British wrestling star Blake Monroe says her first year in the WWE has been a “epic rollercoaster” – and any “growing pains” are a good thing.
The 27-year-old star – nicknamed The Glamour – recently appeared on Smackdown tv for the first time since being called up to the main roster from development brand NXT when she featured in a brief backstage segment with Chelsea Green.
It came almost a year since she appeared unannounced at an NXT event. Looking back on her first 12 months in the company, she said: “Every day there has been something new and exciting and I feel like as a performer I’ve grown so much.”
The Londoner – real name Mariah May Mead – held the NXT Women’s North American Championship in October during her stint, which also saw her lose a casket match in her final appearance in the brand before being called up to Smackdown.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star, she said: “Every day there has been something new and exciting and I feel like as a performer I’ve grown so much. It’s just been incredible joining the WWE and having access to the WWE universe.
“That fan support has probably been the biggest thing I’ve noticed that’s been overwhelming in the best way. Every time I open TikTok, someone has made a video to my entrance song, or they dress up as me.
“Having my first meet and greet at WWE world and getting to meet so many fans, that for me has probably been the biggest thing.”
Well-travelled Blake has previously held the women’s championship in AEW and is a former Women’s Owen Hart Foundation tournament winner. She was listed in the top 10 female singles wrestlers by the influential magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated.
But she still had some teething trouble when she joined her new colleagues at the WWE’s performance centre. She said: “The style in NXT is different from things I’ve previously done. It’s been about adapting to that and different people’s styles and speeds.
“But it’s been good. People associate growing pains as a negative thing, but I think it’s been cool to be able to come here and meet so many people from so many different backgrounds and be like ‘what does wrestling mean to you and what story can we tell together?’
“When I first joined, Kalani Jordan and Kendal Grey were so helpful to me because wrestling is a little different all over the world. We have different names for different moves and slightly different ways we would do things.
“They would call it the British way or the Japanese way for me because I would go to the right and they would go to the left. They were really sweet in helping me adapt to the drills. Those drills don’t stop; they’re really fast.
“Most locker rooms you’re in, we have that unity, and we have a special bond. Not a lot of women can say I’m a women’s wrestler and you have to have that faith in each other.”
Blake used to wrestle in the UK for £20 a night and previously told how she had to learn to “live poor” and “love wrestling. But she now lives in Orlando, Florida, and has access to the best training and facilities in the business.
She added: “Getting to move to Orlando and have a house here and a life here and not have to worry about anything is such a blessing. The best part is that you’re paid to do what you love and what your dream was.
“It’s not easy to get here, it’s kind of a ‘pinch me’ thing, but there is a lot, a lot, a lot of work that goes into it.”
Asked for any advice she would give younger fans, she added: “Work hard, stay driven, don’t give up. It’s a very tough journey, but if you really, really want this, it’s going to be worth it.
“And throughout my career, the different countries I’ve got to wrestle in and the moments I’ve had have been so, so worth it. So if it’s something you truly want, don’t be deterred by where you are. You can definitely work your way to that point.”
Blake will be part of WWE’s European Tour, which will see Raw and SmackDown air from London’s O2 Arena in June. Tickets on sale now.
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