
Mariah May has officially become part of WWE, making her debut on NXT during a live episode on Tuesday night. She left All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she was the women’s world champion, to join WWE amid shifts in the roster as former competitors moved to the main lineup.
During a tense moment involving a multi-woman brawl for the NXT women’s championship, the arena plunged into darkness only to spotlight May on a balcony. “I have finally arrived!” she shouted, to loud cheers from the crowd. “Ladies, you can call me the NXT women’s champion because the best women’s division in the world just got a lot more glamorous.”
May’s transition is part of a broader trend in which several AEW talents are appearing in NXT, including the current North American champion Ethan Page and former champion Ricky Saints, though May’s debut was notably not acknowledged by the commentators.
At just 26 years old, May is heralded as one of the next great female wrestlers after her start in Japan’s Stardom and subsequent success in AEW, winning the prestigious Owen Hart Foundation Tournament and claiming the women’s world title at the All In event filled with over 46,000 fans.
Her entrance into NXT comes as the brand reinforces its women’s division following the promotions of several notable champions including Giulia and Roxanne Perez after WrestleMania.