Tessa Blanchard will try to make history at IMPACT Hard to Kill when she challenges for the IMPACT World Title against Sami Callihan. Should she be victorious, Blanchard would become the first female World Champion in IMPACT history and the first female World Champion in a television and pay-per-view promotion.
And while many fans are excited at the prospect of Tessa breaking another glass ceiling in wrestling, she knows that there are some who are waiting for her to fail.
"I feel [the hate] sometimes," Tessa admitted on Busted Open Radio. "I'm not oblivious or stupid. I feel like, no matter what happens in life, people are always going to have something to say. The way I look at it is, I think no matter what you go through, whether it's a positive or negative, if you're able to turn the way you think about it into a positive, you'll be able to get through it. Anyone put in the position I'm in, it's different. People aren't used to it. Some people might not be okay with it because it's not traditional. It's not what we've been taught or what we've seen. But that's what I love about it. I love that it's different. I love that we're doing something that hasn't been done before. I think that makes it special and draws more attention to our company. I'm pretty good at having mental strength. My dad has always said, 'mental strength is so important if you want to be successful in this business.'"
Sami Callihan defeated Blanchard in the main event of IMPACT Slammiversary in July 2019. Blanchard earned her title shot by winning a November gauntlet match that also included Brian Cage, Daga, Rich Swann, Michael Elgin, and Moose.
Fightful will have live coverage of IMPACT Hard to Kill on Sunday, Jan. 12 beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
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