Blake Monroe will finally make her in-ring debut on the main roster. WWE has confirmed that the former NXT Women’s North American Champion will face Giulia on this Friday’s SmackDown, August 21, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario.
Monroe has yet to compete in a televised match on SmackDown, but she’s been part of the show for nearly two months. Her first appearance came on the June 26 episode in London, where she attacked Giulia.
Since then, WWE has built Monroe primarily through segments and backstage attacks, holding off on putting her in the ring.
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11:10 PM · Aug 20, 2026On last week’s SmackDown, General Manager Nick Aldis confronted Monroe about complaints from other wrestlers she had attacked. Monroe pitched a match against WWE Women’s Champion Chelsea Green, but Giulia came out and made it clear she wanted to be Monroe’s first opponent.
The matchup also ties back to history that predates WWE. Monroe, then still working as Mariah May, faced Giulia in STARDOM’s 5★Star Grand Prix on August 8, 2023, with Giulia picking up the win after just over 12 minutes. The two also shared the ring in several tag matches during their time in Japan.
Beyond Giulia vs. Monroe, Friday’s SmackDown features CM Punk defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Kevin Owens. Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga will put the WWE Tag Team Championship on the line against Damian Priest and R-Truth, and Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton are also announced for the show.