Tessa Blanchard’s original MLW debut didn’t happen when it was supposed to, and after weeks of questions about what went wrong, Major League Wrestling founder Court Bauer is finally addressing the situation.
During the October 31 edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Bauer was directly asked by Dave Meltzer about Blanchard’s delayed arrival in MLW. While he wasn’t willing to reveal exactly what happened behind the scenes, he confirmed that the situation caused roughly a 60-day delay before things got back on track. And from the sound of it, Bauer isn’t interested in dragging out whatever happened.
“I can’t say much other than we’re really pumped for her to be there. And I think all parties want it. We’re all excited for it.”
Blanchard was originally scheduled to appear for MLW in September after leaving TNA earlier this year. The promotion had already started building toward her arrival, even releasing a “Coming Soon” teaser that made it look like everything was moving forward. Then her name suddenly disappeared from MLW’s promotional material, leaving fans wondering whether the agreement had fallen apart.
As Ringside News previously covered, questions had emerged about CMLL’s involvement in the situation, including whether the Mexican promotion had concerns about how Blanchard’s MLW appearance was being presented. Bauer didn’t confirm that CMLL caused the delay, but he acknowledged that the original plans had encountered an unexpected problem.
“You can have a great plan and everything’s ready, and then something kind of just takes the detour.”
Fortunately for Blanchard and MLW, that detour didn’t end the relationship. Bauer explained that the situation eventually worked itself out, with the promotion reaching the same destination roughly two months later than originally planned.
“Took a detour and we ended up at the same destination basically on like a 60 day delay.”
Blanchard is now scheduled to face CMLL’s Kira at MLW Saturday Night SuperFight on November 7, finally giving the company the debut it had been trying to arrange. But here’s where the story gets even more interesting. Bauer revealed that MLW’s history with Blanchard actually goes back much further than the recent negotiations. According to Bauer, Blanchard was originally supposed to be involved with MLW’s very first show in 2017. At the time, she was dating Ricochet, who competed against Shane Strickland in the main event.
“She was actually supposed to be on our first MLW show back in 2017.”
Bauer explained that MLW had even filmed material with Blanchard and planned to use her in vignettes for its Fusion television series. However, those plans never came together either. That makes her upcoming appearance something MLW has been trying to make happen in one form or another for nearly a decade.
“This is kind of like, like, you know, nine years in the making, kind of crazy.”
Bauer also made it clear that MLW sees Blanchard as an important addition to its growing women’s division. He brought up potential opportunities involving Masha Slamovich, Zamaya, and talent from STARDOM as the promotion continues expanding its international partnerships.
For now, the exact reason behind Blanchard’s September cancellation remains unanswered. Bauer acknowledged the delay but stopped short of explaining what caused it, leaving the earlier questions about CMLL’s involvement unresolved. Still, after one cancelled appearance and another opportunity that never materialized back in 2017, Blanchard is finally set to make her MLW debut. Whether the promotion has long-term plans for her remains to be seen, but Bauer certainly sounds ready to move past the delay and get things started.
Do you think Tessa Blanchard will become a major part of MLW’s women’s division, or do you still have questions about what caused her original debut to fall apart? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
