Blake Monroe leaves AEW for WWE, debuts on NXT in June

Blake Monroe, the British wrestler formerly known in All Elite Wrestling as Mariah May, said she left AEW after her short contract ended because she felt she had completed the storylines available to her there and wanted a new challenge, ultimately signing with WWE and debuting on NXT in June. Monroe made the comments in an interview with Bully Ray on Busted Open Radio, where she also said she had briefly considered returning to Japan before deciding to join WWE.

Monroe said her AEW tenure, which began in 2023, was a rapid ascent that included a high profile alliance and subsequent split with Toni Storm. That storyline culminated in Monroe defeating Storm to win the AEW Womens World Championship and then dropping the title back to Storm in a Hollywood Ending match at the Revolution pay per view, her final appearance for the promotion. She described the run as meaningful and said she left without regrets. "I did everything I needed to do. I feel like I told a great story, and I made people feel something, and it's time to close that chapter and start a new one," Monroe said.

Her decision to depart AEW followed what she described as a creative plateau late in a short contract....