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That is the great thing about Impact - they care about each individual talent and everything that we put out on TV has a lot of thought and time put into it.
Scott Armstrong got me my tryout at the WWE Performance Center. I went there and got my tryout and it was one of the most physically trying things in my life.
I think when I started in wrestling, I hadn't realized how difficult locker rooms were going to be. I thought they were going to be more inviting than they were.
Taya has never beaten me in a fair fight one-on-one. Taya has always needed a stipulation or a special guest referee or something that puts the odds in her favor.
I have a huge family name to live up to and a huge legacy to live up to. I feel the pressure of that every day of my life, but I feel like it's a blessing and a curse.
On the independent circuit I've traveled the world, I've won championships, I've won tournaments - I've defeated some of the best out there so I feel like I am one of the best.
I am grateful to both Impact Wrestling and the WOW executives for working out the details to allow me to pursue my dream of competing at the highest levels within our industry.
They've helped me out so much - Dad from a business aspect and my stepdad on following my heart. They're both so different but so much alike. I get to pick both of their brains.
I train seven days a week. I'm mentally and physically prepared for any situation that I might be thrown in, and that's what puts me in the upper echelon compared to other Knockouts.
Female-wise, one person that I really, really, really would like to share the ring with is Gail Kim. I say that because I believe her to be one of the best women's wrestlers in the world!
I do feel like since I am a third-generation wrestler, I do have to hold myself - and there are a lot of people that expect certain things out of me - I'm an athlete, and I'm a top athlete.
Both my stepdad and my dad have said, 'Follow your heart and your dreams, but Tessa, this is a business and you need to become the best.' They don't sugarcoat things and I'm very, very blessed for that.
Depending on what country I go to, my style might be a little bit different and my tactics might change a little bit, but at the end of the day, I'm still Tessa Blanchard and I'm still the same wrestler.
I've gone places where they've told me what I need to do, what I need to say, who I need to be, what moves I need to perform. And at Impact I get to just be me. I have creative control to be me and do what I want.
Carrying on the Blanchard name is a huge honor for me because my grandfather, my father and my step-father - they've all put a lot into their legacy and for me to carry that on, it's a lot of weight on my shoulders.
I think that I am misunderstood because people perceive me to be a certain way because I am generational. They expect me to be entitled and expect me to have things early on. I think people misconstrued that honestly.
Gail Kim has done so much and has so much knowledge. I think she's extremely underrated. She wants the product to be great and she doesn't mind taking the extra time to get it there. That is a really invaluable thing to me.
Being lean doesn't make you any more worthy, any more beautiful or any more valuable. It doesn't make you a more fit person, it doesn't mean you've worked harder in the gym, people who are leaner than you aren't better than you.
Everywhere I go, the styles are different. When you wrestle in Japan, it's more strong style. When I go to Mexico, it's definitely more high-flying. And in my matches I've had with Taya in Impact, it's been a lot more ground-based.
On numerous different occasions I have had people tell me that I am only booked because of my dad, because of who I was dating, or any other exceptions other than my hard work, so in my mind I wanted to put in the extra hours in the ring.
There were so many times I was called to go do a match and drive 8 or 9 hours from North Carolina to Orlando, Florida just to go do the NXT extra spots and then nothing, which would break my heart every time, but I was just very young then.
I watch a lot of old-school wrestling, and one of my favourite matches is my dad vs my step-dad at Starrcade '85, Magnum TA vs Tully Blanchard. In that match everything looked so aggressive, everything was so real, and it looked like a brutal fight.
After my WWE tryout in 2014, I thought for sure that I was going to get signed and that it is finally happening and that I was going to finally be there. Then, when it didn't happen I was heartbroken. I always think it is because God had a plan for me.
One thing about WOW that I love is that we're taking women from all different parts of life. We have girls from jiu jitsu and an MMA background. We have mothers. We have students. We have people from everyday life who found this love for professional wrestling.
I am happy to join Selina Majors in providing women with a fully comprehensive training program designed specifically for them. I was trained by men, and while that worked for me, I know a more supportive community for women wanting to join our profession will increase the participation.
Honestly, the All In women's locker room was such an inspirational group of women. What I love about all the women involved - Chelsea, Britt, Madison, Jordynne Grace, Brandi Rhodes, Tenille Dashwood, Penelope Ford, Mandy Leon - is we all bring something so different to the table for a common vision.
I wanted to go and I wanted to drive the miles for no pay, I wanted to set up the rings, I wanted to set up the chairs, I wanted to go to training six-seven days a week for hours upon hours and blow myself up to where I can only work on instinct. I wanted to sleep in my car. I wanted to do all of that.