WWE Hall of Famer Makes Surprising Choice for Revolution’s MVPs
In the ever-evolving landscape of professional wrestling, it’s rare when a WWE legend gives unfiltered praise to AEW talent. Yet that’s exactly what happened following AEW Revolution 2025, an event already being hailed as one of the greatest pay-per-views in the company’s history. While fans and critics alike are still debating which match deserved “match of the night” honors, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray has made his choice clear – and it might not be who you’d expect.
Speaking on a recent episode of “Busted Open Radio,” the former Dudley Boy didn’t hesitate in crowning his MVPs of the night: Toni Storm and Mariah May for their breathtaking “Hollywood Ending” match for the AEW Women’s World Championship.
“I just want to say Mariah May, Toni Storm, bravo ladies,” Bully Ray declared with genuine admiration in his voice. “Bravo to the both of you, that was an incredible effort.”
For those who haven’t been following the Storm-May saga, their Revolution clash represented the culmination of one of wrestling’s most captivating storylines in recent memory. What began as a mentor-protégé relationship evolved into something far more complex and emotionally charged, capturing the imagination of the AEW faithful for months leading to this showdown.
The Match That Exceeded All Expectations
What makes Bully Ray’s praise particularly significant is his acknowledgment that the match surpassed the already high expectations heading into Revolution. In an era where women’s wrestling has reached unprecedented heights, Storm and May managed to raise the bar even further.
“It was fun to watch, it was above and beyond probably what people expected,” Ray continued, highlighting how the two performers managed to surprise even the most seasoned wrestling observers. “Your willingness to go out there and put your bodies on the line for the entertainment of the fans.”
This willingness to push boundaries and take risks has become a hallmark of AEW’s women’s division under Tony Khan’s leadership. While WWE’s women’s division has certainly had its share of groundbreaking moments, AEW has cultivated an environment where performers like Storm and May can explore creative freedom and physical intensity that resonates deeply with today’s audience.
Beyond Star Ratings: A Veteran’s Perspective
In an industry often obsessed with star ratings and numerical evaluations, Bully Ray took a different approach in assessing the Storm-May encounter. Rather than simply assigning a number, he offered something perhaps more valuable – respect from a fellow professional.
“Five stars does not do it justice, nor would I give you five stars,” Ray explained, “but from one of your fellow pro wrestlers, from one of the people that you could share a locker room with and be on the road with, two thumbs up from one of the boys.”
This perspective offers a glimpse into how wrestlers themselves evaluate performances, often focusing on elements that might escape even the most discerning fans. The technical execution, psychological storytelling, and authentic emotion displayed by Storm and May clearly resonated with someone who has spent decades in the business.
“To me, Toni Storm and Mariah May, the co-MVPs of Revolution,” Ray concluded. “That match, match of the night.”
Should The Women Have Main Evented?
Bully Ray wasn’t the only WWE Hall of Famer singing the praises of Storm and May. Mark Henry, another respected voice on “Busted Open Radio,” was equally impressed by their performance – particularly the match’s dramatic conclusion that left viewers talking long after the final bell.
Henry’s enthusiasm for the bout led him to suggest something that would have been unthinkable in professional wrestling just a decade ago: that Storm and May should have closed the show as the main event, even ahead of Jon Moxley and Cope’s highly anticipated clash for the AEW World Championship.
This sentiment raises interesting questions about how AEW positions its women’s division in relation to its male counterparts. While significant progress has been made in elevating women’s wrestling across the industry, world championship matches featuring male competitors still traditionally occupy the coveted main event slot at major pay-per-views.
Tony Khan’s Perspective
AEW President Tony Khan was asked about Henry’s comments during the post-Revolution media scrum, putting him in the position of defending the show’s match order while still acknowledging the exceptional quality of the Storm-May contest.
The decision of match placement on major pay-per-views involves numerous factors beyond simply match quality – storyline prominence, building crowd energy throughout the night, and long-term booking considerations all play significant roles. However, with performances like this one, the conversation around women potentially main eventing more major AEW shows is only gaining momentum.
The Impact on AEW’s Women’s Division
The overwhelming positive reception to the Storm-May match could have far-reaching implications for AEW’s women’s division moving forward. While the division has featured standout performers like Britt Baker, Thunder Rosa, and Hikaru Shida since the company’s inception, critics have sometimes questioned the consistency of its booking and television time compared to the men’s division.
A match of this caliber, receiving universal acclaim from fans, critics, and respected veterans alike, provides compelling evidence that when given proper build, time, and positioning, AEW’s women can deliver main-event worthy performances that captivate audiences.
The Evolving Landscape of Women’s Wrestling
The Storm-May match represents another significant milestone in the ongoing evolution of women’s wrestling across the industry. What was once treated as a novelty or intermission act has transformed into a legitimate main event attraction capable of selling tickets and driving viewership.
This transformation didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of decades of hard work by pioneering women wrestlers who fought for respect and opportunity in an industry that often marginalized their contributions. From Mae Young and The Fabulous Moolah to trailblazers like Madusa, Bull Nakano, and Manami Toyota, to the “women’s revolution” era performers, each generation has pushed boundaries that allowed for matches like Storm vs. May to receive the platform and recognition they deserve.
What’s Next for Storm and May?
With Revolution now behind them, the wrestling world eagerly anticipates the next chapter in the Storm-May saga. Whether they continue their rivalry or move on to new challengers, both performers have cemented themselves as cornerstones of AEW’s women’s division.
For Toni Storm, whose journey from WWE to AEW has been one of professional rebirth and creative fulfillment, this match further validates her decision to seek new horizons. For Mariah May, a performer still relatively early in her career trajectory, sharing “match of the night” honors at a major pay-per-view opposite a veteran like Storm represents a career-defining moment that announces her arrival as a main event talent.
The Standard Moving Forward
As AEW continues to establish its identity in the competitive professional wrestling landscape, performances like the one delivered by Storm and May at Revolution help define the company’s standard for in-ring excellence. The challenge now becomes maintaining that standard not just at major pay-per-views but on weekly television as well.
With veterans like Bully Ray and Mark Henry publicly endorsing the quality of women’s wrestling in AEW, the company has additional credibility in positioning its women’s division as a central attraction rather than a supplementary component of its programming. The true measure of progress will be whether this level of attention and appreciation becomes the norm rather than the exception.
Conclusion
As AEW Revolution 2025 takes its place in wrestling history, the “Hollywood Ending” match between Toni Storm and Mariah May stands as perhaps its most defining contest. Through their performances, both women proved that the future of women’s wrestling in AEW is extraordinarily bright.
When a respected veteran like Bully Ray, with decades of experience and countless classics under his belt, singles out your match as the highlight of a show already packed with stellar contests, it speaks volumes about what was accomplished in that ring.
For fans of professional wrestling, moments like these transcend company rivalries and remind us why we fell in love with this unique form of athletic storytelling in the first place.
Disclaimer
This article is open to suggestions and corrections. Readers’ opinions are always welcome as we strive to provide the most accurate and engaging coverage of professional wrestling. While we’ve worked to faithfully represent the comments made by Bully Ray and Mark Henry, interpretations of wrestling performances are inherently subjective, and we respect differing viewpoints on what constituted the highlight of AEW Revolution 2025.
