Tessa Blanchard is finally making her long-awaited return to IMPACT Wrestling and she has quite the challenge ahead if she wants to keep her title.
This week’s episode of IMPACT on AXS teased an announcement on the fate of the World Championship, and it was revealed that Blanchard will make her return at Slammiversary for a title defense against four competitors.
Scott D’Amore took to the ring to make the announcement, talking about his responsibility to the locker room, the fans and whoever is the champion. He says Tessa Blanchard still isn’t there… and Ace Austin and Michael Elgin interrupt him.
Both make their respective claims to be the world champion, then Eddie Edwards comes out and tells them they have to fight for a championship here, they won’t be handed one.
D’Amore listens to Ace ridicule him a bit more, then says Edwards is right and they will fight for an opportunity to be champion. He announces Tessa Blanchard will make her return at Slammiversary, and she will defend her title in a five-way match against Elgin, Austin, Edwards and an unnamed fifth competitor.
Austin flips out and brings up the fact that he won a number one contender’s tournament, then says D’Amore screwed up because there are only five people in the ring. D’Amore says his math might not be that great, but asks him to turn around as Trey springboards in and kicks Austin in the face, with Josh Mathews confirming Trey is the fifth person in the match.
The four brawled with each other as the segment came to a close. Blanchard has been at home in quarantine since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States and has not been at any IMPACT TV tapings since February. Her last match was a tag team match on the March 7 episode of IMPACT, but she has since appeared on TV in pre-taped remote interviews.
Slammiversary is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 18.
