Tessa Blanchard Discusses Online Criticism & Life as a Second Generation Wrestler

Tessa Blanchard knows all about criticism. Since getting into professional wrestling, Tessa has faced criticism from most corners of the wrestling universe, whether it be online or behind the scenes. She’s appeared off an on with various companies, including a recent appearance with Major League Wrestling that at this time isn’t leading to anything more. She is regularly appearing with CMLL and has been feuding with Persephone, who is currently working for All Elite Wrestling. As long as Tessa has wrestled, people have speculated where she’ll appear next and for how long.

Tessa Blanchard recently did an interview with TMZ Inside the Ring where she discussed coming up as a second generation wrestler and dealing with online criticism.

On If She Had To Work Harder Due to Being a Second-Generation Wrestler:

“Sometimes I feel that because having that family name, having a father (Tully Blanchard) that’s in two Hall of Fames, a grandfather (Joe Blanchard) that’s in the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, a stepfather (Magnum TA) that’s well respected, it’s a lot to live up to, but I’ve always believed in myself. Whether it was doing a school project in elementary school or whether my mom told me to clean my room and it ended up me cleaning the whole upstairs. I’ve always been an overachiever. I want to outshine and be the best that I can be. Uh outshine my former self, you know, like there’s a saying ‘Look in the mirror and that’s your competition.’ Be 1% better than yourself every day. And for a while like I’m like ‘Gosh that sounds so cliché’ but I’m setting these goals for myself professionally personally in the gym, I’m starting to see that really is true. I have so many goals within wrestling still. I’m so glad for what I’ve accomplished and blessed that I’ve been able to do so. But this new chapter as the woman, the athlete, the wrestler that I am now, I strongly believe that I don’t have a lot of competition. I believe that I’m the best in the world.”

On Something She’s Overcome During Her Career:

I think one of the most difficult things is going online and reading comments or opinions that all these people that don’t know you personally have about you. And then if you’re continuously consuming that that type of media or that type of information, at one point you might start to believe it about yourself. So I think one of the most difficult things that I’ve had to overcome and I think many wrestlers have to overcome is having a strong sense of who you are, like Tessa Blanchard the person and Tessa Blanchard the wrestler. And having that strong work life balance and realizing that these are different people. They’re not the same person. And having whatever it is for you to have that balance. You know, for some people it might be going to the gym. Some people it might be deleting social media for a while. It’s going to look different for everyone, but I figured out what works for me. And I think that that’s probably one of the most difficult things to overcome is the internet wrestling community.”

If using any of the above quotes, please credit TMZ Inside the Ring , with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.