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- Mariah May is believed to be eyeing a move to WWE.
- May's contract could expire as soon as this summer, meaning she will soon be a free agent.
- Those in AEW reportedly believe she will be leaving, with WWE aware that she wants to jump ship.
There have been a lot more AEW stars heading to WWE than vice versa lately, and there's probably going to be more of that heading into WrestleMania season and beyond. It's believed Malaki Black and Miro re-signing with WWE is a matter of when rather than if, and now reports have surfaced suggesting Mariah May could well join them once her current AEW contract has expired.
Mariah May Could Be Headed To WWE In 2025
May would be the biggest shock of those three names mentioned if she does show up in WWE for a couple of reasons. For starters, there has been no implication that May is unhappy in AEW. She has also never wrestled in WWE before. Black and Miro returning to WWE makes a lot of sense as they'll be working under Triple H, someone who arguably knows how to use them better than Vince McMahon did, especially when it comes to Black.
The claims that May might be WWE-bound come from Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer (via Cultaholic). The veteran wrestling journalist claims the belief in AEW is that May will be going to WWE once her current deal expires, and that those who need to know in WWE are aware that May wants to jump ship. Meltzer added that before May signed with AEW, she told those close to her that her dream was to sign with WWE one day.
Mariah May's AEW Deal Could Expire As Soon As This Summer
These latest rumors come after chatter that May's current AEW contract will expire this summer. The former Women's Champion signed a deal in 2023, debuting in November. If it was a two-year contract, which is apparently the case, then that means May will be free to leave sometime this year. May debut in AEW in November 2023, but that's not necessarily when she committed her future to the company.
May has shot to stardom in AEW very quickly, achieving a lot in less than 18 months with the company. Her heated rivalry with Toni Storm really put her on the map and is likely why WWE is potentially interested in signing her. If she does sign with WWE, it will be interesting to see where the company has her debut. Although she's a former Women's Champion, it seems unlikely she will be given the Jade Cargill treatment. It's more likely May will debut in NXT, possibly framed as a star on the same level as someone like Ethan Page.
May has a lot of AEW stars she has shared a locker room with who are now in WWE that she can go to for advice. Not just Cargill who was on her way out of AEW as May was coming in, but also wrestlers like Penta, Ray Fenix, and Ricky Saints, all of whom have been picked up by WWE recently.
More must-reads:
- WWE's latest move risks fan backlash
- How Giants' Malik Nabers has grown while working with Russell Wilson
- The 'NBA minutes leaders by season' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
WWE's latest move risks fan backlash
Throughout its multi-decade climb to the top of the sports entertainment mountain, WWE has always been a fan-first company. Under Vince McMahon, consumer costs were kept low. Tickets were reasonably priced, and for the past decade, you could watch all Premium Live Events for just $9.99 per month. Since being purchased by TKO, that business model has shifted. You need a solid line of credit to get seats anywhere near the action, even for house shows. And, in the United States, the product has been split between multiple networks, thus driving up subscription costs for the average fan. On Wednesday, WWE and TKO continued the diversification of their offering, announcing it had signed a $1.6 billion deal with ESPN for the rights to all Premium Live Events. ESPN plans on creating a new direct-to-consumer streaming service, priced at $29.99, a $20 per month increase, or rather, $240 per year. Just for PLEs. It's worth noting that if you already have an ESPN package, then the new DTC content will be free of charge. However, the decision to essentially triple the price of PLEs is another sign of the change occurring within WWE under TKO's leadership. Now, if you're a United States resident, it will cost you up to, or over, $60 per month to keep up with all of WWE's programming, assuming you have a standard Netflix package. WWE is following the same path as the NBA and NFL, where average fans — the lifeblood of the company — are being exploited for their loyalty. In an era where the cost of living continues to trend upward and budgets are stretched thin, TKO is clawing for more and passing those expenses onto the fan base. WWE was built on accessible entertainment, which made fans want to contribute via merchandise sales. Now, with this latest move, WWE further removes itself from its roots, and with it, risks driving a portion of its fan base into the welcoming arms of AEW. There's a level of hubris on show from those leading WWE at the moment. If prices continue to soar and fans are hit with another charge once the company finds a home for its vault content, WWE may find that more and more fans are tuning out of weekly programming and just paying attention to highlights on YouTube. For a company banking on the continued month-to-month support from the very fans it's exploiting, that would be a disastrous turn of events.
