Blake Monroe receives high praise from WWE legend

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Blake Monroe made her WWE debut earlier this month for the NXT brand as the company continued its tear of free-agent signings, shaking up the pro wrestling landscape.

Monroe, who was formerly known as Mariah May, made a name for herself in Stardom and was a women’s champion at All Elite Wrestling and ended her time there after an epic feud with Toni Storm.

Now, she has her sights on NXT women’s champion Jacy Jayne and the rest of the Fatal Influence faction, hoping to add another accolade to her already impressive resume.

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Blake Monroe makes her way to the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center on June 17, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Andrea Kellaway/WWE via Getty Images)

Pro wrestling legend Bubba Ray Dudley told Fox News Digital in a recent interview that Monroe maximized her potential in her previous role and that coming to WWE was the right move.

“Blake Monroe has caught my eye, caught my intention over the last couple of years, for the body of work she was involved with in another company,” he said. “She did a phenomenal job and maxed out her potential there. I don’t think Blake Monroe could have gotten better at where she was, I don’t think there was enough talent that was better than her for her to work up to.

“I don’t know if there was enough minds that could have worked with Blake Monroe to have her be the sports entertainer she could be. I didn’t use the word pro wrestler I used sports entertainer because when you look at Blake Monroe’s body of work the last couple of years its more sports entertainer than pro wrestler to me and at the end of the day it’s world wrestling entertainment.”

Dudley expressed optimism that Monroe would be a “big star” in WWE moving forward.

The Philadelphia Street Fight between Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits vs The Final Testament has Bubba Ray Dudley as a special referee during Wrestlemania XL Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on April 7, 2024. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)

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“So, I think Blake Monroe coming into NXT was a very smart move on her behalf, working with all this new talent I believe working with Shawn Michaels and working with all the talented creative people he has under him and the producers,” he said. “Blake is truly going to shine in the system. And I think she will go on and be a big star in the WWE.”

Monroe had her “contract signing” on NXT this past Tuesday and told the audience that her “dream” was to always come to WWE – something she has posted about on social media continuously as she began her pro wrestling journey.