to translation from X account Pep S. Caro which she reposted: she appeared “clear things up”. Doing so involved clarifying that it was “the U.S. company” that told her she needed “to make a decision if you’re a CMLL fighter or if you’re a TNA fighter”. After consulting with her dad (which could refer to either Tully Blanchard or her stepfather Magnum TA, with whom she’s also close) and realizing that she likes her life in Mexico and has “many achievements and goals to pursue” still in lucha libre, the controversial second-generation wrestler chose to be “100% with CMLL”.
We’ll see what the wrestling media and dirt sheets have to say going forward. Let us know if you’re buying Tessa Blanchard and CMLL’s version in the comments below.
