Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up: Mariah May Dethrones Toni Storm, Jamie Hayter Returns, Riley Shepard Interview

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Mariah May defeats “Timeless” Toni Storm in her home country. Jamie Hayter finally returns to action. The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships will be defended at Bash in Berlin. Riley Shepard chats with WrestleZone, and more!

Mariah May Dethrones “Timeless” Toni Storm

The saga of Mariah May and Toni Storm reached its culmination at AEW All In.

Coming in as an admirer of Storm’s, Mariah May gradually worked her way into the good graces of the AEW Women’s Champion. In just a matter of months, May rose from the role of Storm’s assistant to her tag team partner. After winning the 2024 Women’s Owen Hart Tournament, however, May revealed her true self to be quite the opposite.

In attacking Storm with her signature white heel, May transformed from a trusted ally to a dark, cunning enemy, and the number one contender to Storm’s AEW Women’s Championship. Six weeks later, May then solidified herself as the new AEW Women’s Champion by defeating Storm with her own Storm Zero at AEW All In, which emanated from May’s home country of England.

On the heels of her victory, May read a eulogy she personally wrote for Storm’s career.

“Toni Storm’s career is dead,” Mariah May said at the AEW All In post-show media scrum. “Today, August 25, 2024, at 6:48 PM, Toni Storm’s career passed away in a pile of blood, spit, and embarrassment. She died of natural causes because I am naturally better than her in every way. She is survived by her bumbling, bald butler Ben Mankiewicz and anyone who pretends to love old movies because they cannot deal with their own pathetic realities. There will be no funeral service. A donation can be made in her name at ShopAEW.com/MariahMay.”

While Storm had “passed away,” May asserted that a new star was born in the meantime, that being herself. As such, May believes All Elite Wrestling is now “all about Mariah.”

Elsewhere at AEW All In, Mercedes Mone defeated Britt Baker to retain her TBS Championship.

READ MORE: AEW All In: Mercedes Moné vs. Britt Baker Result

Jamie Hayter Returns To Action

The last time AEW fans saw Jamie Hayter was May 2023, as a pre-match attack from The Outcasts paved the way for Toni Storm to dethrone Hayter, the then AEW Women’s Champion, at AEW Double or Nothing. That all changed, of course, when Hayter returned at AEW All In in London, England.

On the All In Zero Hour pre-show, The Outcasts’ leader, Saraya, demanded that her hometown show her some respect, or else she wouldn’t leave the ring. This protest prompted the return of Jamie Hayter, a fellow native of England.

After taking out Saraya’s allies on her way to the ring, Hayter then came face-to-face with Saraya herself, looking to score some revenge. Before the two could physically engage, Harley Cameron charged at Hayter, but was wiped out by an elbow. As Hayter returned her focus to Saraya, Sweet Saraya (Saraya’s mother) clocked her in the neck from behind. Undeterred, Hayter reciprocated with a strike of her own. With Saraya then retreating, Hayter dragged Harley Cameron back into the ring by her hair, and subsequently nailed her with a Hayterade.

Hot off her AEW All In appearance, Hayter returned to in-ring action on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite, once again taking down Cameron with a Hayterade. This time, though, it came in an official match.

READ MORE: AEW Dynamite Results (8/28/24)

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships To Be Defended at Bash In Berlin

At WWE Clash at the Castle, Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre shocked fans when they dethroned WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill.

Since Clash at the Castle, Dawn and Fyre, known as Unholy Union, have found in a new ally in Blair Davenport. Together, the three have routinely targeted Belair and Cargill on WWE SmackDown. Luckily for Belair and Cargill, their former ally Naomi returned to even the odds.

With the trios continuing to feud, WWE SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis called for a six-woman tag team match on last week’s episode of SmackDown. In addition, he announced a new match for WWE Bash in Berlin on August 31, one that will see Fyre and Dawn defend their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships against Belair and Cargill.

Following their victory at Clash at the Castle, Unholy Union has defended their titles on three occasions. The first saw Dawn and Fyre defeat NXT’s Jakara Jackson and Lash Legend. Then, a rematch between Unholy Union and Belair-Cargill resulted in a disqualification, thanks to interference from Davenport. Most recently, Unholy Union retained their titles in a triple threat match on WWE Raw against Damage CTRL and Pure Fusion Collective.

INTERVIEWS

“The Gladiator of The Geeks” Riley Shepard spoke with WrestleZone’s Ella Jay about her diagnosis of Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis, the mental and physical challenges that came with it, recently re-tearing her ACL, her potential future in professional wrestling, wanting to wrestle in Ring of Honor and TNA Wrestling, working as a case manager for youth at risk of homelessness, and more.

Former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia chatted with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard about the 25th anniversary of her WWE debut, Triple H chasing her around the ring, what she is up to now, her 2024 surprise cameo, Samantha Irvin and more!

WWE NXT star Jaida Parker appeared on Muscle Memory to discuss who she was talking to off camera on WWE NXT recently, slapping NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez, pursuing wrestling after soccer, her dream match against Bianca Belair, and more.

Former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Jade Cargill sat down with Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful to discuss the inspiration behind her ring gear, a possible WrestleMania match against Bianca Belair, being a fan of The Titanic movie, and more.

Former WWE host Kayla Braxton joined Chris Van Vliet to talk about her decision to leave WWE on her own terms, why it was time to explore other opportunities, her Madison Square Garden send-off from Cody Rhodes, interactions with Paul Heyman, her upcoming role in the movie “Stranglehold,” and more.

“The Renaissance Woman” Hyan appeared on She Digressed to discuss her return to Ring of Honor, interactions with Tony Khan, working for NJPW, wrestling former NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion Giulia, wrestling Nia Jax on WWE Raw, and more.

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