Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? If you ask Blake Monroe when it comes to WWE, the answer is Blake Monroe. The bombshell was signed by the company after becoming available following an acclaimed run in AEW as Mariah May.
Ever since “The Glamour” arrived on the scene over the summer at NXT, she has turned heads embroiled in a feud with Jordynne Grace. Now the English superstar sets her sights on WWE Women’s Speed and North American Champion Sol Ruca. With Halloween Havoc on the horizon, we caught up with Monroe to reflect on her time in WWE so far.
Now that you have been with WWE for a bit. Your dream destination for so long. How would you describe your experience in comparison to other places you’ve worked?
Blake Monroe: It’s crazy to me because I’ve wanted to be in WWE since I was a little girl. It was my childhood dream. Typically, you don’t follow your childhood dream. You could want to be a firefighter. You could want to be an astronaut. A few do get to do it. But with wrestling, I’ve always tried to be open to what’s in front of me and give 110 percent. I’ve wrestled all over the world. The beautiful thing about wrestling is it’s so different. Actually arriving to WWE has been a surreal experience. I think timing is everything. I’m ready now to be here and in NXT. I think it’s how huge WWE is. How many resources there are.
For me, I loved my character in “The Glamour” when I spoke to WWE. They loved “The Glamour” too and recognized my work and what was important to me. They wanted to take that and make it bigger. My first vignette if you remember was me in a bath. That’s something I wanted to do for about a year. I always wanted to do that vignette. The very next week that’s what we did. Wrestling is different everywhere and very special, but in WWE it’s huge. There is so much access. I’m just trying to be a sponge and take everything in at the PC [Performance Center] and being around all these Hall of Famers and amazing writing and production team. I try to make the most of it all because I don’t take anything for granted. Just to be here is amazing.
WWE
You’re arriving on the scene as people have this visual of you being Mariah May elsewhere. How do you compare the two characters? What do you want to do differently that we haven’t seen before from the other?
I’m fortunate that I’ve done a lot of great things in my career, but I’m still so new to wrestling. With the pandemic I lost a few years, but I’ve been wrestling for maybe four or five years. I’m still learning so much. That’s a quality I don’t want to use. We talk about Mariah May, but Blake Monroe is continuing to evolve from the things I’ve already done. It’s not different. It’s not wiping something clean and starting again. It’s taking these parts of me and growing them and nurturing them.
As you saw my introduction was “The Glamour” and was very big on that whole pop star vibe with my entrance and the vanity and all these incredible things. We’ve been able to evolve the character. Then you saw me at No Mercy in the steel cage match. You saw a different side of me. Someone who was a bit merciless and a bit unhinged. I think it has been so exciting to evolve something. I’m really proud of my journey, and this is the next chapter. I’m loving just getting so detailed with it. The creative team is so passionate about every part of what you do. I’m having a ball because I love those details and that presentation. I wouldn’t say there is too much difference. I would say it’s more of an evolution.
How has life changed for you as you become more known? This proves true on social media and when you’re walking through airports and things. What’s the rule of thumb you take in terms of social media or when going around in public?
One, being a women’s wrestler you have that level of attention. There are the good parts and the scary or bad parts. I kind of felt I was prepared because I’d been on TV before, but no. When I debuted on NXT, that whole few days the amount of followers, I’d never known anything like it. I got all these messages and everything. It was amazing and so awesome to see. It made me so excited. Definitely in public more I think that I can’t be out looking a little sloppy because you can get recognized anywhere. I’d normally go to Publix and think I have to look a little bit cute because I’m “The Glamour.” It is definitely bigger than anything I’ve experienced. It’s amazing, but a lot to process.
When it comes to online, I think there are definitely negatives that come with it and trolling I’ve never seen before. I’ve learned, and it took a while to implement this because we are all addicted to our phones. I’ve learned you can give to social media, but you don’t necessarily have to consume it. I try to post my things and interact a little bit with my fans because I really do appreciate them. That’s something I’ve always valued, the fact I have a very loyal fan base that have followed me. I try to interact with them a little bit, but I don’t go online anymore much because I think it’s a little much. I try to avoid it.
In wrestling you never know what will take off. That Marilyn Monroe thing with the finger to the mouth, who had the initial idea for you? It’s been such a trademark of yours now. Even Jordynne Grace has had some fun on social media with it.
I felt like we were getting on, and then you brought up her. But I have a background in theater. That has always been the part I loved. The presentation, the promos, the in-between, the theatrics. I’ve always been over-the-top, and as my confidence grows, you’re able to see that. I was working on my entrance and thinking about something that nobody was doing, but people could copy. Wrestling has been around for so long, so everything feels like it has been taken. Every gesture or hand sign I felt you could do, so I thought what if you bit my finger.
