Andrew Ravens
Blake Monroe’s WWE SmackDown debut is drawing closer. PWInsider reports that the internal expectation within WWE is that Monroe will begin appearing on the blue brand by the end of May, though that timeline is noted as subject to change.
Vignettes for her arrival have already aired on SmackDown, but she has yet to make her physical debut on the show.
Monroe, whose real name is Mariah May Mead, was confirmed as a SmackDown call-up earlier this month following her run in NXT, where she won the NXT Women’s North American Championship before losing the title to Tatum Paxley in a casket match ahead of her promotion to the main roster.
Her path to WWE was a well-traveled one. Monroe spent years working the independent circuit across the United Kingdom before relocating to Japan for a run with World Wonder Ring Stardom, where she won the Goddesses of Stardom Championship alongside Mina Shirakawa. She then signed with AEW in 2023, going on to win the AEW Women’s World Championship before departing the promotion and joining WWE in June 2025.
The transition to SmackDown has already drawn praise from within the wrestling industry. Mark Henry spoke extensively about Monroe following her call-up, saying she has no weakness in her game and highlighting her ability to flip and fly, grapple, chain wrestle, and strike. That kind of endorsement from a WWE Hall of Famer is big, as it puts a spotlight on the level of anticipation surrounding her main roster arrival, and with vignettes already in circulation, her SmackDown debut appears to be a matter of when rather than if.
The SmackDown division for women needs new blood both at the top and in the secondary. She fits right in as someone who could challenge for the top prize on SmackDown in the Women’s Title or go after the United States Title.
