From ring girl to in-ring performer, Michelle Blanchard has quite the resume in combat sports. The dynamic athlete is very capable when it comes to defending herself and defending our Second Amendment.
The woman known to many as The Dagger, is putting herself on the pro wrestling map with a style that is electrifying and entertaining. She’s thrilling fans across the world, thanks largely to her top-shelf work ethic. The Dagger’s all-in approach to wrestling and to life was shaped when she was growing up in the Bay Area and hanging tough with the boys.
“I always grew up playing sports,” The Dagger said. “I also had a bunch of guy cousins, and we competed against each other in anything and everything. I learned from them that to be able to survive, it is best to keep up, try not to lose, and don’t be the cry baby.”
Not what we hear from everyone in today’s society. In an age where apathy, laziness, and entitlement are often the norm, The Dagger points to hard work as the main ingredient in her recipe for success.
“If you could win, that’s even better,” said The Dagger. “As a kid, I was always involved in sports such as softball, basketball, and track, the long and triple jump. In my college years, I got involved in kickboxing and later Jiu-Jitsu and competed. Also, with my cousins at every family gathering, we would have a football game. It was supposed to be two-hand touch, but they literally would mow you over and take you out to get things done.”
Those backyard battles prepared Michelle Blanchard for a professional football career.
“When I discovered that there was a women’s tackle football league I went and tried out for the LFL,” The Dagger told Breitbart Sports. “After that, I played in an arena football league.”
The gridiron helped prep her for the fight world.
“After I got my degree in Physical Therapy, I later got involved in MMA and did ring girl work,” The Dagger said. “I worked for a few local fight organizations with upcoming fighters. I also hosted a YouTube channel, The Hooks MMA, where UFC and other top fighters in the business shared their techniques.”
The love for Jiu-Jitsu and MMA turned into some fights of her own, and then the big break came along for the Cal State Northridge product. “After football, I got back into competing in mixed martial arts,” The Dagger said. “One of the girls I trained Jiu-Jitsu with was a wrestler for WOW. She introduced me to David McLane, the creator of WOW, who wanted to bring me aboard.”
WOW is the only all-women wrestling promotion broadcast nationally on a regular schedule. McLane has plenty of experience in women’s TV wrestling. He created the 80s smash hit, GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling). WOW certainly has a touch of GLOW in it. The WOW Superheroes, as they are called, are larger than life. WOW features high-flying athletes, each with her own unique character. WOW has a little bit of everything.
Los Angeles Lakers Owner Jeanie Buss is also the owner of WOW. Buss and McLane have assembled quite a stable of wrestlers. Some, like Santana Garrett, have WWE experience. Teal Piper is the daughter of the legendary ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper. There are country girls, models, scary girls, even some seemingly possessed grapplers. Jessie Jones is WOW’s resident Trump lover. She often wears a hat emblazoned with ‘Make Wrasslin Great Again’. Then there’s The Dagger.
“What I love about WOW is when they develop a wrestler’s character it is really a part of who that person is, but with the story just a bit more dramatized,” The Dagger said. “My character, The Dagger is based on being in an abusive relationship whose husband ends up dying in an accident with The Dagger’s collection of weapons. The Dagger then decides she will no longer let anyone take advantage of her or hold her back. She will now do whatever it takes to win at all costs. The Dagger not only has a love affair of weapons, but also transformed her body into a weapon by training in Muay Thai kickboxing. The edges of her forearms and shins are like edges of a blade, and the points of her elbows and knees are used like points of a blade.”
WOW describes The Dagger as a lover of sharp objects, the shooting range, Carbon shred, and the mountains. In this case, life absolutely imitates art.
“In real life, I do collect weapons,” The Dagger said. “Not only knives but various firearms.”
That’s putting it lightly. The Dagger would make Annie Oakley and Sarah Palin proud.
“My first gun was a 1911 Springfield Armory TRP,” The Dagger told Breitbart Sports. “The other pistols I own are a Glock 34 and CZ Tactical Sport Orange. I have two shotguns, Mossberg 940 JM Pro and Stoeger M3K. I have a custom-built AR-15, which is set for competition with Sharps XPB Bolt Carrier, Faxon 223 Wylde Heavy Fluted Barrel, and a two-pound 24C Hiperfire Trigger. Recently, I got SIG MPX which I customized for PCC competition. I compete in rifle and pistol competitions. Rifle is probably my favorite. What I love about competition shooting is the challenge of making out a plan and being able to execute it under pressure.”
As she has throughout her life, Blanchard continues to learn from everything she does. Whether it’s football, wrestling, or shooting, she is always ready to compete. While competitive shooting is indeed a passion for Blanchard, it was something more ominous that initially got her interested in firearms.
“I first had experience with guns when I was younger when camping with my uncle,” The Dagger said. “But what got me more serious about wanting to own a gun is when I was in college. It was after the Northridge earthquake and my apartment complex was condemned, so I had to stay in a local hotel for awhile. There was an older man I met in the lobby area one day, who had also been staying at that hotel. Once I moved and found a new place, that man from the hotel would show up places and then started stalking me, often knocking at my apartment door which was located at street level. I had called the police, but of course, he would take off. I didn’t know his name to file a restraining order. I had a friend in the military who had let me keep his gun for protection. Luckily, nothing progressed or did I ever have to use it. But, I did want to make sure I had self-protection being a woman living alone.”
Call her The Dagger or Michelle Blanchard, either way, she loves our precious Second Amendment. “I am a supporter of the Second Amendment,” she said. “If someone hasn’t been in a position of feeling helpless, especially in your own home and unable to defend yourself or your family they may not understand the importance of owning a firearm. As a competition shooter safety is always number one. We train regularly to be proficient and safe.”
The Dagger echoing the sentiments of freedom-loving gun owners everywhere, putting a proverbial dagger in the ridiculous and unconstitutional argument of gun control in America.
Not only is The Dagger able to protect herself with her fighting ability and by exercising her right to bear arms, she also has a best friend that has her back. “Another great form of protection is a dog,” The Dagger said. “They serve as a warning and detour for an invader. I have a one-year-old rescue Shepard mix named Kona, who is going through protection training courses.”
Unafraid to speak about her liberty, The Dagger is just as candid when discussing wrestling. She did not hesitate when asked about her all-time top wrestlers. “My favorite wrestler would be the Undertaker,” she said. “He had such a presence. He was always ready for a challenge and to take on anyone. I also admired Chyna for what she did for women’s wrestling. She stood out as not just a sideline character to the men wrestlers, but had a strong presence on her own.”
The Dagger absolutely has all of that and more, in and out of the ring.
During the current pandemic, the WWE and AEW continue to put on live shows each week, with no fans in attendance. When the virus hit, WOW was already in their offseason, gearing up for a new run, that was likely to include a tour into several cities. Now, things are up in the air. ”
“WOW will be back,” The Dagger said. “We were approved for taping another season, but do to the current COVID-19 situation, it was put on hold for now.”
There is plenty to look forward to when WOW resumes. The Dagger, represented by Sophia Lopez, The Greatest Attorney In The World, was teaming with The Temptress, another woman treated unfairly by society. The duo formed the formidable tag team, Vengeful Vixens. Will that team stay together? Will The Dagger focus more on solo matches? Is a title in her future? Wrestling fans will have to wait for those answers.
Meantime, The Dagger is plenty busy. There’s training to do, firearms to fire, and an adorable puppy to raise. One thing’s for certain. When that bell finally rings again, The Dagger will be locked and loaded. America needs athletes like her.
Follow Kevin Scholla on Twitter @kevinscholla
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