Mariah May from London is one of the fastest rising stars in professional wrestling and while she is currently signed to AEW, winning prestigious trophies and could even be challenging for the world title at London Wembley in a few days time, this 26 year old has spent the last 5 years working towards these goals. Here, she explains ‘The Glamour’. M&F because nothing is left to chance.
As a girl with two older brothers, May had an early introduction to professional wrestling when the brothers watched the bodyslamming action on TV and, like countless kids before them, used couch cushions as makeshift mats to practice the moves. Unlike her siblings, however, May’s passion for learning these moves properly and performing them in front of excited crowds has taken her around the world. “My brother went on to do other things, but I always loved wrestling,” he tells M&F.
While May debuted in 2019, she has already proven herself to be a team player by taking on other roles such as ring announcer, showing a willingness to “pay her dues” in order to rise through the ranks. Less than 4 months after her debut, she had her first match for the established promotion “Progress Wrestling”. But with Mariah May making a name for herself so quickly, was she worried about doing too much, too soon? “I was actually going (to the Progress show) as a crew, to help out,” explains the opportunist, who has adopted the time-tested tradition of always bringing your rings to an event, even if you’re not booked on the card. . “I’ve always said I’d rather fail than not try at all,” he explains.
Of course, making a name for herself is one thing, but funding her quest to become a megastar on the mat is another task entirely. “I’ve done a lot of different things,” shares the great grappler. “I worked in accounts, I was a secretary, I sold plumbing parts, I modeled.” With the paychecks for rookie wrestlers on independent shows barely covering the gas, May has never been afraid to work hard to achieve her goals.
Mariah May puts missions and plans ahead of hopes and dreams
“Dreams are sweet. It’s nice to dream when you’re a kid, but I’m not a kid,” the star explains. “He’s ready to fight for the world title at Wembley Stadium, and that’s not a fluke, it’s not lucky, it’s not a meteoric rise (like) you’ve never seen before for no reason. It’s because I plan, plan and understand what I’m going to do, why I’m going to do it.”
Indeed, May had already gained a wealth of experience in countries such as the US and Japan and held multiple titles before signing with All Elite Wrestling in 2023. She started with AEW as a promoter and “pupil” of Toni Storm, but has since exited the shadow of her mentor, brutally attacked Storm’s all-time Women’s Champion, and also won the Owen Hart Foundation tournament to boot.
As a fan of the late, legendary Hart brother, May also added some “callbacks” to her moveset, including his iconic dropkick, in order to lift the heralded trophy. Incredibly, Mariah May’s previous opportunity to debut with Progress Wrestling came as a result of Toni Storm not being able to appear as planned. So the careers of these two warriors were intertwined long before their partnership and subsequent rivalry in AEW, but now May hopes to unseat Toni and become the biggest star. “I think I’ve overshadowed her for the last eight months, but this is absolutely the final curtain for Toni Storm, so to speak,” says the motivated challenger for the AEW Women’s Championship.
— Mariah May ♡ (@MariahMayx) July 12, 2024
Another major issue that separates wannabe pro wrestlers from main event talent is fitness. Fortunately, May understands this, and indeed she uploaded her fitness routines to YouTube. “The gym has always been a constant thing for me,” she explains. “I was very underweight when I left middle school and high school. Well, I was 18… and a big thing for me was figuring out nutrition, reading and teaching myself.”
As a wrestler, May has gained weight by focusing on quality protein and healthy fats in order to build muscle and recover from the rigors of the road. In dealing with longevity, May also says she wonders how she can use some of her fitness to stay injury-free. “How can I protect myself? So if I have an hour in the gym, maybe some of that time is better spent stretching,” he explains.
Mariah May’s success is an inspiring story for anyone who has a goal to achieve
“I think if you really want something, I don’t like to make excuses, because there are so many examples of people who have been successful in their field, and when you look at how they got there and watch interviews and read about it, it’s because of sheer hard work,” she notes. May. “That’s how you’ll become successful, because you might see me and think, like. “Oh, he can fight at Wembley, but you haven’t seen every failure, and believe me the list is extremely long, before I got there, and all the heartbreak, and all the tears, all before I got here. , but it’s because I knew what I wanted and I wasn’t going to stop working hard. And, with that comes rejection, and comes failure, but you’ll get there – you just have to work hard.”
ALL In will take place at London’s Wembley on Sunday 25th August
