| Mariah May | |
| Names: | Sexy Dynamite Princess Mariah May "The Glamour" Mariah May |
| Weight: | 136lb |
| Birth Name: | Mariah May Mead |
| Birth Date: | 1998 8, mf=yes |
| Billed: | London, England |
| Trainer: | Knucklelocks, Portsmouth School of Wrestling C.A.C.C. Snake Pit Japan |
| Debut: | 2 February 2019 |
Mariah May Mead (born 4 August 1998), best known by her ring name Mariah May, is an English professional wrestler, model, and actress currently performing under the epithet of "The Glamour" Mariah May. As a wrestler, she has been signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and its sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH) . In AEW, she was the winner of the women's 2024 Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.
May first started in professional wrestling as a ring announcer in 2018 before becoming a wrestler and debuting in 2019, performing in various independent promotions, including Revolution Pro Wrestling, and winning various championships on the independent circuit. She was best known for her time in World Wonder Ring Stardom from 2022 to 2023, where she was a member of Club Venus as well as a one-time Goddesses of Stardom Champion with Mina Shirakawa.
Before officially stepping into the ring, Mead began her career as a ring announcer where she would perform on multiple shows over the course of 2018.[1]
On 2 February 2019, she made her in-ring debut as a professional wrestler under the ring name Mariah May, facing NXT UK's Nina Samuels.[2] While initially unsuccessful in her efforts, the two would have a series of matches crossing over multiple promotions.[3]
As a last minute replacement, May appeared at Progress Wrestling's Chapter 89 show on 26 May 2019 and mark her first appearance with the promotion. With the show playing to an 80s theme, she would perform one time under the fitness instructor-inspired Mariah Eagan persona.[4]
In June 2019, May participated in an unsuccessful three-day WWE try out at the brand new UK WWE Performance Center, where she received coaching from William Regal, Sarah Stock, and others.[5] [6]
On 29 February 2020, May competed against five other opponents at day two of United Wrestling UK's "I Can Do This All Day" event. In front of a sold-out crowd she won the main event and earned her first championship in professional wrestling.[7]
The Glamour returned to wrestling following the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic on 26 June 2021. During the time away, Mariah form a tag team with fellow independent wrestler Zoe Lucas, with the two collectively known as the Dream Dollz. The team had their first match together at TNT Extreme Wrestling.[8]
This partnership would only grow deeper as seen at Revolution Pro Wrestling's "Live from the Cockpit 51" event. After Gisele Shaw defeated Zoe Lucas to reclaim the vacated Revolution Pro Wrestling's Undisputed Women's Championship, Mariah May would take to the ring and ambush the new champion during a post-match interview, cementing her arrival on 4 July 2021.[9] A rivalry quickly formed as The Glamour challenged Gisele for her newly won title on July 18, 2021.[10] While unable to walk away with the gold, this feud would continue into the promotion's Queen of the Ring tournament later that month. May, along with Shaun Jackson and Kenneth Halfpenny, assisted Zoe Lucas in defeating Gisele Shaw to win the crown and the right to call herself Revolution Pro Wrestling's Queen of the Ring.[11] Shortly after, the newly dubbed Princess of Revolution Pro Wrestling found herself up against the duo of Gisele Shaw and Hyan throughout the summer.[12] These bouts culminated in May once again challenging Gisele for the championship on 21 August 2021 at Rev Pro's 9-year Anniversary Show in Manchester.[13]
During the remainder of 2021, May continued to find success across multiple independent promotions where she would not only successfully defend her first championship but go on to continue and win two more.[14] [15]
Entering 2022, May found solo success at Revolution Pro Wrestling, picking up victories in singles matches against Chantal Jordan and Laura Di Matteo.[16] [17]
At Ultimate Pro Wrestling's 7-year anniversary show on 30 January, the Glamour interfered in the main event, deciding its outcome, and being awarded her forth simultaneous title, the Big League Wrestling Women's Championship.[18]
The following month Mariah began, for the first time, a series of appearances in the United States; beginning with a meet and greet at New Jersey's Garden State Trading Card Show where she appeared alongside other wrestlers such as former WWE superstars AJ Lee and Kaitlyn, Barbi Hayden, Gisele Shaw, Harley Cameron, and more.[19] She would make her American in-ring debut on 26 March 2022 at Battleground Championship Wrestling's "When Worlds Collide", defeating Lady Frost in Philadelphia's 2300 Arena.[20] The next night she appeared on Combat Zone Wrestling's "All Night Long" show, where she would compete again before travelling to Dallas.[21] Over the next three days, beginning on 31 March she made make consecutive appearances at WrestleCon while also having matches at both Texas Style Wrestling on 1 April 2022 and New Texas Pro Wrestling's "Cowboys from Hell" event, challenging for the latter's Women's Championship against Raychell Rose on 2 April 2022.[22] [23] [24]
Upon returning to the UK, May traveled across Europe over the following months and wrestle for promotions in both Germany and Italy during April and May respectively.[25] [26]
On 9 August 2022, May and Harley Cameron united and announced the beginning of their new tag team titled 'Siren's Fury'.[27]
In what would be dubbed the Dreamhouse Deathmatch, May faced off with Harley Hudson, at Sovereign Pro Wrestling's premiere event First Reign on 1 October 2022, in a match with only one rule: if it's pink, it's legal.[28]
Following this match May traveled to Pakistan where over the next week she would be part of a media tour, promoting Ring of Pakistan and visiting survivors of the 2022 Pakistan floods.[29]
