Tessa Blanchard On The History She's Made, Fans Saying She's In Her Position Because Of Her Father
Former Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion and daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Tully Blanchard, Tessa Blanchard had an undeniably successful 2018. Blanchard secured her first Knockouts Championship on August 12, 2018 and would hold the title in a dominant reign over the Impact women's division for the remainder of the year. Impact Wrestling even awarded Blanchard their "Knockout Of The Year 2018" award for her contributions to the company.
Blanchard recently took time for an interview with TheGorillaPosition.com and while discussing various topics, she credited the last five years of training in pro wrestling for molding her in to the well-rounded competitor audiences see today. Blanchard recounted some of her most inspiring accomplishments and explained how learning all sorts of wrestling styles from around the globe allows her to adapt to different competitors in the ring.
"I just hit my five-year mark since I first began my training," Blanchard said. "And right now, I feel like I've really, finally come full circle. At that point, if someone had asked me, where do you think you'd be in five years? There's no way I could have imagined I'd be here. I've wrestled some of the best wrestlers in the world ? both male and female. I've had the longest women's match in [pro wrestling] history. I got to travel to Australia and I got to main event at Korakuen Hall. I got to be a part the first women's match in the history of China.
"Everywhere I go, the styles are different," Blanchard continued. "When you wrestle in Japan, it's more strong style. When I go to Mexico, it's definitely more high-flying. And in my matches I've had with Taya in Impact, it's been a lot more ground-based. So, I basically have to be ready for anything, and be able to adapt depending on where I'm wrestling, or who I'm in the ring with."
Blanchard is a third generation superstar, being the daughter of Four Horsemen member and WWE Hall of Famer, the aforementioned Tully Blanchard. She's inspired to step out from the shadow of her father's legendary career and create a legacy that is completely her own.
"I've said since day one that my last name might get my foot in the door, and give me an opportunity," Blanchard admitted. "I'm not denying that. But, once you step in that ring, you've got to be able to back it up. You got to be able to work hard. And that's what I do. I work hard, because that's what's necessary. You have to go that extra mile. Everybody can look at me, and make all the excuses they want. Like, 'Oh, it's because of her Dad or, it's her last name.' But if you work hard, none of that matters? it's all just bulls–t."
You can read the full interview with Blanchard here. If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Gorilla Position.