Blake Monroe addresses her WWE NXT name being changed from Mariah May in AEW

Mariah: “I had a fantastic experience, and I did things I’m so proud of and cherish. I did everything I needed to do. I feel like I told a great story. I feel like I made people feel something. It’s time to close that chapter and start a new one—with a new name and a whole new experience. There are so many women here. Women’s wrestling is very important in WWE, and that’s something, as a woman, I want to be a part of. Like I said, there are all these different matches and possibilities. For me, it was a great deal, and it’s a challenge. I want a challenge.”

Bully Ray: “If the decision was up to you, would you have kept your prior name?”

Mariah: “No, because if you’re familiar with my prior name, I feel like it was the end to a story, and I cherished that. And I feel like it’s cool that she ‘died.’ I feel like that’s done. And also, I can’t turn back time, so I never really think about it. But Mariah was my real name, and I wish I never used it in wrestling because it’s weird. But I did it and I can’t change it. It’s the chance to start something new. And I feel like with WWE, it’s like, ‘Hey, we’re going to make this new thing, and we’re going to make it a megastar.’ I feel like week by week we do that. And yeah, I love it. And it’s also a tribute to my niece.”