WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry has discussed controversial TNA Wrestling star Tessa Blanchard and how fans are not reacting positively towards her.
A few years ago, Blanchard was touted to become a top female star in pro wrestling, but her signing with the big leagues of the industry was affected by accusations of bullying and racism leveled against her. Blanchard, who is now back in TNA Wrestling, competed in the recent TNA Rebellion pay-per-view, where she facedMasha Slamovich in a singles match. While reviewing the pay-per-view, Henry was asked by Bully Ray on "Busted Open" about the match and how the crowd reacted to Blanchard.
"At one point, Bully, I saw people in the crowd, visibly, arms folded, looking like, 'I'm not going to respond.' In a case like that, if you want to have a career at the high level, you have to lobby to have one," said Henry. "You have to make atonements and get the people that were affected in your problem, to say, 'Hey, this is legit. This person is trying to go forward with life, and we both have really come to an agreement, we've come to an understanding that life is better when everybody is happy and not just one person, and you've got to get out of your own space, and just because you feel some kind of way, don't mean you should say it.'"
Henry believes that Blanchard should show some remorse for her past actions so that fans will come over to her side.
Mark Henry also admitted that Tessa Blanchard is a good wrestler and revealed that he has had no problems with her.
"I think she's a really good wrestler," said Henry. "I never had no issues with her. But the issues that she had is beyond me. The issues that she's having is that people don't have faith in her as a person, not as a wrestler. She wrestles as good as anybody in the world."
Henry feels that the TNA star has to apologize to the female wrestlers who were affected by her bullying. He compared her to Hulk Hogan, narrating a recent anecdote about how "The Hulkster" who was also accused of racism was blackballed by a few radio shows in Austin, Texas, to promote his beer.When asked by Bully Ray if the wrestling world would appreciate Blanchard's contributions to the business, Henry asserted that her talent would be acknowledged, but she wouldn't make it to the Hall of Fame.
"I hope they will [appreciate her] one day because the talent is undeniable. There's been a couple of really, really elite football players and they got injured one or two years, maybe three years into their career, and they're never going to the Hall of Fame. They don't have enough of a sample size in their career to go to the Hall of Fame," Henry said.
Following her return to TNA in December, Blanchard reportedly kept an open door for those who wanted to speak with her, according to Matt Hardy, who also encouraged others to extend an olive branch and offer forgiveness to move past previous incidents.
