As the son of wrestling promoter and former American Wrestling Association star Joe Blanchard,[1] Tully Blanchard was involved in professional wrestling at a very young age. In Feb. 1984, Blanchard went to Carolina, where he would enjoy his greatest success. On November 8, 2014, Blanchard debuted for Women Superstars Uncensored and was defeated by Niya in a match for the WSU Spirit Championship at Breaking Barriers III. "I was fortunate Eddie Graham took an interest in me. Blanchard made a surprise appearance during a sit down interview with Jim Ross and Shawn Spears on AEW's "Road to All Out" YouTube series that premiered July 17, 2019. [70][71][72] On November 20, 2019, Blanchard confirmed her engagement to fellow wrestler Miguel Olivo, better known by the ring name Daga. On August 3 at Triplemana XXVII, Blanchard defeated Apache, Taya Valkyrie, Ayako Hamada, Chik Tormenta, La Hiedra, and Lady Shani in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, to win the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship thus becoming the third foreigner (after Taya Valkyrie and Ayako Hamada) and first American to win the championship. These are the words quoted: I was told that there are no plans for her to appear in WWE, NXT, or AEW. Blanchard had been wrestling for less than two years when he got an emergency phone call from home before a wrestling engagement in Greensboro, N.C. "He taught me some things about punting. On August 10, 2007, he lost to Dustin Rhodes at an NWA Legends Fanfest in Charlotte, North Carolina. Tully Blanchard was destined to become a star. [5] At All Out, Blanchard accompanied Spears for his match against Cody, but in a losing effort after interference from Blanchard's former Four Horsemen stablemate, Arn Anderson, who delivered a spinebuster on Spears and chased Blanchard out of the arena. The son of wrestling promoter and star Joe Blanchard, Tully got involved in the family business early. [9] On March 10, Blanchard, Spears and FTR joined the faction led by MJF named The Pinnacle. The coaching staff was impressed with Blanchards improved passing after pacing the Buffaloes to an average of 344 yards of total offense for the final six games, so they decided to open up the offense for his senior season. 83 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the, WC Lady of the Ring Championship (1 time), Totally Tubular Tag Team (Delilah Doom and, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 08:06. His father Joe encouraged his son to go where the money is and supported Tullys decision to join Crockett Promotions in North Carolina and the NWA. "So, I would just always wear a shirt over the scar all the time.". The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! Later, he did some refereeing. We would go to Terrys house and camp out. ", "11/13 Shimmer 89 & 90 results from Berwyn, IL", "Warrior Wrestling 5 - Event @ Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois, USA", "Warrior Wrestling Stadium Series - Tag 1 - Pay Per View @ Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois, USA", "WOW Women Of Wrestling #5 - TV-Show @ Belasco Theater in Los Angeles, California, USA", "WOW Women Of Wrestling #2.12 (#20) - TV-Show @ Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles, California, USA", "WSU Breaking Barriers 5 - Event @ The Coliseum in Voorhees Township, New Jersey, USA", "WC The Squared Ring Circus - Event @ 800 Congress Ave. in Austin, Texas, USA", "WC Dive Hard With A Vengeance - Event @ 800 Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, USA", "WC The Show Must Go On - Event @ 800 Congress Ave. in Austin, Texas, USA", "Zelo Pro Arrival - Event @ Turner Hall Ballroom in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA", "Zelo Pro Milwaukee Meltdown - Event @ Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tessa_Blanchard&oldid=1142058568, Professional wrestlers from North Carolina, Professional wrestling managers and valets, Sportspeople from Charlotte, North Carolina, TNA World Heavyweight/Impact World Champions, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, EWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (1 time), Kings And Queens Tournament (2015) with Anthony Greene, Ranked No. Blanchard kept his injuries to himself, hoping to get by on sheer determination and will. Dave Meltzer reported that Blanchard is believed to be gone from the promotion. Blanchard was the head booker of NWA: New Beginnings territory in Charlotte, North Carolina and has been a backstage agent for the wrestling shows as part of the 2010 and 2011 NWA Legends Convention which were in Charlotte, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia. and. After clashing with Jim Crockett and booker Dusty Rhodes about their pay, Blanchard and Arn Anderson left the NWA for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) on September 10, 1988, losing in an 11th-hour title change to the Midnight Express tandem of Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane after a brief feud. In the mid 80s Tully Blanchard had a series of matches with World Wrestling Council (WWC) Universal Champion Carlos Colon in Puerto Rico and the Continental United States. However, financial troubles sparked by deceitful practices by his business partner led to Joe Blanchard selling the time