I know there are photos of Marilyn Monroe and whoever else doing it. I saw that and thought I was going to do this. I was playing around with a few people and thought let’s just see if I bit my finger. I’ve done it before, but recently in NXT, it has caught on. I think people find it so funny. There is that running joke with people doing it. There is even Meghan Thee Stallion, these super famous people, and people are saying they are doing the Blake Monroe. That they are copying me, which is fun.
WWE
You and Jordynne brought the best out of each other. There was a sense you each had something to prove. Now you’re gearing up at Halloween Havoc for Sol Ruca, who is a bit newer and has a different move set and experience.
I think the exciting thing about WWE is everybody has a different background. I train at the PC all week and you see a lot of athletes coming in, but you also see our current world champ Ricky Saints who came from the independents. Jordynne has been wrestling for, I don’t know how old that woman is, but she has been wrestling for a really long time. We have girls coming in from Japan, Mexico. I think what is really exciting for me is I love getting in with people when we’re totally different. I’m thinking, “what am I going to learn from you, how are our styles going to match?”
You never know who you’re going to have that chemistry with. Jordynne definitely put me through really tough matches and pushed me to my limit. That’s because of her background and what she brings to the table. I would love to get in with Sol because her background is so different, but imagine that meeting my style of wrestling. I think what is really cool is everyone has their own thing. We’re not all doing the same stuff. I think the more different you are and working together, that could tell a really great story.
Jordynne Grace (white) vs Blake Monroe(black/red) (WWE)
You mentioned Japan. You spent time there. What does it mean for you to see stars like Iyo Sky and Giulia flourishing?
It’s amazing because I remember starting my wrestling journey and coming across Japanese wrestling, specifically women’s wrestling. I was amazed at the costumes and presentation. I thought, “what is this?” You’ve seen Iyo and Giulia, and their presentation, which is the best I’ve ever seen. I actually moved to Japan spontaneously. I was only supposed to go for a few months and moved there. I was at the dojo almost every day. I think I had about three or four matches a week. I already knew this world, so seeing the rest of the world find out that Iyo Sky is the best wrestler in the world, not just women’s wrestling. I was like, “yeah, catch up.” I’m excited to wrestle them and see what they can bring out of me. I’m just going to learn so much. I always had fun with everyone I wrestled in Japan. I think they had fun wrestling me too. I think for me in Japan I brought more character because I’m from England. I always had fun, and they had fun wrestling with me because we played with all those elements. I love it. That’s why I love WWE because it has this variety.
We have Halloween Havoc. I love those theme shows. Anything you can tease of a costume or what’s to come from you to get in the spirit of the season?
I always say I don’t need a costume because I’m the scariest thing you’ll ever see in the ring. I do have some ideas to throw off my opponent. I don’t want to give anything away. I love dressing up.
What has been your favorite Halloween costume over the years or dress up?
On Halloween, I always see people do this amazing makeup and dress as like Poison Ivy. I dressed up like Bubba from the Dudley Boys. I dressed up like Buzz Lightyear. I feel like I don’t hit the really scary part of Halloween on the head, but maybe Halloween Havoc will be that. Normally, I seem to dress up like old men [laughs].
You haven’t lived in the United States regularly for very long after moving here from Britain. What’s one thing you love here and miss from home?
The sun! I’m from England where it’s always gray. Waking up to go to the gym before work, it was always so cold. You didn’t want to get out of bed. I think for me it is the sun. I feel very lucky to live in America because there is so much to do and experience. I’ve lived here for nearly two years and my parents got their passports and came to visit. Just being able to go to the theme parks and all these places. They were like kids with it in a way. We are really lucky to get to do this. The thing I miss is my family. If I could pick them up and bring them here, that would be great. I miss my family and the chocolate. British chocolate is significantly better than American chocolate. I’m not sure how that happened. Whenever my friends send me anything, they’ll always send me chocolates. It’s everything to me. I miss it and need it. Given I’m a WWE superstar, it’s probably best I don’t have access to chocolate because I indulge so much. I eat unbelievable amounts of chocolate.
So you’re saying for kids out trick-or-treating, it’s worth the extra cost to get that chocolate?
Oh, I’m not sharing. Absolutely not. They can have some nerds or Reese’s or whatever it is. Enjoy kids. You will not be having my British candy. So sorry.
WWE NXT, Tuesdays, 8/7c, The CW
WWE Halloween Havoc, October 25, 7/6, Peacock
