Report: Mariah May Wants To Leave AEW For WWE

AEW’s women’s division breakout star Mariah May has been conspicuously absent from television since dropping the AEW Women’s Championship back to Toni Storm last month—and there may be more to her disappearance than just a post-title break.

According to the latest update from Wrestling Observer Radio, veteran journalist Dave Meltzer is reporting that WWE insiders are under the impression that May is eyeing a move to the company. “I know from people in WWE that she has been — they know she wants to go there,” Meltzer shared. While her contract details haven’t been publicly confirmed, Meltzer added that “everyone seems to think it’s this summer” when her AEW deal could be up.

Co-host Bryan Alvarez backed up the speculation, noting he’s heard similar buzz from AEW sources. It’s believed May signed a two-year deal when she first joined AEW, though the official debut came in November 2023—leaving the door open that the contract may have started earlier in the year.

Adding fuel to the speculation, May recently posted a cryptic Instagram Story with a motivational quote about “ending up where you’re meant to be,” tagged from Orlando, Florida—home base for WWE’s Performance Center. That subtle post didn’t go unnoticed by fans or industry insiders, including Meltzer.

This isn’t May’s first brush with WWE. She previously participated in a 2019 WWE tryout, where she was advised by trainer Sarah Stock to gain international experience—a suggestion May took to heart, eventually making waves in STARDOM before landing in AEW.

While it’s possible her current TV absence is simply a breather following a high-profile feud with Toni Storm, AEW President Tony Khan has a track record of quietly pulling talent from programming when he suspects they’re WWE-bound. Wrestlers like Ricky Starks (Saints), Rey Fenix, and Penta all saw reduced screen time ahead of their departures. Conversely, Malakai Black was used until shortly before his own exit.

At just 26 years old, Mariah May’s stock is rising fast, and her next move could be one of the biggest shifts in the women’s wrestling landscape this year. If WWE is indeed her next destination, we could be seeing the early stages of another significant defection in the ongoing talent tug-of-war between AEW and WWE.