Latest news with #Stardom
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Mariah May likely to join WWE: 5 career-defining moments of the former AEW star
Mariah May's wrestling journey is a touching and inspiring one. She didn't just appear on television one day. She worked her way up. She took chances. She changed countries. And she never stopped aiming for one thing: WWE. Ever since her early matches on England's independent scene, Mariah has made it clear she wants to reach the top. WWE was always the goal. That dream now feels close to coming true. Her AEW profile was quietly removed. Rumours of talks with WWE have grown louder. It feels like the door is finally opening. But before the next chapter begins, it's worth looking at how she got here. Mariah May is not just another pretty face or rising star. She's someone who found ways to stand out in every locker room she walked into. From Japan to AEW, she left a mark. These five moments show exactly how she became one of wrestling's most talked-about names. 1. Stepping into Stardom and creating Club Venus When Mariah went to Japan in late 2022, she entered a whole new world. Stardom is known for its tough style and fast pace. It's also where many future stars have proved themselves. For a British wrestler with no prior Japanese experience, this was a brave move. CLUB VENUS IS HERE 💎 #STARDOM She didn't just blend in. She formed Club Venus alongside Mina Shirakawa and Xia Brookside and quickly made the group her own. Her personality, confidence, and look clicked perfectly with the Japanese crowd. She played the 'Sexy Dynamite Princess' role with flair, but her real growth came in the ring. She picked up wins. She won the Goddess of Stardom Tag Titles. Most importantly, she gained trust and respect in a new culture. That run gave her international buzz. Fans outside the UK came to know her name. AEW took notice. This was the first big moment where people started seeing her as more than just a potential star 2. Debuting in AEW as Toni Storm's devoted fan Mariah made her AEW debut in November 2023, but it wasn't your usual entrance. She didn't wrestle right away. Instead, she was introduced as a starstruck admirer of Toni Storm. It was strange. It was funny. And it worked better than anyone expected. Mariah May from her debut match on AEW Dynamite tonight 🎥 Playing the quiet assistant to Storm's 'Timeless' character, May brought emotion and tension into every segment. At times, she looked scared. At times, she looked jealous. The slow build created curiosity. Fans didn't know if she would snap or stay loyal. She was never boring. This was a key stretch in her career. She wasn't even wrestling every week, but people still talked about her. She learned how to work with cameras, how to build storylines, and how to connect without needing to speak much. That kind of performance is rare, and it proved she belonged on a big stage. 3. Winning the Owen Hart Cup and stepping into the spotlight By July 2024, May finally stepped into the ring full-time. And she didn't waste time. She entered the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament and delivered her best matches yet. She beat names like Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale. Then she lifted the trophy on live TV. One year ago I made my AEW debutFrom being an unknown to main eventing Dynamite, Collision, BOTB & Rampage. Winning the Owen Hart Tournament, killing the face of the division & being crowned World Champion at Wembley StadiumLet me know when the rest of you bitches catch up. This was the moment where fans stopped seeing her as Toni Storm's sidekick. She was now a real contender. Her win earned her a title shot, but it did more than that. It gave her credibility. It showed she could work AEW's big match style and still bring storytelling to the ring. From this point on, her matches became main event worthy. 4. Winning the AEW Women's World Championship at All In AEW's All In 2024 event at Wembley Stadium was historic for many reasons. But for Mariah, it was personal. She was wrestling in London, in front of her home crowd, with everything on the line. And she didn't play it safe. In the middle of the match, she turned on Toni Storm. She used her Owen Cup trophy to knock her out and pinned her to win the AEW Women's World Championship. The crowd gasped. Some cheered. Some were stunned. But everyone was watching. That wasn't just her first world title. That was a moment that proved she could carry the top story in the company. On the biggest night of her career, she made the boldest move possible. And it worked. 5. Her final AEW match and the end of the Toni Storm saga Mariah held the title for 174 days. She defended it against strong opponents like Nyla Rose and Anna Jay. But the story always came back to Toni Storm. Their rivalry grew deeper, darker and more emotional. It reached its final chapter at AEW Revolution 2025. HOLLYWOOD ENDING‼️‼️'TIMELESS' Toni Storm Vs Mariah May IIIAEW Revolution 2025🎧:Eyeless—Slipknot The match was named 'Hollywood Ending.' And it truly felt like one. In a bloody, chaotic Falls Count Anywhere fight, both women tore into each other. The match had drama, callbacks, pain and even some comedy. Storm won in the end, but the spotlight was shared. It felt like closure. Not just for the story, but for Mariah's time in AEW. She didn't return after that match. Her profile was removed from the AEW website in May. And now the WWE rumours have taken over.
