"I don't want him back in the ring" - Former world champion shares honest thoughts on WWE Hall of Famer signing with Tony Khan and AEW (Exclusive)

Former IMPACT Wrestling World Champion Tessa Blanchard has opened up about how she felt about her dad Tully Blanchard joining AEW in 2019.

The former member of the Four Horsemen signed with All Elite Wrestling in 2019 as the manager of Shawn Spears, staying by the Canadian's side all the way through his run in The Pinnacle alongside FTR, Wardlow, and MJF.

Blanchard's run in the company came to an end in early 2022 after FTR relieved him of his duties. He would pop up for a brief run in ROH as the leader of Tully Blanchard Enterprises, but he was again overthrown by Prince Nana, who made Brian Cage and the Gates of Agony members of The Embassy instead.

But how did his daughter feel about Tully getting back in the business? Speaking to Bill Apter in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling, Tessa Blanchard was excited for her dad and for the AEW locker room to have such a respected veteran in their presence.

"I don’t know if surprised would be the right word, I was excited for him. I think wrestling will always be part of our family no matter what, just because my grandpa and my dad, me now it’s just always something that’s going to be with us so it didn’t really surprise me per say. I felt more excited because my dad has such a wealth of knowledge that not a lot of people have, I think the kind of things that were more prevalent back then have kind of gotten forgotten or lost, so to have him in any locker room is such great value," said Tessa. [From 3:33 to 4:08]

However, Tessa did say that despite wrestling running through her family's veins, she doesn't want to see her dad back in the ring any time soon:

"So I was more excited for one their locker room if they were able to like utilize his knowledge, and then just him to be back in it a little bit to an extent. I don’t want him back in the ring or anything but he’s a tough S.O.B.." [From 4:09 to 4:29]

You can watch the full interview between Tessa and Bill right here:

Tully Blanchard was one of many wrestling legends to pass through AEW's doors

With AEW being a promotion that wants to focus on the future of the business primarily, many of the legends that pop up from time to time are shown more as mentors than as in-ring competitors.

Along with Tully, Arn Anderson was seen in Cody Rhodes's corner on a regular basis, as was Jake "The Snake" Roberts, the man tasked with keeping the "Murderhawk Monster" Lance Archer in line.

Not all mentors want to sit on the sidelines in AEW, as shown by "The Icon" Sting, who has transformed from being Darby Allin's mentor to former TNT Champion's tag team partner who arguably takes just as many risks as his protege.

The mentor role has also been showcased in the women's division as well, with former WWE general manager Vickie Guerrero and former IMPACT Wrestling Knockout Champion Madison Rayne coaching the likes of Nyla Rose, Marina Shafir, and Skye Blue.

Who's your favorite teacher/student duo in AEW? Let us know in the comments section down below!

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