Why WWE needs to sign Tessa Blanchard (Opinion)
The wrestling community was shocked last week when IMPACT Wrestling announced that it has terminated its contract with Tessa Blanchard.
Notably, Blanchard was the Impact World Champion and was set to defend the title at the upcoming pay-per-view, Slammiversary, on July 18. With this termination, the championship stands vacant.
With that being said, Tessa Blanchard can be regarded as a free agent. Hence, the speculation is rife about her next destination. WWE is being considered as a front runner in the race to sign the former Impact World Champion.
Despite her much-talked about behavioral issues and controversial past, WWE needs to sign Tessa Blanchard and here's why.
The Women's Revolution in WWE received a major push in 2018 with the arrival of former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion, Ronda Rousey. Then, with the rising popularity of Becky Lynch, the women's division reached its peak at WrestleMania 35 when it was main-evented by Rousey, The Man and Charlotte Flair.
However, with the departure of Rousey after WrestleMania 35, the recent announcement by Becky Lynch regarding her pregnancy and the absence of Charlotte Flair, the women's division in WWE now finds itself with huge shoes to fill. This has been further exacerbated by the bookings for its upcoming Superstars such as Shayna Baszler and Rhea Ripley.
WWE has tried to fill the gaps off late by pushing Superstars such as Sasha Banks, Asuka and Bayley. However, it needs a big name in its ranks to bolster the fan interest in the women's division.
Blanchard has gained a tremendous amount of credibility as she became the first woman to become the Impact World Champion with much fanfare. Her feud with Sami Callihan propelled her to main-event stardom.
Considering this, Tessa Blanchard certainly has the potential to a star attraction in WWE's women's division. Possible feuds with the likes of Asuka, Sasha Banks and Bayley can be instrumental in bringing the women's division back into the main-event scene.
Furthermore, due to Blanchard's expertise in inter-gender matches, her list of possible opponents may not be limited to female Superstars. Currently, the concept of inter-gender wrestling is not present in WWE, which may be caused due to the audience that consumes the weekly shows. However, if in the future, WWE decides to change its stance on the subject, then Tessa Blanchard would be a contender to be a pioneer.
The only obstacle for Tessa Blanchard maybe her behavioral issues. Back in January 2020, several women lashed out against her with allegations of bullying and racism.
While none of the allegations has been proven, with the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement, it remains to be seen whether WWE chooses to ignore these issues or not.