A fan’s suggestion for a dream match between WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley and TNA’s Tessa Blanchard was bluntly dismissed by Kevin Nash on a recent episode of his Kliq This podcast. The WWE Hall of Famer used the listener’s question to give a frank assessment of where he believes Blanchard currently stands in the wrestling industry.
Backstage Reputation and Reconciliation
While Blanchard has held top championships in other promotions, her absence from both WWE and AEW has been a subject of much speculation. Her career was impacted by multiple allegations of backstage bullying and racism that surfaced in 2020. The most notable incident involved fellow wrestler La Rosa Negra, who alleged that Blanchard used a racial slur and spat on her during a confrontation in Japan in 2017. Though Blanchard has denied the allegations, the controversy has followed her professional career.
In a positive development, the two appeared to have buried the hatchet. In April 2023, Blanchard and La Rosa Negra were pictured smiling together at a convention. La Rosa Negra later confirmed that they had spoken and that she had forgiven Blanchard, a move many hoped would open new doors for the third-generation star.
A Major League Difference
Despite this reconciliation, Kevin Nash’s comments on his podcast focused squarely on Blanchard’s current professional standing. When a listener proposed a “money booking” idea of a best-of-three series with Ripley, Nash immediately shut it down. “If Tessa Blanchard was somebody that should be in a Iron Man or iron woman match against Rhea Ripley, don’t you think she’d at least be on the NXT roster?” Nash posed, suggesting her talent is not the reason she isn’t in WWE. He concluded with a sports analogy, stating, “I doubt somebody from the double A squad is the person you want to go best of… best of three with.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Kliq This TV with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