slot, which was eventually picked up by Vince McMahon and his expanding World Wrestling Federation, kicking off a relationship that still exists to this day. Whether it was his performances on the gridiron or in the squared circle, Blanchard has been a star who entertained crowds for decades. Watch Gyllenhaal and McGregor storm UFC 285 weigh-in to film Roadhouse scene, Moment Aston Villa's Leon Bailey inhales 'laughing gas' after all night party, 'Professional boxer' Paul teases announcement with hilarious video after Fury loss, Mason Greenwood's England future revealed after rejecting country switch, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. She became the first female wrestler to win the Impact World Championship and is also a former Impact Knockouts Champion. He also gave initial exposure to a young Shawn Michaels. FTR ( Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) & Tully Blanchard defeat Jurassic Express ( Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus & Marko Stunt) (11:19) AEW Dynamite #74 - The Crossroads - TV-Show @ Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. He made his final appearance with the AWA in May 1990. "He proves every day in practice that he is our number one quarterback. Complete the Card: WCPW Bulletproof United States. [8], In 2016, Blanchard appeared in WWE, making her in-ring debut for NXT on April 2, 2016, in a match won by Alexa Bliss. "The name of the book is 'I Quit' since I never quit at Starrcade at '85 but I did quit when I came face-to-face with Jesus Christ. Blanchard won the title on March 28, 1984, and defended the title against some of the top contenders in the territory such as Ricky Steamboat, whom he faced at Starrcade '84. Theres not much that I missed in the wrestling business.". A source added, 'You are nuclear. So at this moment, no company wants to take the responsibility of putting the woman under contract because she risks creating serious problems in the locker room and damaging the image of the product, even if she would not be the first and last to do so. [8] On the March 3, 2021, special episode of Dynamite (entitled "The Crossroads"), Tully had his first match in 14 years, teaming with FTR to defeat Jurassic Express in a match where they were managed by J. J. [17], On September 5, 2018, it was announced that Blanchard had signed with Women of Wrestling (WOW), and would make her debut through the TV tapings from October 2018. Before his senior season, the NCAA made a rule change that allowed students to compete professionally in one sport while maintaining amateur eligibility in another. Then, you got to go to the ring with Jose Lothario and Mil Mascaras and see how things happened, and how they sold, and how the angles were, and you were in the middle of everything. She defeated Allie and Su Yung in a three-way contest. On the June 3 episode of AEW Dynamite, Blanchard returned and berated Spears for making a joke out of himself at Double or Nothing. The man who brought him in as the heir apparent to line up under center, and his biggest advocate, was no longer there. Blanchard informed her father and stepfather about her wrestling training upon the insistence of South and Highspots owner Michael Bochicchio around six months into her training. Tully Blanchard was known to be a great in-ring competitor back in his heyday. He is a Hall of Famer and Legend, who is currently working for AEW and Ring of Honor as a manager. But I also remember he had a fairly good game that week. The group quickly established dominance within the territory by capturing numerous championships with Arn being the NWA World Television Champion simultaneously, Blanchard winning the NWA National Heavyweight Championship in March 1986 and with Flair as the NWA World Champion. "At 19, I thought I was an expert at everything. Blanchard thanked Kim and returned her respect, turning her face in the process. The business led him to fame, fortune and the rock bottoms of excessive living before finding Christ . He was elected to the Hall of Fame in both sports. In addition to the one summer he wrestled in Georgia, he also donned the black and white stripes to referee several matches during the summers for three years before attending West Texas State. A host of other female wrestlers then joined in on speaking out against Blanchards tweet. Tessa Blanchard had a. On September 1, Blanchard defeated Britt Baker, Chelsea Green, and Madison Rayne in a Four Corner Survival match at All In. Fortunately for Blanchard, he played so well during fall drills that he made the team anyway, aided by the fact that most of the pass plays in the offense consisted of short throws. After splitting the first two falls, The Sheik was disqualified for the third and final fall but continued his assault on a fallen Joe Blanchard. By mid 1987, Blanchard and Anderson began competing regularly on the tag team circuit and quickly entered into a feud with the Rock 'n' Roll Express over the NWA World Tag Team Championship. - Fightful Select. Blanchard is currently working on a new book which talks about him becoming a born-again Christian during the middle of his wrestling career. Blanchard was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on July 26, 1995. The Blanchard family lived in many areas around the United