Tessa Blanchard Reportedly Departs TNA After Requesting Release

TNA has been shedding talent so far during the month of June, with Myla Grace and former TNA World Heavyweight Champion Steve Maclin both asking and receiving their releases just a week ago. And it appears they are not the only ones. Fightful Select reports that Tessa Blanchard has also departed TNA, after asking for and receiving her release, much like Grace and Maclin. As of this writing, TNA has yet to comment on Blanchard's status.

This ends Blanchard's second stint with the promotion, having initially wrestled for TNA from 2018 to 2020. Despite huge success, including holding the TNA Knockouts Championship and TNA World Heavyweight Championship, Blanchard's first TNA tenure ended in controversy after accusations of racist behavior towards wrestler La Rosa Negra from years earlier emerged, followed by Blanchard to show up to defend her title during the COVID-19 pandemic, an action that directly lead to her release. Upon her return, Blanchard was met with a hostile reaction from fans, including receiving chants of "She's a racist!"

Prior to rejoining TNA, Blanchard had been working for the lucha libre promotion CMLL, where she won the CMLL World Women's Tag Team Championships with Lluvia. Initially departing when she returned to TNA, Blanchard eventually began appearing for CMLL again in 2025, and had continued to work for both CMLL and TNA, despite the former promotion's relationship with AEW, and the latter promotion's relationship with WWE and AAA.

A report last week revealed that TNA was unhappy with Blanchard continuing to work CMLL, especially following Blanchard losing to CMLL/AEW luchadora Persephone during CMLL's WrestleMania weekend event back in April. While unconfirmed, there is speculation that CMLL ultimately gave Blanchard a choice between themselves or TNA, leading to Blanchard choosing the latter.