The Age
22-05-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Hyeronimus happy to stay in Sydney as more winners beckon at Randwick
'It probably just creates more of a volume of rides, more so than going to the races for two or three, which always helps,' he said of the winter carnival. 'Barring a few rides here or there, the rides I'm getting, I'd get anyway, so I think just picking up those extra ones helps trying to get runs on the board. 'I think I've been riding great for the last 12 months or so, so very happy. 'Obviously, James [McDonald] is the premier jockey and probably deserves a lot of the rides that he gets, but after that, it is a level playing field and I think it's good. 'It's competitive, and it would be a different story if there were four James McDonalds – that would be pretty difficult. So I think it does create a lot of opportunities for everyone else.' Hyeronimus has several good chances to continue his streak on a wet Randwick track on Saturday with Agarwood ($2.60, race one), Sisu Spirit ($4.60, four), Sun God ($6.50, five), Storm The Ramparts ($7.50, six), Bear On The Loose ($9, seven) and Cool Jakey ($2.70, eight). 'I've got some good rides,' he said. 'I think there's four or five of them that will handle it wet, and it just makes things a hell of a lot easier in testing conditions.' Co-trainers Adrian Bott and Gai Waterhouse provided Hyeronimus' stakes double last Saturday at Scone with The Instructor and Stardom, and they have him aboard Agarwood, Sisu Spirit and Bear On The Loose at Randwick. Bott expected three-year-old Sisu Spirit to challenge after winning on heavy going last start at Wyong. 'It looks a nice race for him,' Bott said. 'He should relish getting out in trip. He's been good and versatile in the conditions and is proven on a heavy track before.' Agarwood was an impressive winner on debut last start on a soft Warwick Farm track. 'She was excellent the way she won,' Bott said. 'She handled the conditions on that day, so I'd like to think she's capable of handling the conditions there on Saturday, and she's open to nice improvement off that. She's definitely a smart filly.' The stable has Bear On The Loose and last-start winner Collect Your Cash ($8) in the seventh. 'Bear On The Loose probably just went out a bit strong in that Wagga Cup last start [when sixth], but I thought he stuck on very well, being just second up, and I think he's a horse who should relish the conditions,' he said. 'Collect Your Cash is a funny horse; he's hard to get a real line on at home. He doesn't show you a lot. He's just a real tradesman, which is how he's run and won his races, but he handles the conditions, he should appreciate the trip and is in good form.' Loading Eliyass leads the stable's charge in Queensland and is a $9.50 chance from gate 13 in the $1 million Doomben Cup. He finished well back in the Hollindale Stakes last start on a heavy Gold Coast track. 'It's probably a little bit of a sticky draw for him, but probably in a race where you expect them to be strung out, given some of the opposition there, so that might give him a chance to be prominent and find a spot you want to with him,' Bott said. 'But it was obviously a bit of a forgive run there last start. You would like to be going in with a bit more confidence off a run, but it was just a difficult race to be competitive in under those conditions for him.'
