Since her first appearance for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in November 2023, Mariah May has endeared herself to wrestling fans. Her amazing stint in Japan had made many excited about her signing. The only way up to the popularity ladder for May began at STARDOM where she won a Goddess of STARDOM Championship with her partner and mentor, Mina Shirikawa. Looking back on this journey, she admits that it was Japan that thrust her into the AEW Women’s World Championship scene.
May talked about how “Glamour” persona came about during an interview on "Busted Open Radio.” She actually designed it while performing in the UK independent scene but all this changed after landing a deal with Stardom. “When I went to Japan, I kind of just started again,” she said. However, even though at an early stage of her career, Mariah took advantage of boot camps which offered intensive training as well as regular matches provided by the promotion school. "I was still so early in my career and I just thought I had such a great opportunity with the dojo and with the schedule they have, I mean they wrestle like three to four times a week, and I literally had the opportunity to forget everything I know and just start again as a wrestler and kind of grow."
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In fact Japanese turned out to be an unplanned advantage for May because she didn’t speak it. As a result of not knowing how to talk using Japanese language made her polish her communication skills without words relying more on facial expressions and body movement when participating in any match. This challenge also improved her ability to cut promos on top of enhancing May’s performance within ring since lack of verbal language forced her to engage directly with audience.
May gives credit to STARDOM for structurally shaping who she is as a wrestler. However, since coming back from Japan her entire identity has remained intact but she is a more rounded performer. Commenting on her development, she stated, "STARDOM made me as a wrestler, and while I didn’t change who I was as a person, I feel like a more complete performer thanks to my time in Japan."
Mariah May’s journey from British rings to STARDOM and currently AEW is one of continuous growth and adaptation that represents her unwavering desire to perfect the art of wrestling.