Last night I conducted an interview with the one and only Tessa Blanchard for WrestleZone Radio, just 48 hours prior to her appearing at PCW Ultra’s upcoming show this Friday.
You can find some transcribed highlights from the interview below. The full interview can be found via WrestleZone Radio on iTunes or in the embedded player at the top of this post.
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On All In:
“I don’t think anyone quite understands how huge this is going to be – huge for the history of professional wrestling, and independent wrestling. It’s the largest indie show in the history of pro wrestling I believe, and especially for women’s wrestling, it’s going to be huge. Cody, Matt and Nick are giving us the platform to ensure that the evolution of women’s wrestling is in good hands. When Cody asked me to be the face of the women on All In, I was a little bit taken back because it was super humbling. I don’t have the words to describe it. I was very grateful and thankful that he believed in me that much.”
On PCW Ultra:
“I’ve had nothing but good experiences with them, they’ve been awesome to work with. I wrestled Chelsea Green last time for their first ever Women’s Championship, and it was an honour to do that. They’re the premier wrestling company on the West Coast, they’ve got a huge following, and everyone’s talking about PCW. It’s really cool to just be a part of it.”
On learning from the Mae Young Classic:
“When I wasn’t in the ring wrestling during the Mae Young Classic, I was in the back either doing pre-tapes or watching the other matches. They picked some of the best female wrestlers in the world, some who I’ve had the pleasure of sharing the ring with, and some of them who I hope to share the ring with some day. No matter whether someone has been in the business longer than you or for less time, you can learn something from any of them.”
On her wrestling goals:
“In a perfect world, I would love to be great at everything. But obviously, I’m not gonna be great at everything. I watch a lot of old-school wrestling, and one of my favourite matches is my dad vs my step-dad at Starrcade ’85, Magnum TA vs Tully Blanchard. In that match everything looked so aggressive, everything was so real, and it looked like a brutal fight. Nowadays I feel like everything is very perfect. It’s okay to mess up and keep it more real, and I try to model my style after that. I want people to believe in the story that I’m telling. That’s why Nattie and Charlotte, I love their styles. I believe Charlotte is the best right now, and I would love to share the ring with her one day.”
On her future:
“I try not to get my hopes up too high with anything, because I’ll never be let down that way. I honestly just take things day by day, and I try not to look too far into the future. My dad always tells me to try and have a five-year plan, but honestly, lately, I’ve been taking it day by day. I’m very grateful for how things have gone in my journey. In 2013 I thought I was going to get signed by WWE right after my tryout, and it didn’t happen. Honestly, looking back, I feel very blessed, because I’ve had the opportunity to travel the world and it’s made me the woman, athlete and wrestler I am today.”
