AEW’s Mariah May Shares Her Journey to Pro Wrestling

Mariah May recently claimed the AEW Women’s World Championship, defeating “Timeless” Toni Storm at AEW All In last month. Following her victory, May appeared on Barstool’s “Rasslin'” podcast, where she shared her journey into pro wrestling.

“I always wanted to be a wrestler, but when I finished school, I ended up working in accountancy,” May explained. “Wrestling wasn’t as big in the U.K., so it was hard to find places to train and actually get started.”

May eventually found a reliable training spot and set her sights on moving to America to make it on mainstream television. As she learned more about wrestling, her interest in Japanese wrestling grew, shifting her goals.

May became fascinated with STARDOM, a top wrestling promotion in Japan, and aimed to become a champion there, despite knowing it would be tough. After four years on the U.K. independent scene, she debuted in STARDOM in early 2023 and won the Goddesses Of Stardom tag team championship alongside Mina Shirakawa. However, her time in STARDOM was short-lived.

While her passion for Japanese wrestling deepened, May never abandoned her dream of wrestling in the U.S. In early 2023, she received an offer from AEW with a detailed storyline planned. Despite the opportunity, May felt it was too soon, as she had just started with STARDOM.

“There were personal goals I still wanted to achieve, and I wanted to improve my skills,” May said. “STARDOM has a dojo with intense training, and I wanted to take full advantage of that.”

After spending more time in Japan, May finally made her AEW debut in late 2023 and wrestled her first AEW match on January 3, 2024. When asked about her rapid success, May expressed confidence in her abilities.

“I always believed in myself,” May stated. “When I started training, there were no other girls, which gave me a bit of an advantage. Plus, I don’t look inbred, which helped since not all girls in wrestling are considered attractive.”

May clarified that her comments were directed towards the independent scene and emphasized that many women on TV are athletes and models.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Rasslin'” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.