Published: Mar 6, 2026 by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: Mar 6, 2026 by Dave Adamson
Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.
WWE
A former AEW star has revealed the reason they chose to make their WWE debut in NXT instead of on the main roster.
Known to AEW fans as Mariah May, the star would part ways with the company in May 2025, heading to WWE a month later and going on to become Blake Monroe.
In a recent interview with SI’s The Takedown, Monroe addressed starting in NXT over making her WWE debut on the main roster.
Noting that she always anticipated joining NXT, Monroe explained:
“It was always NXT. There was never really a conversation of this or that. I anticipated going to NXT.
“There were a lot of reasons I was interested in WWE, but one of the main things is I wanted to train. I wrestled all over the world, and when I was in Japan I trained at the dojo, like two times a week. We wrestled twice a week.
“So for me, I found it very difficult to not be training. It’s really good for my mindset, and it helps me be the best I can be. So, I really wanted to go to NXT.”
While she is embracing her position in NXT, Monroe would go on to address a potential move to the main roster, stating:
“I know people are hungry for me to go to the main roster and I love that. And I will be on the main roster, but I’m coming in, and I’m looking at a Rhea Ripley, a Bianca Belair, all these women with so much TV equity and so much star power.
“Why would I go straight to the main roster? Why wouldn’t I go to NXT? NXT has 700,000 viewers. Why wouldn’t I get in front of that audience? Why wouldn’t I build my brand? Build Blake Monroe, build The Glamour.”
A former Women’s North American Champion, Monroe heads to WWE NXT Vengeance Day to face Jaida Parker in a Street Fight on March 7.
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