Sydney Morning Herald
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Hyeronimus happy to stay in Sydney as more winners beckon at Randwick
'It probably just creates more of a volume of rides, more so than going to the races for two or three, which always helps,' he said of the winter carnival. 'Barring a few rides here or there, the rides I'm getting, I'd get anyway, so I think just picking up those extra ones helps trying to get runs on the board. 'I think I've been riding great for the last 12 months or so, so very happy. 'Obviously, James [McDonald] is the premier jockey and probably deserves a lot of the rides that he gets, but after that, it is a level playing field and I think it's good. 'It's competitive, and it would be a different story if there were four James McDonalds – that would be pretty difficult. So I think it does create a lot of opportunities for everyone else.' Hyeronimus has several good chances to continue his streak on a wet Randwick track on Saturday with Agarwood ($2.60, race one), Sisu Spirit ($4.60, four), Sun God ($6.50, five), Storm The Ramparts ($7.50, six), Bear On The Loose ($9, seven) and Cool Jakey ($2.70, eight). 'I've got some good rides,' he said. 'I think there's four or five of them that will handle it wet, and it just makes things a hell of a lot easier in testing conditions.' Co-trainers Adrian Bott and Gai Waterhouse provided Hyeronimus' stakes double last Saturday at Scone with The Instructor and Stardom, and they have him aboard Agarwood, Sisu Spirit and Bear On The Loose at Randwick. Bott expected three-year-old Sisu Spirit to challenge after winning on heavy going last start at Wyong. 'It looks a nice race for him,' Bott said. 'He should relish getting out in trip. He's been good and versatile in the conditions and is proven on a heavy track before.' Agarwood was an impressive winner on debut last start on a soft Warwick Farm track. 'She was excellent the way she won,' Bott said. 'She handled the conditions on that day, so I'd like to think she's capable of handling the conditions there on Saturday, and she's open to nice improvement off that. She's definitely a smart filly.' The stable has Bear On The Loose and last-start winner Collect Your Cash ($8) in the seventh. 'Bear On The Loose probably just went out a bit strong in that Wagga Cup last start [when sixth], but I thought he stuck on very well, being just second up, and I think he's a horse who should relish the conditions,' he said. 'Collect Your Cash is a funny horse; he's hard to get a real line on at home. He doesn't show you a lot. He's just a real tradesman, which is how he's run and won his races, but he handles the conditions, he should appreciate the trip and is in good form.' Loading Eliyass leads the stable's charge in Queensland and is a $9.50 chance from gate 13 in the $1 million Doomben Cup. He finished well back in the Hollindale Stakes last start on a heavy Gold Coast track. 'It's probably a little bit of a sticky draw for him, but probably in a race where you expect them to be strung out, given some of the opposition there, so that might give him a chance to be prominent and find a spot you want to with him,' Bott said. 'But it was obviously a bit of a forgive run there last start. You would like to be going in with a bit more confidence off a run, but it was just a difficult race to be competitive in under those conditions for him.'
News.com.au
17-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Masterful ride by Adam Hyeronimus helps Stardom to victory in Woodlands Stakes at Scone
Stardom lived up to her name with an important stakes success at the Scone stand-alone on Saturday. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott -trained Stardom shared the early lead, broke clear around the turn and held off her chasing rivals to win the Listed $200,000 Woodlands Stakes (1100m). Owner-breeder John Cornish, the former Australian Turf Club chairman, cheered Stardom home from the Scone media room. 'That was exciting,' Cornish said. 'Stardom's a promising filly and has kept improving with every run. ''It's been a while since we have had a good filly so this is a big thrill. 'I thought she might have been beaten a few times but she put her head down and kept fighting hard which is a good sign.' Stardom ($3.60), ridden by Adam Hyeronimus, held off the late surge Wollzeile ($26) to win by a half length with favourite Akaysha ($2.40) coming from a long way back on the turn to finish a length away third. Tulloch Lodge stable representative Neil Paine said Stardom is a talented filly with a big future. 'Wasn't that a top win and Adam rode her a treat,' Paine enthused. 'I reckon he could have led on her but restrained her to be in second position to the turn then the filly just refused to give in down the straight. 'At the 150m I thought the second horse was going to grab her but Adam kept her balanced and it was a terrific win. 