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Mariah May’s wrestling journey has finally come full circle with her WWE re-debut recently. After a brief developmental stint with WWE early in her career, she took the independent scene by storm and further signed with AEW, managing to make a name for herself with her incredible in-ring skills and promos.
Her reign as AEW Women’s World Champion and her 2024 Owen Hart Cup win established her as a major force in the women’s division, with fans surprised to see the star shine so bright in a short span of time. Since her contract with AEW expired, speculations of May joining WWE have been making the rounds online.
The speculations turned into reality on the June 3, 2025, episode of NXT, when she officially returned to the company to grab the headlines again. While fans had been wondering if the star would get a chance on the main roster, she debuted on NXT instead.
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Let’s check out a few reasons for her NXT debut rather than a main roster appearance.
#3. WWE fans don’t know her well enough yet
Despite her spectacular rise in AEW and prior success overseas, Mariah May isn't a well-established figure in the wrestling industry. While she managed to become very popular with her performances in AEW, she needs more recognition to look strong against already established names on the main roster.
This might be the biggest reason for WWE having her appear on NXT first instead of the main roster. A potential strong run in the developmental brand to make a name for herself and then move to the main roster would be a much better option.
#2. Standard procedure for debuting stars, barring big names
WWE has often used the NXT stage to debut newcomers to the company, except for a few big names that have massive popularity in the industry. This might be a reason why May debuted on NXT instead of the main roster directly: to impress the WWE Universe first before moving to the big leagues.
This would also give May a chance to understand the workings of the Stamford-based promotion. AEW has a very different and aggressive action model, which might not work for the star in WWE. This could be the reason Triple H made her debut on the developmental brand first.
#1. The main roster is stacked
The company's main roster is stacked with some of the biggest stars in the industry competing at the pinnacle of sports entertainment currently. Numerous NXT stars have been waiting for their turn to move to the main roster, but this is the main reason their push is on hold at this point.
Mariah May straightaway coming into the main roster could have been a bummer for the NXT stars. Further, The Glamor may not be seen as a big name as other women on the roster, including Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair.
The star might get lost in the limelight of other big names, which wouldn’t be a great move for her career. This could also be the reason she made her debut on NXT.
Now that May is a part of the Stamford-based company, time will tell what Triple H and Shawn Michaels have in store for her next.