States. Was that you supporting women? Nationality: USA. In 1993, World Championship Wrestling offered Blanchard a US$500 per appearance contract to reform The Four Horsemen at Slamboree 1993. Date Of Birth: Jan 22nd 1954. The new duo defeated Anderson and Blanchard on March 27, 1988, though they would lose the titles back to them a little more than a month later after Windham turned on Luger and became the newest Horseman. Blanchard came to Jim Crockett, Jr.'s Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (MACW) in early 1984. "He should get syndicated and go that route," Joe told the Los Angeles Times, June 7th, 1985 edition. At the beginning of 2020, Tully Blanchard's daughter ended up in the midst of a controversy that was not at all light, meaning she was accused of mistreating some of her colleagues and using the N-Word. "I was taught to do all the things that would give Tully Blanchard the glory, that would give notoriety to my family," Tully said in an April 1997 interview with Mike Mooneyham. "I watched my father try to drink himself to death. The pair did join forces as The Fabulous Kangaroos and became one of the most influential and top drawing tag teams of all time. [13] He says it took him twenty years to come to terms with his and his wife's falling-out and his relatively sparse presence in his children's lives. The Von Erichs and Fabulous Freebirds Wild, Storied Feud! I refereed six matches a night from the opening match to the last match," Blanchard said during his speech to accept the Cauliflower Alley Club Iron Mike Award in 2017. I am proud of her and I think if I could get with her for about three weeks and watch her in the ring, I could give her tidbits and nuggets.". Blanchard then went to play for the Calgary Stampeders for a season, which led to his career in professional wrestling. On the March 31, 2008, edition of WWE Raw, Blanchard reunited with Arn Anderson, J. J. Dillon, and Barry Windham to salute the recently retired Ric Flair. Crockett said hed get back to Blanchard. Dillon. Tully Blanchard becoming FTR's manager: "I didn't want there to be like this big reveal that he was our manager. On October 11, she participated in the Super 8 ChickFight tournament organized by the East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA), a federation of Delaware, where women under ECWA compete. ", Tully Blanchard Talks Wanting To Help Daughter Tessa In The Ring, Promos Becoming A Lost Art. He passed away in 2012 at the age of 83. His wife, Mary, continued as a lab tech at the Millmaster Berkeley Chemical . This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy! The title would soon be renamed the NWA World Television Championship and the two continued to feud throughout the first half of 1985 with Blanchard regaining the title and losing it back to Rhodes in early July 1985 at the Great American Bash inside a steel cage; Rhodes also won the services of Baby Doll for 30 days. He grew into a 6-2, 225-pound stud who was a star football player in high school at Parsons, Kansas. The Horsemen feuded with the top baby faces of the territory including Magnum T. A., Nikita Koloff, Dusty Rhodes, Wahoo McDaniel, The Rock 'n' Roll Express, and The Road Warriors. They held the Texas All-Star USA Tag Team Championship on five occasions and the SCW World Tag Team Championship on one occasion in the early 1980s. As a promoter, Blanchard was well respected for his honesty and soft-spoken, humble demeanor, who treated people well in a business with more than its share of loud, blustery untrustworthy personalities. Blanchard went to Highspots Wrestling School in Charlotte when she turned 18 in 2013. [3] [1] At age 4, Blanchard and her siblings moved in with her mother and stepfather after her parents' separation. "My shoulder is not quite as strong now, but I can throw it 60 or 63 yards.". Blanchard was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on July 26, 1995. They spoke again by phone a few days later, and he offered the rising star a job. This was when Tully was first exposed to the wrestling industry at ten years old by going to the mall and putting fliers on cars to promote his dads shows and selling concessions at the events. In 1985, Southwest Championship Wrestling fell apart after a nasty power struggle with business associate Fred Behrends as part of a territory war with his former partner Fritz Von Erich. Maybe if I could guarantee him $4,000 a week for three years.". As a result, Blanchards dreams of playing pro football ended when his college career was over. Blanchard started 10 of 11 games as a sophomore, threw for 858 yards and eight touchdowns while also rushing for 261 yards, and the team finished 6-5. The victory served as revenge for Blanchard, who lost 8-2 to DiBiase in a regular-season match in 1947 when both were freshmen. She held the title for 147 days before losing it to Taya Valkyrie. Asked if his . [62] Her last match in Impact was taped on March 7, 2020, and aired on April 7, 2020, she teamed with Eddie Edwards for the Impact World Tag Team Championship against champions The North (Ethan Page and Josh Alexander) in a losing effort. [56], On July 7, Blanchard competed against Sami Callihan in the first intergender match to ever headline a professional wrestling pay-per-view event at Slammiversary