Toni Storm and Mariah May have delivered one of AEW\u2019s most compelling women\u2019s storylines, blending drama, character evolution, and in-ring intensity. As their rivalry reaches a potential turning point, it not only showcases their individual growth but also highlights the broader struggles and triumphs of AEW\u2019s women\u2019s\u00a0division.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no small parts, only small actors<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Stanislavski\u2019s famous expression might apply to acting but it\u2019s not transferable to wrestling.<\/p>\n AEW\u2019s women\u2019s division has evolved. It\u2019s larger, stronger and fans are generally more invested. The amount of talent with varied experiences, styles, and personalities ranges.<\/p>\n We have more storylines underneath the two women\u2019s championships scenes. Future contenders, champions, and sometimes characters are being built. Various women, from Queen Aminata<\/a> to Harley Cameron<\/a>, maximize their time in the spotlight and gain fan support for their efforts.<\/p>\n AEW\u2019s women\u2019s division seems to be getting more time in the spotlight. On Saturday, the division\u2019s best long-term storyline could reach its conclusion. Potentially, it could set up a third match between Toni Storm and Mariah May, creating an epic trilogy.<\/p>\n The levels and layers of detail with Storm\u2019s character have captivated fans. The inclusion of Mina Shirakawa helped break new ground for LGBT representation<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been timeless. Various teething problems<\/a> with the \u201cTimeless\u201d character won\u2019t matter. Eventually, nostalgia and selective memory will airbrush these cracks from both women\u2019s foundations.<\/p>\n Regardless, for many AEW fans, including myself, Storm vs. May is the best women\u2019s storyline in AEW. Maybe in all women\u2019s wrestling. However, in 2024, it was second place to the violent splendor of Swerve Strickland vs. \u201cHangman\u201d Adam Page<\/a>.<\/p>\n A lot of thought, effort, and time has been put into the character and story arc of Toni Storm. However, that level of planning and development has, like a creative version of trickledown economics, continued historic inequity.<\/p>\n I love Mariah May\u2019s \u201cGlamour\u201d character and its evolution, despite its limits. With one year of television experience, May\u2019s presentation and her handling of solo moments reinforce that she\u2019ll be the champion again.<\/p>\n Even when the crowd or journalists were silent, May\u2019s persona shone rather than crumbled, owning that void. One day she will carry the division without having to put her foot on its throat.<\/p>\n Never has May shied or shirked from her character or responsibility to be \u201cThe Woman from Hell\u201d. In promos and on commentary she\u2019s found ways to be memorable. Granted, sometimes her comments have dug too close to the bone. May\u2019s open disinterest, disdain, and put-downs of the rest of her locker room fit the character but touch the nerves of some fans and their perceptions of the treatment of AEW\u2019s women.<\/p>\n Beyond the champions and their successors, the other women are interchangeable challengers for conveyor belts until the time for change comes. At times, the storylines driving five of May\u2019s defenses felt functionary.<\/p>\n Simplified from personal issues to a more generalized fight for control of the division seemed reminiscent of Dr. Britt Baker\u2019s character and reign. Ironically, when things were supposed to be all about Mariah, the lack of detailed storylines emphasized the black and white looming shadow of a returning Storm.<\/p>\n The delayed championship celebration killed time. Most stuck in between Storm and May were neither elevated (except Shirakawa) or, at worse, were presented as temporary or lesser.<\/p>\n Thunder Rosa, stood in the crowd with a sign (\u201cWTF\u201d), when rockstar Toni Storm (re)debuted. This former AEW Women\u2019s World champion was signposted as a bit-part player in someone else\u2019s limelight.<\/p>\n That lack of creative investment in other characters (their motivations and agency), including May, meant it remained \u201cToni Time!\u201d<\/p>\n I endorsed Roma Falani\u2019s take that Mariah May\u2019s character was a tormented soul<\/a>. Especially when the character\u2019s tonal change in promos and presentation facing Mina Shirakawa emphasized a new layer of feminine sexual power. A power that could have hidden weakness.<\/p>\n Outside of that feud\u2019s sapphic presentation,<\/a>\u00a0when has May\u2019s character shown insecurity? When else has the mask slipped to expose an ugly truth?<\/p>\n Compared with the complex layers of Page or Strickland\u2019s feud, both men in their words (and Hangman\u2019s face) showed inner conflict. Shades of grey. Besides Shirakawa, May\u2019s persona is detached and aloof.<\/p>\n Whilst not overtly sexually objectified like Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan<\/a>, there is a vein of misogyny. Tony Schiavone, the voice of AEW, once called May a \u201cbitch\u201d. Other times, Schiavone is overwhelmed by May\u2019s presence.