Tessa Blanchard nearly joined the U.S. Army before returning to wrestling

Former professional wrestler Tessa Blanchard revealed that she nearly abandoned her wrestling career to join the U.S. Army. During a difficult period where she felt she had lost her identity outside of the industry, Blanchard stepped away from wrestling, returned to university, and began training for military service.

Blanchard stated she was only days away from signing a six-year military contract after being told by a Lieutenant Colonel that it was time to commit before summer field training. However, she decided against signing the contract after receiving an unexpected invitation from CMLL to participate in their 2023 Women’s Grand Prix. Blanchard described the timing as a sign that led her back to the sport, eventually winning the tournament in October 2023.