'John Cornish has been a great supporter of Gai and Adrian. Everyone has got a real kick out of winning the race for him.' â� Stardom holds on to win at Scone with Adam Hyeronimus doing the steering! @GaiWaterhouse1 â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 17, 2025 Hyeronimus praised the training effort of Waterhouse and Bott to bring Stardom back from 1200m when she won at Wagga Wagga to be sharp enough for a Listed race at 1100m. 'Generally, Gai and Adrian's horses progress out over further once they start racing so they deserve a lot of credit for bringing Stardom back to 1100m,' Hyeronimus said. 'She is sharp out of the gates and puts herself into a really good position. She showed a lot of determination, too.' The Woodlands Stakes has a history of producing top class fillies including recent winners like Lazzura (2024), In Secret (2022), Libertini (2019) and Flippant (2015). But to underline the merit of Stardom's effort, she was able to run the Scone 1100m in 1m 03.07s which is faster than any other Woodlands Stakes winner. Early leader Rainbow Glow dropped out to finish a long last, beaten more than 15 lengths, so Stardom's win was outstanding considering she settled on speed in a fast-run race but still found plenty under pressure in the straight. Stardom is superbly bred by champion sire Zoustar out of the Snitzel mare, Diddums, herself the winner of the Group 3 PJ Bell Stakes when she defeated a future Group 1 winner, Prompt Response. Stardom jumps out the best and finishes the best to take out the first at Wagga! 🌟 @GaiWaterhouse1 | @stanley_jett â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 1, 2025 Diddums is also a half-sister to Hong Kong superstar Voyage Bubble, winner of the Hong Kong International Mile and Hong Kong Gold Cup this season. Since Diddums produced Stardom, she has had a filly by Toronado and is back in foal to Zoustar. Stardom's Listed win in the Woodlands Stakes immediately makes the filly a priceless potential broodmare while significantly enhancing her dam's value. Paine was unsure of immediate plans for Stardom who improved her record to two wins and a third from just three starts. 'There are some nice stakes races for fillies coming up in Brisbane and I'm sure Gai and Adrian will have a close look at the program,' Paine said. 'I'm sure they will want to see how Stardom comes through today's race before deciding what they do next with her.' The Kris Lees -trained Wollzeile, a daughter of Tassort, was having her first start since winning an Ipswich maiden back in January and her fast-finishing second suggests she is a filly to follow. Akaysha drew wide and jockey Tom Sherry elected to go back early and the filly had most of the field in front of her at the 400m before she made a strong late surge to grab the minor placings. â– â– â– â– â– Zealously sprinted his way back to stakes grade after a brilliant display of sustained speed to smash the track record at the Scone stand-alone meeting on Saturday. It was a hometown win of sorts for trainer Peter Snowden as Zealously ran his rivals ragged in the GRO Events Handicap (1100m). The flying Zealously stopped the clock at a hand-timed 1m 02.13s, breaking the previous fastest time of 1m 02.23s established by Divine Vicky two years ago. There was some conjecture about whether Zealously's time should stand as a track record given the electronic timing system was not working during the race but Racing NSW are looking into the matter to verify the Snowden sprinter's actual winning time. But none of this mattered to Snowden who was relieved to get on the board at the Scone carnival. Snowden grew up in the Scone area before he moved to Sydney and chased his dream of becoming a trainer. Zealously with a big win after leading all the way at Scone! ðŸ'¨ @NockBraith | @SnowdenRacing1 â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 17, 2025 That was more than 40 years ago and these days Snowden is recognised as one of the nation's leading trainers with nearly 2700 career wins including 49 at Group 1 level – but he still gets a kick out of winning at the Scone Cup Carnival. 'There's a bit of pressure to get a winner when we come home,' Snowden said. 'So, it always means a lot to win here at Scone in front of my family and friends.' Zealously ($3.50 favourite), ridden by apprentice Braith Nock, jumped straight to the front and gave nothing else a chance as he scored by nearly two lengths from a game Dollar Magic ($5.50) with Spanish Fox ($41) a half-length away third. Snowden said Zealously deserves another chance at stakes level and will add the promising young sprinter to the stable's Brisbane carnival team. 'Zealously's very talented as he showed in that $3 million race on the Sunshine Coast (The Sunlight) when he ran fourth to Private Harry and Lady Of Camelot – that's a very good form race,' Snowden said. 'As a colt, Zealously was a bit of a handful but as a gelding he is very genuine. 'He has a lot of speed and the key to him is good ground. He still tries on rain-affected tracks but he's not the same horse. 'I will take him to Brisbane for the carnival as long as the tracks are suitable.'
