Tessa Blanchard never got to wrestle for MLW, but it sounds like the company had much bigger plans for her than fans ever realized. According to a new report, her talk about chasing the Women’s Featherweight Championship wasn’t just interview hype—it was supposed to lead somewhere.
When Blanchard’s scheduled September 12 appearance fell apart, plenty of fans assumed the title situation was to blame. After all, she’d openly talked about wanting to win MLW gold, and there was speculation the company was preparing to put the championship on her. According to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, that wasn’t actually the issue.
“Regarding Tessa Blanchard, some thought that MLW was going to put its title—the Women’s Featherweight Championship, as they call it—on her at the 9/12 show. CMLL noted that they had only approved her going there for one date. I was told that the title situation was not the reason for the issues, which to this point nobody involved is talking about.”
That doesn’t mean MLW didn’t have championship plans for Blanchard. Quite the opposite, actually. Meltzer reported that if everything had stayed on track, the expectation was that she eventually would’ve ended up with the Women’s Featherweight Championship.
“Blanchard was expected to end up with the title if they could have put it on her, but Masha Slamovich debuting and winning the title from Shotzi Blackheart on 9/12 at the tapings in Charleston, South Carolina, was always planned. Blanchard was scheduled to face Lady Frost on 9/12.”
That also gives more context to Blanchard’s interviews leading up to the event. At the time, it sounded like she was doing what every wrestler does when arriving somewhere new—talking about winning championships. According to someone familiar with the situation, though, there was more to it than that.
“One person close to the situation did confirm to us that Blanchard’s promos about wanting the title were more than just what you would naturally say in an interview, but were going to be part of a storyline direction.”
The report also makes it clear MLW’s plans for Masha Slamovich weren’t something that suddenly came together after Blanchard was pulled. Her arrival had reportedly been locked in months earlier.
“They made the deal early in the summer for Slamovich to be a heel in Contra Unit, and we had been told—and had reported—talks for her to come in already. She was always scheduled to debut on the show and win the title.”
Fans never got to see Blanchard step into an MLW ring, so they’ll probably always wonder where that story was supposed to go. Based on these latest details, though, it sounds like the company wasn’t bringing her in for a one-night appearance—it was building toward a championship story that ultimately never got off the ground.
Do you think Tessa Blanchard would’ve eventually won the MLW Women’s Featherweight Championship if everything had stayed on track? Let us know in the comments.
