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After many months of speculation on her future, Impact World Champion Tessa Blanchard has moved on from Impact Wrestling and been stripped of her championship. The news was not all that surprising, with word of her recent dealings with the company not exactly being the friendliest but it is still always a shock when a promotion parts ways with one of its biggest names.
With her release comes the obvious question of - what is next for Tessa Blanchard? The obvious answer would be that she heads to either WWE or AEW, the two major players in town and both promotions will be vying for her signature.
As fans though this situation offers up a whole host of potential dream matches depending on where the former IMPACT Wrestling World Champion lands. With Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch both ruled out for the time being we have been robbed of two phenomenal encounters.
But nevertheless, let’s take a look at three potential WWE and three potential AEW matches for Tessa Blanchard!
#3 WWE - Tessa Blanchard vs Sasha Banks
Let’s start off with the most obvious one shall we? Tessa Blanchard has made no secret of the fact that she wants to face Sasha Banks. The two have very contrasting styles, with Tessa Blanchard bringing her power and strength to proceedings while Banks brings the athleticism and crafty heel shenanigans.
This match would certainly be reminiscent of the fantastic Sasha Banks vs Charlotte Flair feud from a couple of years ago which brought us instant classics every single time they faced one another and a few historic ‘firsts’ at the same time.
You would do well to find a better big name feud for a women’s championship match than by placing two of the very best in the business together at one of the big four pay-per-views.
#3 AEW - Tessa Blanchard vs Nyla Rose
This match would just be absolutely brutal, plain and simple. Nyla Rose may not be AEW Womens Champion any longer after losing to Shida recently, but she is still very much at the top of the division, and a showdown with Tessa Blanchard would go to show who is the most dominant woman in the company.
This match doesn’t even have to be for the AEW Women’s Championship for it to have main event written all over it. They would surely bring the best out of each other in a super physical confrontation, with the winner going on to challenge for the championship belt.
Nyla Rose has put on some great matches so far in AEW but the pickings are slim amongst the rest of the women’s division for someone who could stand toe to toe with Rose. Tessa Blanchard would give her some legitimate competition for the first time and you could even add Big Swole into the mix for an epic, barbaric triple threat rivalry.
#2 WWE - Tessa Blanchard vs Rhea Ripley
Following the same theme as the Nyla Rose rivalry, a showdown between Rhea Ripley and Tessa Blanchard sure would be a sight to behold.
They are both well built and athletic women and employ rough and brash personalities. This would be a colossal feud and would undoubtedly create instant classics whether it be on NXT or the main roster following a well deserved call up for Ripley.
Outside of Keith Lee, Rhea Ripley may have had the single best booking of anyone within the confines of WWE over the last year. A program with Tessa Blanchard would continue to build on her already impressive CV when you consider that she is still in her infancy in terms of professional wrestling.
Other than Charlotte Flair, Ripley has yet to face anybody who can match her strength and physicality. This is where Tessa Blanchard slots in perfectly.
A true heavyweight clash for the ages and a perfect showcase for both women, hopefully helping Rhea Ripley to get back on the right track after her WrestleMania 36 loss.
#2 AEW - Tessa Blanchard vs Hikaru Shida
Now, this would be an interesting confrontation for sure. Hikaru Shida is more than used to being the underdog and has a history of defeating women who are much bigger and more physically impressive than her. Take Shida recently defeating Nyla Rose for the AEW women’s championship as the perfect proof of this. A feud with Tessa Blanchard would be a great way to showcase her plucky attitude and the never say die mentality that has made her so popular.
It also allows Tessa Blanchard to dominate the matches and impose herself on the much smaller opponent. This would be a great feud if it had the right amount of build behind it, as opposed to throwing Tessa Blanchard right into a championship feud on her AEW arrival and irking fans straight away.
As much as she may be a big name signing, it would be a huge disservice to the established talents such as Kris Statlander and Britt Baker if Tessa Blanchard was to jump the queue so early on.
#1 WWE - Tessa Blanchard vs Bianca Belair
Bianca Belair may be the single most athletically gifted woman on any of WWE’s three main rosters, regularly putting on impressive performances and even dominating in the 2020 Women’s Royal Rumble match. Unfortunately for Bianca, her main roster booking has not been nearly as impressive as her in-ring work has proven to be it has been almost nonexistent since her call-up from NXT right after WrestleMania 36. If WWE were to sign Tessa Blanchard, this would be a fantastic first feud for her to get her feet wet on the main roster.
Belair has an opposite style to Tessa Blanchard, while also featuring some similarities in terms of power, which could help them to gel nicely and put on some stellar performances as Bianca has always been known for.
Tessa Blanchard would likely come out on top at the moment, thus defeating a firm fan favourite and established name along the way while staking her claim for an opportunity at the Women's championship in the future.
#1 AEW - Tessa Blanchard vs Bea Priestley
Hear me out on this one. Bea Priestly may be a bit of an out of left field bet for Tessa Blanchard to face if she moves over to AEW, but it could be a very worthwhile program for both women if done right.
Priestley has had little to no time on AEW TV as of yet to show us what most people already know that she is capable of. Since signing with the company in July 2019 and making her debut at Fight For The Fallen, Priestley has one taken part in eight matches including a brief rivalry with Britt Baker, but none of those matches were particularly memorable.
Placing her as Tessa Blanchard's first obstacle, after a few standard squash matches, would be a great way to re-introduce Priestley to the AEW faithful, while also allowing Tessa Blanchard to start off strong against somebody who she has had history in other promotions with such as Defiant Wrestling, and would undoubtedly have great natural charisma with from day one.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
