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After forming one of the most entertaining storylines in all of AEW alongside the likes of Luther, Mina Shirakawa, RJ City, and, occasionally, Ben Mankowitz from Turner Classic Movies, Mariah May and Toni Storm finally took the ring in the second match of All In to not only decide who can call themselves the Women's Champion but also who remains the true star of the women's division.
On paper, the finish of this match has been obvious for darn near a year, as every member of the storyline has referenced All About Eve, where a young would-be starlet undercuts an aging starlet to steal her position in the spotlight, but just because an angle takes its inspiration for a movie doesn't mean it necessarily has to follow it beat for beat, right? Considering May's turn hasn't exactly given her the nuclear heat some fans were expecting, it would make sense if TK decided to keep his most entertaining storyline going, especially with the crowd under Storm's show.
Here's the thing; TK did decide to keep the storyline going, only now, it will be without Storm as the champion.
That's right, after going to war in a blistering bout that got fans going, Mother May slapped, and Nigel McGuiness hot and bothered on the mic, May ultimately secured with win with her Mayday finisher, leaving the “Timeless One” in the center of the ring with her cheeks stained with both tears and blood.
If this story was going to end either way, having Storm secure the win and move on to her next foe might not have been the worst idea, but remember, this storyline doesn't have to end now. No, Storm and May will almost certainly duke it out again in the not-too-distant future and may even wrestle a few more times on PPV before 2024 comes to an end. If that's how this storyline continues to build into the future, then the real winner isn't May but instead, the AEW fans who get to enjoy it now that the All About Eve source material has been exhausted.
It's All About @MariahMayx!
Congratulations to the new @AEW Women's World Champion @wembleystadium!#AEWAllInLondon right NOW on ppv pic.twitter.com/KFpDXhLswo
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) August 25, 2024
Mariah May signed with AEW for her Wembley moment
While AEW took its time with the storyline between May and Storm, allowing it to unfold slowly over months in the lead-up to a massive blow-out in front of 50,000 fans, did you know that the actual origin of the angle actually pre-dates “The Glamour” signing with the promotion?
That's right, in an interview with Fightful ahead of the show, May explained why she decided to sign with AEW in the first place and how this very angle, All About Eve meets Sunset Boulevard, got her to sign on the dotted line.
“Yeah, so the reason I chose to come to AEW was, this storyline was pitched to me. At the time, I was in STARDOM in Japan. Honestly, I kind of started again when I moved to Japan. I started from square one, I went to the dojo and trained all the time, we did so many shows. I was like, I'm a rookie again, and I just want to learn. I was really deep into my training in Japan, and they called me, and I wasn't quite ready to leave Japan because I still wanted to learn and there were still a lot of personal goals I had there, but I spoke directly with Tony Khan, and he told me about this story, and I love storylines. When you're a kid growing up, you attach yourself to stories,” May explained.
“My favorite wrestler was Mickie James, so I love the story, and she's all about that, she had such a strong character, and it was like when he described the storyline to me and the potential of it, I was like, okay, I'm not just being signed because she's a little bit hot right now or she has a bit of attention. It's like, no, we want to sign you, we have a long-term plan for you, and so that's why I said yes. That's why I chose to come here. A lot of people say AEW doesn't tell stories, and it's like, this is probably the greatest story in wrestling.”
After being the butt of more than a few jokes for the first four or so years of the promotion's history, two of the biggest storylines at All In Wembley belong to female wrestlers, with May finally overtaking Storm as the AEW Woman's Champion and the feud between Mercedes Mone and Britt Baker for the TBS Championship. Factor in the new feud between Saraya and the returning Jamie Hayter from the preshow, and it's safe to say the hiring of Jennifer Pepperman has been one of the best Khan has ever pulled off.