XVII, during which she was defeated. For Blanchard this historic and exclusive media rights deal between CBS and WOW gives her career the biggest distribution platform in the history of women's professional wrestling. One of Blanchards greatest in-ring rivals was Fritz von Erich, who did good business inside the ring. Tully talked with our Andy Malnoske about his daughter's success and how he could still help her in the ring. At the same time, Joe wrestled for multiple territories before eventually settling down in San Antonio in the mid-1960s, where he eventually bought a local promotion to run his own shows. By using this site, you agree to the legal terms set out in ourDisclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. TA had a feud with her father and Four Horsemen member Tully Blanchard in the. Blanchard appeared to be back on track to fulfill his destiny of college football stardom, but a serious car accident before the season not only changed his plans but nearly ended his life. Then we could take it and run with it and sell tickets.". In the mid-2000s, Blanchard briefly worked for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a producer. [21] During her reign, Blanchard successfully defended her championship against Faith the Lioness,[22] Reyna Reyes,[23] Serpentine,[24] and WOW's veteran, former champion, Jungle Grrrl. Lacking talented receivers, his passing numbers dropped to 509 yards while he rushed for another 345 yards. His legacy continues today with his daughter, Tessa Blanchard, who is one of the most talented wrestlers on the . The Rascalz for the Impact Wrestling Tag Titles", "Slammiversary delivers a Five-Star show in the Lone Star state", "Impact Bound for Glory live results: Brian Cage vs. Sami Callihan", "11/19 IMPACT WRESTLING REPORT: Thomas's report on hour-long Gauntlet Match with Moose, Tessa Blanchard, Brian Cage, Michael Elgin, Rich Swann, Daga -", "1/12 Impact Wrestling Hard To Kill results: Moore's live review of Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard for the Impact World Championship, The North vs. Rich Swann and Willie Mack for the Impact Tag Titles, Ace Austin vs. Trey for the X Division Championship, Rob Van Dam vs. Brian Cage", "WATCH: Tessa Blanchard Wins Impact World Championship At Hard To Kill", "IMPACT Terminates Contract Of Tessa Blanchard Five Days Before Expiration, IMPACT World Title Vacated", "IMPACT WRESTLING TERMINATES TESSA BLANCHARD, STRIPS HER OF IMPACT CHAMPIONSHIP", "Tessa Blanchard es la nueva Campeona Reina de Reinas de AAA en Triplemania 27", "Tessa Blanchard se convierte en la nueva Campeona Reina de Reinas en Triplemana XXVII", "AAA Invading NY live results: Cain Velasquez's US in-ring debut", "Tessa Blanchard Played Paige's Stunt-Double In Upcoming Movie", "Tessa Blanchard was the stunt double for actress Florence Pugh (Paige) in the movie'Fighting With My Family. She took the following picture with Natalya at the show: A photo posted by natbynature (@natbynature) on Nov 11, 2014 at 6:42pm PST You can keep up with all your wrestling news right here on eWrestlingNews.com. Blanchard won the title on March 28, 1984 and defended the title against some of the top contenders in the promotion such as Ricky Steamboat, whom he faced at Starrcade '84. [4] On June 16, 2018, Blanchard defeated Mercedes Martinez to win the WSU Championship. The Four Horseman original managed Shawn Spears and FTR for much of his time with the promotion. Blanchard went to the AWA replacing Stanley Blackburn as the figurehead president until it closed in 1991. "We work with weights about three days a week during the summer and run quite a bit," Joe said in a 1971 interview with the San Antonio Light. [38] Valkyrie was then able to submit Blanchard in a mixed tag team match[39][40] that earned her another title opportunity. I did well the rest of 1977 but didnt want to get killed to the point where I could never go back and try for a main event run," Blanchard said. Tully Arthur Blanchard (San Antonio, 22 de janeiro de 1954 [1]) um ex-lutador profissional estadunidense. Blanchard completed his career at West Texas State with more than 3,000 yards combined passing and rushing. Despite his close brush with death, Blanchard wouldnt be deterred and enrolled at Cisco Junior College in the summer after the accident. Whether it was football or wrestling, the spotlight has always shined brightly on Tully Blanchard. It was traumatic the torment that happened to my mother and my father," Blanchard told Mooneyham. The accident occurred in May, and he was the starting quarterback in September. Latest update on Tessa Blanchard At the beginning of 2020, Tully Blanchard's daughter ended up in the midst of a controversy that was not at all light, meaning she was accused of mistreating some of her colleagues and using the N-Word. On March 16, 1985, Rhodes defeated Blanchard to win the NWA Television Championship, ending Blanchard's 353-day reign. Later in the evening, Blanchard attacked Leva Bates, causing her and Jessicka Havok to be defeated by Saraya Knight and Su Yung, and later became the newest member of Valkyrie. Im only 5-11. It was late 1975, and his first destination was the Florida territory, where he would sink or swim on his own while learning from one of the all-time great wrestling minds.