Daily Telegraph
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
Adam Hyeronimus helps Stardom to victory in the Listed Woodlands Stakes at Scone
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Stardom lived up to her name with an important stakes success at the Scone stand-alone on Saturday. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Stardom shared the early lead, broke clear around the turn and held off her chasing rivals to win the Listed $200,000 Woodlands Stakes (1100m). Owner-breeder John Cornish, the former Australian Turf Club chairman, cheered Stardom home from the Scone media room. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'That was exciting,' Cornish said. 'Stardom's a promising filly and has kept improving with every run. ''It's been a while since we have had a good filly so this is a big thrill. 'I thought she might have been beaten a few times but she put her head down and kept fighting hard which is a good sign.' Stardom ($3.60), ridden by Adam Hyeronimus, held off the late surge Wollzeile ($26) to win by a half length with favourite Akaysha ($2.40) coming from a long way back on the turn to finish a length away third. Tulloch Lodge stable representative Neil Paine said Stardom is a talented filly with a big future. 'Wasn't that a top win and Adam rode her a treat,' Paine enthused. 'I reckon he could have led on her but restrained her to be in second position to the turn then the filly just refused to give in down the straight. 'At the 150m I thought the second horse was going to grab her but Adam kept her balanced and it was a terrific win. 'John Cornish has been a great supporter of Gai and Adrian. Everyone has got a real kick out of winning the race for him.' Hyeronimus praised the training effort of Waterhouse and Bott to bring Stardom back from 1200m when she won at Wagga Wagga to be sharp enough for a Listed race at 1100m. 'Generally, Gai and Adrian's horses progress out over further once they start racing so they deserve a lot of credit for bringing Stardom back to 1100m,' Hyeronimus said. 'She is sharp out of the gates and puts herself into a really good position. She showed a lot of determination, too.' The Woodlands Stakes has a history of producing top class fillies including recent winners like Lazzura (2024), In Secret (2022), Libertini (2019) and Flippant (2015). But to underline the merit of Stardom's effort, she was able to run the Scone 1100m in 1m 03.07s which is faster than any other Woodlands Stakes winner. Early leader Rainbow Glow dropped out to finish a long last, beaten more than 15 lengths, so Stardom's win was outstanding considering she settled on speed in a fast-run race but still found plenty under pressure in the straight. Stardom is superbly bred by champion sire Zoustar out of the Snitzel mare, Diddums, herself the winner of the Group 3 PJ Bell Stakes when she defeated a future Group 1 winner, Prompt Response. Diddums is also a half-sister to Hong Kong superstar Voyage Bubble, winner of the Hong Kong International Mile and Hong Kong Gold Cup this season. Since Diddums produced Stardom, she has had a filly by Toronado and is back in foal to Zoustar. Stardom's Listed win in the Woodlands Stakes immediately makes the filly a priceless potential broodmare while significantly enhancing her dam's value. Paine was unsure of immediate plans for Stardom who improved her record to two wins and a third from just three starts. 'There are some nice stakes races for fillies coming up in Brisbane and I'm sure Gai and Adrian will have a close look at the program,' Paine said. 'I'm sure they will want to see how Stardom comes through today's race before deciding what they do next with her.' The Kris Lees-trained Wollzeile, a daughter of Tassort, was having her first start since winning an Ipswich maiden back in January and her fast-finishing second suggests she is a filly to follow. Akaysha drew wide and jockey Tom Sherry elected to go back early and the filly had most of the field in front of her at the 400m before she made a strong late surge to grab the minor placings. Originally published as A masterful ride by Adam Hyeronimus helps Stardom to victory in the Listed Woodlands Stakes at Scone