<\/p>\n May has performed the attractive \u201ccold, calculating woman\u201d trope perfectly. Like Ripley and Morgan, May\u2019s elevated stereotypical material, but the characterization remains two-dimensional.<\/p>\n And if there is a shred of conflict in May, a love for Storm\u2019s character and a more complex character there, let\u2019s see it. Signs of life behind the lipstick. Something along this line might follow Grand Slam.<\/p>\n Regardless, it shows the disparity between the men\u2019s and women\u2019s creative. Also, how Tony Khan\u2019s investment both advances and limits the division.<\/p>\n The core issue, like much of human behavior, is deeply furrowed in AEW\u2019s past. AEW only invests in one or a small clutch of women at a time. It\u2019s a problem I\u2019ve discussed repeatedly.<\/p>\n First, when \u201cTimeless\u201d Toni Storm first became women\u2019s champion<\/a>. Then when exploring the history of AEW\u2019s women\u2019s revolutions<\/a>. Recently after last year\u2019s Full Gear<\/a>.<\/p>\n There is progress but it is piecemeal. It\u2019s frustrating repeating. Like a lot of AEW fans, I want parity.<\/p>\n This week on Dynamite might have seen two women\u2019s matches, but inevitably one was a squash, and the other was cut by commercials. It\u2019s a self-fulfilling prophecy and the numbers don\u2019t lie.<\/p>\n X user @AdamWilton4 calculated that the average Dynamite women\u2019s match in 2024 lasted 8:01 minutes. The same as 2023.<\/p>\n You can flip this pessimism to celebration. Given the lean time and opportunities, it\u2019s a testament to the talent, perseverance, and commitment of AEW\u2019s women\u2019s division. Many got themselves over.<\/p>\n Willow Nightingale smiles anyway. Kris Statlander is more than a woman. Fans wait in anticipation for the return of Skye Blue.<\/p>\n Her \u201cwife\u201d Queen Aminata receives cheers during every match. Megan Bayne is rising.<\/p>\n But \u201colder heads\u201d of the division, previous champions, like Hiraku Shida, Thunder Rosa, and Nyla Rose just fall out of rotation and seem side-lined with minimal time for characterization. Ultimately, while many are doing so much with such little time, it\u2019s not enough.<\/p>\n Recently, I discussed the limited power of fan outrage<\/a> but, when united, fans can make changes. It happened with #GiveDivasAChance. If AEW fans want change, then we must make themselves heard.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not like the women aren\u2019t hungry. Take Mariah May\u2019s comments to Busted Open:<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s not my choice that I get stuck backstage doing 60-second promos. I know they’re going to be awesome, but I think I can do more\u2026 I want to do in-ring promos and I really want to keep working on my in-ring because I know the stuff that I watch back and I’m not happy with. I always want that to be better. Learning how to tell a story with less is what I’m really trying to understand at the moment\u2026 I know what I want to do and to try and get that vision and get that onto AEW TV is what I’m aiming for.\u201d <\/em>Mariah May, Busted Open Radio, transcript from Fightful<\/a>.<\/p>\n More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/strong><\/p>\n Header photo \u2013 AEW \u2013 Stay tun<\/em>ed to the\u00a0Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/a> for more on Mariah May, Toni Storm, AEW Grand Slam, and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.\u00a0 You can catch AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS. AEW Collision airs Saturday at 8pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content available on their YouTube<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Toni Storm and Mariah May have delivered one of AEW\u2019s most compelling women\u2019s storylines, blending drama, character evolution, and in-ring intensity. As their rivalry reaches a potential turning point, it not only showcases their individual growth but also highlights the broader struggles and triumphs of AEW\u2019s women\u2019s\u00a0division. \u201cThere is no small parts, only small actors.\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4960,"featured_media":130908,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4677,6,2192],"tags":[4133,5730,9171,6807,8737,4176,8984,598],"class_list":["post-130895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aew","category-north-america","category-wrestling","tag-aew","tag-aew-dynamite","tag-aew-grand-slam-australia","tag-aew-womens-championship","tag-mariah-may","tag-mina-shirakawa","tag-timeless-toni-storm","tag-toni-storm"],"modified_by":"Chinyere Okafor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130895","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4960"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130895"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130895\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":130907,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130895\/revisions\/130907"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130908"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130895"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}So Much Good<\/h2>\n
All About Mariah < Toni Time<\/h2>\n
Behind the Lipstick of Toni Storm<\/h2>\n
Fighting for Light<\/h2>\n
Mariah May Knows Best<\/h2>\n