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Legendary booker Dutch Mantell claims he would not sign Tessa Blanchard if he worked for a wrestling company today.
Blanchard is widely regarded as one of the most talented wrestlers in the world. However, the former IMPACT World Champion has a reputation for being difficult to deal with behind the scenes. In 2020, she was accused by other wrestlers of bullying and racism – claims that she denies.
In a recent WSI interview, Mantell explained why he would not be interested in Blanchard if he still booked wrestling shows:
"As far as I know, she is not one of the most favorite female performers out there, and would I hire her? I don't think I would," Mantell said. "I think she's toxic in the dressing room, from what I've heard, and I don't wanna deal with it." [1:12 - 1:32]
Blanchard, the daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Tully Blanchard, appeared on NXT in 2016. She also participated in the 2017 Mae Young Classic tournament, losing in the first round to Kairi Sane.
Dutch Mantell thinks Tessa Blanchard "started trouble"
The 27-year-old made headlines earlier this year following an alleged incident at Women of Wrestling (WOW). Fightful Select reported that she fell out with the company after receiving complaints about a promo she cut on another wrestler.
Dutch Mantell has never had any problems with Blanchard, but he thinks her reputation alone is enough to upset dressing room morale:
"I met her once," Mantell stated. "Very nice, very friendly and cordial to me, but I just heard stories about her from the other girls. These stories just don't start because of no reason. There's gotta be some substance to it behind the scenes. There were some things that she just acted not weird but started trouble." [0:32 - 1:06]
One of Blanchard's most significant career accomplishments came in 2020 when she became the first female holder of the IMPACT World Championship. The title was taken away from her after 165 days due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. She was also released from her contract.
Do you agree with Dutch Mantell? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit WSI and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
