According to Dave Meltzer on a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, former AEW Women’s World Champion Blake Monroe is struggling with a storyline in WWE NXT that isn’t particularly strong. Meltzer directly contrasted her current situation with her heavily featured run in AEW.
Meltzer grouped Monroe with fellow recent signee JC Mateo, formerly known as Jeff Cobb, in his assessment of talent transitions to WWE. “Some people going to WWE is the right move, and Blake Monroe and Jeff Cobb—I’m not so sure about those two. It’s not looking to me when I see how those two have been doing,” Meltzer stated.
The critique centered on the narrative quality of Monroe’s current program. “She had a great storyline in AEW. And here, they’re trying to give her a great storyline. And it ain’t great, that’s for sure,” he added. In AEW, performing as Mariah May, Monroe was part of a major angle that saw her turn heel on her mentor Toni Storm to capture the AEW Women’s World Championship.
Monroe’s WWE tenure has been defined by her ongoing feud with Jordynne Grace. After debuting as Grace’s partner, Monroe turned on her at Evolution, costing Grace the NXT Women’s Championship.
The rivalry escalated, leading to Monroe’s first singles victory on a premium live event at NXT Heatwave, where she defeated Grace after sending her into an exposed turnbuckle. The program is set to continue, as Grace retaliated on the August 26 episode of NXT. Her interference caused a distraction that allowed Kelani Jordan to hand Monroe her first pinfall loss since her June 2025 debut.