3. vs. Brian Cage – WrestleCircus – The Show Must Go On

While the recent developments of the now defunct WrestleCircus remains bittersweet, let’s not forget that several phenomenal matches took place under their doorstep before they went under. Many of those matches starred Blanchard as a competitor. One of those match was a double title match where she defended her Sideshow Championship vs. Brian Cage, who in turn defended his Ringmaster Championship.

The match followed a similar formula to her latest match with Sami Callihan that felt so special. Cage didn’t take Blanchard seriously until she started to show some intensity, then when he starts giving all he’s got, she starts playing the ultimate underdog. Watching it live not knowing who would come out on top made for an exciting contest.

A win for Blanchard seemed impossible to imagine at first – not because Cage is a man, but because he is a Machine that anyone would have trouble fighting off – but the more she scratched and clawed for a win, going as far as to kick out of Cage’s deadliest of maneuvers, it was hard not to cheer Blanchard on to pull off a huge upset.

Now, a year and a half after the match took place, Blanchard looks like a believable contender for the Impact World Heavyweight Championship while Cage just so happens to hold the Impact World Title. Is it too much to ask for a rematch with the gold on the line?