In professional wrestling, a rivalry can sometimes get so heated that it will spill outside of the squared circle. Usually that means a brawl in the ringside area, the locker room, or the arena parking lot. But under extenuating circumstances, the combatants will find themselves enthralled in battle while they’re out and about in the real world. For Mariah May, there was no better place to bring the fight to “Timeless” Toni Storm than a Hollywood red carpet. 

The incident took place during the Los Angeles premiere of Queen of the Ring, a new film that tells the story of women’s wrestling pioneer Mildred Burke and features Storm as the legendary Clara Mortensen. The Glamour caused pandemonium in the theater lobby when she attacked the reigning AEW Women’s World Champion as she discussed the film with members of the press. Luckily, Christopher Daniels was on hand to break up the fight. However, as she returned to her feet with the help of Renee Paquette and Harley Cameron, Storm proclaimed that her rival “ruined her moment.”

Ash Avildsen on ‘Queen of the Ring’

Just before hands were thrown by All Elite Wrestling’s finest, That Hashtag Show was speaking with writer and director Ash Avildsen. The filmmaker gave us some insight into the origins of this project, which can be traced back to a conversation with legendary ring announcer Jim Ross.  

“[This story] came into my life by way of Jim Ross, the Hall of Famer,” said Avildsen. “He told me about the book [The Queen of the Ring: Sex, Muscles, Diamonds, and the Making of an American Legend by Jeff Leen]. I had called him to tell an 80s fictional story. I wanted to make a love letter of all my favorite stories in pro wrestling from the ’80s and have it be an inspirational PG-13 story. And when I called JR, he said he would do it with me, but by the way, did I know who Mildred Burke was? I had never heard of her. He goes, I want you to check out this book. I feel like it should be a movie. I read it that weekend. I called him back Monday morning. I said forget about the fictional thing. We have to tell Mildred’s story. I was completely enchanted by it. It’s one of the fastest books I ever read, and I just set out to start pushing the boulder up the hill.”

Ironically, just before Mariah May stormed past us to initiate her calculated attack upon her long-time rival, our conversation with the filmmaker turned to kayfabe, the wrestling term that refers to the blurring of lines between reality and storyline. Back in Mildred Burke’s day, extensive work was done to maintain kayfabe and work the crowd (or present the events in the ring as a legitimate athletic contest). But with more and more people acknowledging the theatrical and staged nature of pro wrestling, kayfabe is mostly viewed as a thing of the past. But Avildsen found a way to present the idea to a modern audience with a little help from the past.

“The perfect answer for that is they had shoot matches, which is one of the things that made me so just enthralled with the book,” Avildsen said. “Not only did I not know that women’s wrestling was illegal back then, I didn’t know they would actually shoot with a live audience. So to me it was like the truth is stranger than fiction. It’s like the best thing you could ask for from a storytelling standpoint. It’s a pro wrestling story, but they had shoot matches when the stakes were really high. And then we get a main event in the end, which I think a lot of sports movie fans will appreciate even though it’s pro wrestling. It’s not like it’s about the script in the main event. It’s still about a real match and real fighting and combat. Just another part of the amazing world of Mildred’s life that she lived.”

After the commotion settled down, May walked the red carpet herself and spoke to the press about what had just happened. When she approached our THS correspondent, who was wearing a “Timeless” Toni Storm shirt under his blazer, the former AEW Women’s World Champion and 2024 Owen Hart Foundation Tournament winner said he looked “dreadful.” In response to being told that she looked wonderful in her glamorous red dress, May then offered a preview of what will happen this weekend at the Crypto.com Arena.  “I do, and I look wonderful slapping Toni Storm in the face at her own premiere,” she said. “I’m probably going to do a little more than slap her in the face [on Sunday]. It’s our Hollywood ending at the Revolution pay-per-view and I’m going to retire Toni Storm again since it didn’t take last time.”

To see the final chapter between Mariah May and “Timeless” Toni Storm unfold, tune in to AEW Revolution on Sunday, March 9, 2025. The event can be viewed on Triller TV, PPW.com, YouTube (internationally), and Prime Video.

And to see the AEW Women’s World Champion shine on the silver screen alongside fellow wrestlers Kamille as June Byers and Naomi as Ethel Johnson, you can catch Queen of the Ring starring Emily Bett Rickards, Josh Lucas, Tyler Posey, and Walton Goggins in theaters everywhere.  

Keep Reading:

‘Queen Of The Ring’ – If You Didn’t Know Mildred Burke, Now You Do [Review]