Paul Heyman Defiant Amid Attempts To 'Cancel' Brock Lesnar Following WWE SummerSlam Return
Padres already demoting one of their trade-deadline acquisitions
The Padres announced they’ve optioned JP Sears to Triple-A El Paso. They recalled reliever Sean Reynolds and will go with a nine-man bullpen in the short term. Sears will spend at least 15 days in the minors unless he’s brought up to replace a player going on the injured list. San Diego acquired Sears alongside Mason Miller in last week’s massive deadline deal. The 29-year-old southpaw made his team debut Monday night. He allowed five runs in as many innings on 10 hits and a walk against the Diamondbacks. Sears took the loss in a 6-2 defeat. He’d carried a 4.95 earned run average over 22 starts with the A’s. Monday's performance pushed his ERA to 5.12 across 116 innings. It’s a bottom-10 mark among pitchers to log at least 100 frames. Sears had the highest home run rate among that group, offsetting his nearly league-average 20.3% strikeout rate and solid 6% walk percentage. This is the first time in two-and-a-half years that Sears heads to the minors. He broke camp with the A’s in 2023 and has been in the majors since then. Sears has also avoided the injured list for that entire time. As a result, he’s tied for fifth in MLB with 87 starts since the beginning of the ’23 season. The durability is the big selling point, as his production (4.62 ERA/4.56 SIERA) over that stretch is that of a fifth or sixth starter. The demotion shouldn’t have any impact on Sears’ service trajectory. He has already surpassed the three-year mark and will qualify for arbitration next winter. He’s under team control for three seasons beyond this one. While he’ll probably be back up at some point this year, it may require an injury elsewhere in the rotation. San Diego optioned Randy Vásquez over the weekend. They have a four-man rotation of Dylan Cease, Nick Pivetta, Yu Darvish and deadline acquisition Nestor Cortes. Darvish and Cortes will get the ball for the next two outings. San Diego is off Thursday and could turn back to Pivetta and Cease on extra rest for their first two games of the weekend series against the Red Sox. That’d point to the series finale on Aug. 10 as Michael King’s return date. King threw 61 pitches in what is expected to be his final rehab start on Sunday, via the MLB.com injury tracker. He’d be on six days' rest for his first MLB appearance since he went on the injured list in late May with a nerve problem in his throwing shoulder.
Sophie Cunningham, Sparks HC react to third incident of object tossed onto court
Over the past couple of years, the WNBA has seen a major uptick in ratings and overall fan engagement. Unfortunately, that has also come with negative attention. It may have reached a new low, as there have now been three separate incidents in which a fan has thrown a sex toy on the court. This time, it nearly hit Indiana Fever veteran Sophie Cunningham during a matchup with the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday. Cunningham had already joked about it on social media, and given her outspoken nature and reputation as a bit of an instigator, she didn't shy away from it: She also laughed it up on her Instagram story: Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts, however, didn't think it was a laughing matter. Following the game, she put the fans on blast for their "stupid" behavior. "It's ridiculous. It's dumb. It's stupid," Roberts said, per Yahoo Sports. "It's also dangerous, and you know, player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things. I think it's really stupid." There's no place for any of this in sports, much less in women's sports. The league needs to crack down on this and take the necessary measures to prevent it from happening ever again. The WNBA is finally thriving after years of surviving, and while the fans will eventually grow to respect the product, not all publicity is good publicity.
NFL Hall of Famer reveals why he chose to join Deion Sanders' Colorado coaching staff
Steelers’ Coaching Staff Can't Hide The Fact Anymore That They Truly Feel They’ve Hit A Home Run With Their Rookie
The Pittsburgh Steelers gave up 299 rushing yards to their arch-nemesis, the Baltimore Ravens, in the Wild Card Round of the 2024 playoffs. Slowing down Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson was never going to be easy, but Pittsburgh’s defense was gashed from start to finish. It was an embarrassing showing that made it clear major changes were needed. The Steelers immediately began planning how to fix the issue heading into the offseason. With the 21st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Steelers selected defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, a physical and explosive presence up front. Harmon was brought in to restore toughness, speed, and discipline to the heart of Pittsburgh’s defense. Since his arrival, he has quickly impressed the coaching staff throughout training camp and other offseason activities, showing signs that he could be exactly what the Steelers need. Steelers insider reports have added even more excitement around the rookie. During an appearance on WDVE 102.5 on Wednesday morning, one insider named Gerry Dulac spoke about how impactful Harmon has been, both on the field and in the locker room. The Steelers were humiliated in their playoff loss to Baltimore, but with Harmon in the fold, they believe they’re on track to make sure it doesn’t happen again. "I'll tell you who's buzzing about it quietly and internally, are those coaches," Dulac said. "They love this guy. [From] what they have seen, they're thinking this pick is a home run. Now, we'll see how it plays out, but [from] what they've seen so far, they think he's terrific, and gonna be terrific." It’s not just coaches who are noticing Harmon’s impact either. Teammates have been raving about the way he’s carrying himself, especially for a rookie walking into a veteran-heavy locker room. He’s been described as humble, but intense. Quiet, but physical. It’s that mix of work ethic and natural ability that has people around the team believing the Steelers might’ve nailed this pick. Harmon’s explosiveness off the line has stood out in nearly every practice session. He’s consistently disrupting plays in the backfield, and he’s already shown he can hold his own against the Steelers’ top offensive linemen. Harmon is going to be called on as a rookie to be a starter right away. It's not an easy task for any rookie but the Steelers are just that confident in his skills. What’s also impressive is how fast he’s picked up the playbook. For a position that demands a lot of mental processing, especially in the Steelers’ complex scheme, Harmon hasn’t looked overwhelmed. In fact, he’s been praised for asking the right questions, staying late in meetings, and learning from guys like Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton. He’s clearly not just relying on his physical tools. Of course, it’s still early, and everything changes when the pads come on in real games. But if training camp is any indication, the Steelers’ front office may have landed a game-changer in Harmon. And after that nightmare in Baltimore, they’ll take all the help they can get. Steelers’ Defense Expected To Be Elite The Steelers defense is expected to be one of the NFL’s best in 2025. But if they want to be the best, Harmon’s impact will be key. Lining up next to Benton and Heyward, he could help anchor a dominant front. For that to happen, Harmon will need to play at a high level as a rookie. That’s a big task, but the coaching staff believes he’s more than capable. He’s shown the strength, quickness, and awareness they were hoping for. The Steelers didn’t draft him to sit. They want him to contribute now. If Harmon does that, this defense should be in very good hands for the 2025 season.
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