Tessa Blanchard has reportedly been removed from Major League Wrestling’s September 12 event, bringing a sudden halt to what had appeared to be an additional high-profile appearance during her current run with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre.
Blanchard had recently revealed that she was set to appear for MLW on September 12, creating the impression that she could be working across both promotions. The situation changed quickly after CMLL issued a clarification stating that Blanchard’s involvement with the MLW show was an appearance rather than an indication that she had signed with the promotion. MLW subsequently removed references to Blanchard from its event advertising.
Dave Meltzer addressed the developing situation on Wrestling Observer Radio, confirming that Blanchard is no longer part of the September 12 card while emphasizing that the reasons behind the decision have not yet been publicly established.
“She was pulled from the advertising, and she is, in fact, off the show,” Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio. “And that’s where it stands right now, and I think there will be more that comes out soon, maybe, but probably not that soon. I’ve tried to ask all involved, and have not heard directly from anybody. I’ve heard indirectly from a few people, but nothing of any substance to answer the question. So that’s the deal.”
For more background on this topic, read PAC vs. Mascara Dorada Set for CMLL’s September 13 Event at Arena Mexico.
At this stage, there has been no confirmed public explanation for Blanchard’s removal. The key facts are limited but notable: she was announced in connection with the September 12 MLW event, CMLL clarified the nature of that planned appearance, references to her were taken down from MLW promotion, and she is now reportedly off the show entirely.
A Rapid Change After an Announced Appearance
The timeline has made the matter particularly unusual. Only a week earlier, Blanchard’s involvement with MLW seemed positioned as a straightforward opportunity for the wrestler to extend her visibility beyond CMLL. Her scheduled appearance came at a time when CMLL talent have regularly been seen in MLW, making the idea of a CMLL-affiliated wrestler working an MLW date appear consistent with the broader relationship between the companies.
Instead, the announcement was followed by CMLL’s statement distinguishing an appearance from an MLW contract. That distinction was important, even if it did not initially provide a clear answer as to why it needed to be made. Blanchard was not being presented by CMLL as an MLW-signed performer; she was expected to work a specific event. Soon afterward, however, MLW no longer featured her in its promotional material.
Her complete removal now goes beyond a simple clarification of employment status. It leaves an unresolved question about what changed between the initial announcement and the updated advertising. There is currently no confirmed indication that Blanchard’s removal was caused by an injury, a creative decision, a contractual dispute, or any other specific issue. Until one of the parties involved addresses it directly, those possibilities remain unverified.
CMLL and MLW Have an Established Working Relationship
The development is especially striking because CMLL and MLW have maintained a working relationship for several years. CMLL luchadors have commonly appeared at MLW television tapings, allowing MLW to feature wrestlers from one of Mexico’s most historic promotions while giving CMLL talent another platform in the United States.
That existing connection is why Blanchard’s original appearance did not appear inherently out of place. In a landscape where promotions increasingly share talent through partnerships, crossover bookings can be a normal part of doing business. MLW’s association with CMLL has been one of the more visible examples of that kind of arrangement, particularly when CMLL wrestlers have been incorporated into MLW events and television programming.
Blanchard’s removal does not, by itself, confirm any change to the relationship between CMLL and MLW. However, it has created uncertainty about where matters stand. The lack of a detailed public explanation has made it difficult to determine whether this was an isolated issue involving one performer and one event or whether it reflects a larger complication between the two promotions.
For now, it would be premature to characterize the CMLL-MLW relationship as altered or ended. The established history of talent exchanges remains a significant part of the context, but no definitive update regarding the partnership has been confirmed in connection with Blanchard’s status.
Another Unclear Contractual Chapter for Blanchard
This is the second unusual contractual situation involving Blanchard in 2026. Earlier in the summer, she departed TNA. Blanchard later stated that she had been given a choice between remaining with TNA and joining CMLL, and that she chose CMLL.
That explanation framed her CMLL run as a deliberate professional decision and suggested that her future was centered on the Mexican promotion. Her subsequently announced MLW appearance seemed, at least on the surface, capable of fitting alongside that direction, particularly given the two companies’ history of working together.
But CMLL’s clarification that the September 12 booking did not mean she had signed with MLW introduced an unexpected wrinkle. In wrestling, the distinction between a contracted talent relationship and a single-date booking can carry meaningful implications for how promotions present a wrestler, arrange future appearances, and communicate their plans. In this case, the clarification came before the appearance was ultimately removed from the schedule.
Blanchard’s current position is therefore clear only in a narrow sense: she is associated with CMLL, she had been scheduled to appear for MLW on September 12, and she is now no longer on that MLW show. Beyond that, the available information does not establish whether she will work with MLW at a later date, whether the planned appearance could be revisited, or whether there are broader restrictions affecting future crossover opportunities.
What the Removal Means for the September 12 Card
For MLW, the immediate practical issue is the September 12 event itself. With Blanchard no longer appearing, the promotion will need to proceed without a wrestler who had been included in the show’s promotion. It remains unclear whether her planned role will be replaced, whether any match or segment connected to her will be reworked, or whether the card had advanced far enough for a specific opponent or storyline to be publicly affected.
No replacement information was established alongside the report of her removal. Fans awaiting updated event details will have to watch for official MLW announcements regarding the lineup. Until then, the available update is simply that Blanchard is off the show.
The situation also illustrates how quickly public expectations can shift when promotions offer limited details. An announced appearance can generate assumptions about a wrestler’s status, especially when it involves companies that already share talent. A clarification can then narrow those assumptions, and a removal from advertising can create further questions without necessarily supplying answers.
In Blanchard’s case, the uncertainty has been amplified by the recent end of her TNA tenure and her move toward CMLL. Each step has placed added attention on where she can appear and what her professional commitments look like. The MLW booking briefly appeared to offer a clearer picture of that direction, only for the circumstances to become less defined within days.
No Confirmed Explanation Yet
The most important point remains the absence of a confirmed explanation. Meltzer said he had sought answers from those involved but had not received direct, substantive clarification. That means any definitive claim about why Blanchard was pulled would go beyond what has been established.
There are still several questions surrounding the matter: why CMLL felt it necessary to clarify that Blanchard was only making an appearance rather than signing with MLW, what led to the removal of her name from MLW advertising, whether the decision was mutual, and whether it will affect future interaction between CMLL and MLW. None of those questions have publicly received a firm answer.
For the time being, Blanchard’s September 12 MLW appearance is off. CMLL remains the promotion she chose after departing TNA earlier this year, while MLW’s ongoing relationship with CMLL remains an area to monitor rather than a matter with a confirmed resolution. Any further update will need to come from the promotions or Blanchard herself, but the available information indicates that what first looked like a routine crossover booking has become one of the more puzzling talent-status stories of the year.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.