Mariah May is one of the best new up-and-comers in the wrestling scene today. Her beauty and athleticism make her a talent we will be watching for years to come. It’s only time when you will see her in a WWE, NXT or AEW ring. We sit down with one of the H๏τtest women in wrestling, Mariah May.
It’s not an easy task to decide on career options at a crucial time in one’s life. What was it about wrestling among other professions that made you want to pursue it as relentlessly as you did?
When I was finishing school it felt like crunch time, I had to make a decision on my future and quite frankly I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t think wrestling was an option, I loved it so much but it felt like a dream rather than a plausible choice. I spent some time working in theatre but a part of me ached for more, not following my heart was making me miserable. So I finally did the brave thing, started training at wrestling school and never looked back.
When you have a presence such as yours on social media there’s bound to be a lot of reactions, and not all of them positive. How do you navigate that part of social media?
Negativity in social media is difficult to deal with at first. I remember the first time I was getting abused online and it really hurt me, now it’s such a broken telephone it doesn’t affect me at all. I developed a thick skin early on and now I mostly laugh at some of the crazy insults being hurled at me. Negativity will always be there, some are valid and it’s important to have humility and be aware of it because you can grow as a person, however, the majority of online negativity is just trolling, take it with a pinch of salt and do your thing is what I always tell myself.
What is your dream opponent to face in the ring?
It is so hard to pick just one dream opponent, there are so many people I’d love to wrestle and each match and feud would be very different. If I had to pick just one right now it would be Sasha Banks. I’ve always admired her in-ring and character work, I’d be excited to tell a great story with her whilst killing it in the ring.
Being a model and a wrestler is a lot of hard work and requires a lot of dedication to manage all at once. What motivates you to keep going and keep bringing The Glamour?
The Glamour is all about being you and letting that shine out. For a long time, I was made to feel bad about having a modeling background, it didn’t matter that I was a life long wrestling fan and an athlete, people tried to make that mean nothing just because I modeled. And I’ll admit I did apologize for who I was, and I think that affected my confidence and ability for a part of my career. Now I make no apologies. I love where I came from, it’s what makes me unique and stand out. I am able to dedicate time because being true to me means a lot and I’m willing to put the work into shine and be different from other girls.
Do you have any wrestling icons you consider an inspiration?
Tons. Mainly Trish Stratus. Watching her grow on TV and become one of the greatest women’s wrestlers of all time was so inspiring. I also look up to HBK, his charisma and showmanship are just unmatched.
You’ve been a fan of wrestling since you were young. What was it like to finally step into the ring and do what you admired since childhood?
Stepping into a ring for the first time was surreal… it’s such a crazy feeling to describe. I had dreamt about this for so long, I was so nervous because it meant so much to me, but also so excited because I was actually doing it… I was becoming a wrestler!
What was it like when you had your first match in the ring?
My first match was another unbelievable moment, it didn’t feel real to me. My family came along and they’re not really wrestling fans. It meant a lot to me because they finally understood what the career I’m chasing is and how hard I’m working. I feel emotional right now even thinking back. It was one of the best days of my life, nothing was perfect but it was so real. It was hard work and pᴀssion all bottled into a 20-year-old girl finally bringing her dreams to reality.
With your background in fitness and being an active person, would you say it made the wrestling training process easier as a result?
Having a background in athletics and being into fitness certainly helped with wrestling training. It made certain elements easier, however, it was still a mᴀssive shock to the system. The training required to wrestle is another level. I had to work so hard outside of training to get my conditioning and strength to the level it needed to be.