At Stardom's Dream Queendom 2, May made her debut in Japan accompanying Mina Shirakawa to the ring, alongside a returning Xia Brookside. Mina and Unagi Sayaka representing Cosmic Angels took on Donna Del Mondo's Mai Sakurai and Thekla in a tag team contest. Following the match, a victorious Shirakawa would both verbally and physically confront Sayaka and announce the formation of her own trio featuring herself, May, and Brookside with the three to be known as Club Venus.[30]
In a match against Super Strong Stardom Big Machine at New Blood Premium, with Mina Shirakawa in her corner, May officially became the newest member of Club Venus, going by a masked alter ego by the name of Sexy Dynamite Princess, and came out on top in singles competition.[31] The following night on 26 March, May would enter the Cinderella Tournament 2023, picking up a win against Rina.[32] Her time in the tournament would ultimately come to and end in the second round via an over-the-tope-rope elimination from Mai Sakurai.[33] In addition to competing at All Star Grand Queendom, as a last-minute addition to the English language broadcast of the event, May joined the commentary team and provided her insight for the duration of the show.[34] [35]
Following May and Mina Shirakawa's victory over Ami Sourei and Mirai at Korakuen Hall, the two Club Venus members issued a challenge to The New Eras for the Goddesses of Stardom Championship.[36] Uniting under the name of Rose Gold, May and Shirakawa would receive their championship match at Sunshine 2023. Proving successful in their endeavour, they would bring championship gold back to Club Venus becoming the 28th Goddesses of Stardom Champions, also marking May's first championship in Stardom.[37] Outlasting 18 other opponents in a last chance Rumble match, alongside Hanan, May qualified to participate in the 5 Star Grand Prix 2023, where she competed as part of the Blue Stars block.[38] On 30 September, she faced her fellow last chance Rumble winner Hanan in her final match of the tournament, which would coincide with and double as May's farewell match from Stardom.[39]
On 4 April 2024, May returned to Stardom at Stardom American Dream 2024, teaming with fellow Club Venus members Mina Shirakawa and Xia Brookside, in a losing effort against Mayu Iwatani, Momo Kohgo, and Tam Nakano.
On the 8 November 2023 edition of Dynamite, May was announced as the newest signing to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).[40] May was introduced in a segment by RJ City as a superfan of AEW Women's World Champion "Timeless" Toni Storm, eager to meet her as soon as possible, establishing her as a heel.[40] In the following months, Storm adopted May as an "understudy" and protégé.[41] [42] On the 3 January 2024 episode of Dynamite, May made her AEW in-ring debut, defeating Queen Aminata. After the match, May was confronted by the debuting Deonna Purrazzo.[43] At Revolution, May adopted Storm's previous "Rockstar" persona, including wearing Storm's old ring attire and entrance music, and would begin wrestling matches on Dynamite and Collision in this persona as a tribute to her mentor Storm; This starting at the post Revolution 2024, 9 March episode of Collision, where Storm presented May with the very first Toni Award for portraying as her Old Self (Rockstar gimmick) after defeating Trish Adora. Despite both Storm and May still being heels, fans started embracing them both with cheers, thus turning them both into tweener; The following weeks Toni and May started wrestling faces and heels. [44] At Supercard of Honor: Zero Hour, May made her Ring of Honor (ROH) debut, defeating Momo Kohgo. On the 11 April episode of Dynamite, May defeated Anna Jay. Afterwards, she was saved by her former Stardom tag partner Mina Shirakawa, who shared a kiss and champagne, teasing a romantic storyline between the two. Later down the line, May would quietly turn babyface along with Storm.[45] In the weeks leading up to Forbidden Door, May was the centre of a love triangle storyline which saw her torn between supporting Storm and Shirakawa, who was Storm's title challenger at the event. May ultimately remained neutral as the two competed for her affection. After Storm defeated Shirakawa at Forbidden Door on 30 June, May resolved the conflict with a three-way kiss.[46]
In June, May participated in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, defeating The Outcasts' Saraya in the first round at Forbidden Door: Zero Hour and Hikaru Shida in the semi-final at Rampage: Beach Break on 5 July.[47] May subsequently defeated Willow Nightingale to win the tournament on the 10 July episode of Dynamite, also earning a match against her mentor Storm for the AEW Women's World Championship at All In on 25 August. Right after winning the tournament final, May turned on Storm and viciously attacked her with the Owen Hart Foundation title belt at the entrance way, thus re-establishing herself as a heel after being a tweener alongside Storm for months.[48] May eventually dubbed herself as "The Glamour" Mariah May" on July 19 episode of Dynamite.[49]
May attacked Storm again on the August 21 episode of Dynamite after Storm successfully defended her title against Saraya. [50]Outside of professional wrestling, Mead is also a professional model and has worked with WWE Shop as well as UK fashion brands Misspap, Miss Bardot and more.[51]
On 16 January 2017, Mead launched her YouTube channel featuring a look into her world of wrestling, fashion, gaming, and fitness.[52]
On 14 June 2020, Mead launched her Twitch channel where she live streams, chats, and plays games with her community known as House May.[53]
In October 2021, Mead joined the cast of ITV2's wrestling comedy series Deep Heat taking on the role of Roxy. The six-part sitcom premiered on 28 March 2022.[54] [55]
In July 2022, Mead modelled at Calgary's Cowboys Music Festival 2022 as well as for Freddy by Livify Clothing.[56] [57] Later that month she would be cast as the role of "First Smiler" in the Faithful Films production Granny DJ.[58]