AEW Star Mariah May Looks Back On How She Reinvented Herself In Japan With Stardom

AEW fans have gotten to know Mariah May very well since she arrived in the company in November 2023, but a number of people were very excited to see her sign thanks to her previous body of work. May broke through into the public eye while working in STARDOM in Japan, becoming a Goddess of STARDOM Champion alongside her friend and mentor Mina Shirikawa, and left Japan with a wealth of knowledge that has taken her to the AEW Women's World Championship picture.

May opened up about her time in Japan on "Busted Open Radio," revealing that her "Glamour" character actually came about on the British independent scene. However, her arrival in STARDOM changed everything about her career. "When I went to Japan, I kind of just started again," May said. "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."

May also revealed that the language barrier was a blessing in disguise, as she didn't speak Japanese and it forced her to focus more on facial expressions and body language during her matches. This eventually led to her learning more about promos as she couldn't communicate with the Japanese audience directly. Overall, May believes that STARDOM made her as a wrestler, and while she didn't change who she was as a person, she feels like a more complete performer thanks to her time in Japan.

Please credit "Busted Open Radio" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.