IMPACT Wrestling Fires Tessa Blanchard, First-Ever Female World Champion, in Wake of Recent Allegations

Impact Wrestling made a very surprising move and fired the company's top star. On Thursday night, Impact announced it has released Tessa Blanchard from her contract and stripped her from her world championship. Blanchard made history as becoming the first female to win a men's world championship in pro wrestling history.

"IMPACT Wrestling has confirmed that it has terminated its relationship with Tessa Blanchard and stripped her of the Impact Wrestling World Championship," the statement read. Blanchard has not competed in IMPACT since March 7 when she teamed up with Eddie Edwards to face the IMPACT World Tag Team Champions The North (match aired on April 7). According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, Blanchard was scheduled to compete at Slammiversary on July 18 in Nashville against Trey Miguel, Eddie Edwards, Ace Austin, and another competitor.

The relationship with Impact and Blanchard has not been strong. Johnson reports Blanchard was supposed to send Impact promos from Mexico (where she currently lives) for the June 1 episode of Impact on AXS. When the material was not received by Impact, the episode had to be re-edited with other content. It has been reported Impact was looking to get Blanchard to return and lose the title, but two sides couldn't agree to a deal. Blanchard's contract was set to expire at the end of June. Impact was hoping to have her return for one last appearance before she became a free agent. However, Impact decided to let her go now as it became clear she wasn't returning for Slammiversary. Johnson doesn't report on the allegations of Blanchard bullying and saying racists remarks, which could mean her release had nothing to do with that.

Blanchard, 24, is the daughter of wrestling legend Tully Blanchard, who was a member of the Four Horsemen in the 1980s. Tully Blanchard is currently an on-screen manager on AEW. Tessa Blanchard made her Impact debut in 2018 and eventually won the Impact Knockouts Championship. She won the Impact World Championship in January of this year when she defeated Sami Callihan.

Before joining Impact, Blanchard spent time with Women of Wrestling, World Wonder Ring Stardom, and she even spent time in WWE in 2016 and 2017. In April 2016, Blanchard lost to Alexa Bliss in an NXT match. She lost to Nia Jax in May of that year and then fell to Carmella in June. In 2017, Blanchard took part in the Mae Young Classic and lost to Kairi Sane in the first round.