It takes a lot to leave behind something that’s likely a dream come true, something that you thought would be an amazing journey, only to leave it and take a road not thought possible. It also takes a lot to push past expectations, surpassing and leaving an impact on the road.
It’s as Led Zeppelin once said: “There are two paths you can go by, but in the long run there’s still time to change the road you’re on.”
Such was the case for Toni Storm in 2022 when she debuted for All Elite Wrestling on the March 30 episode of Dynamite when she defeated The Bunny in a qualifier match for the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament, surprising everyone.
After a controversial exit from World Wrestling Entertainment in late 2021, after feeling disrespected and that her love of wrestling was being diminished after a rough storyline involving Charlotte Flair. It turned out, as it had for many before, that WWE wasn’t everything it was thought to be by hungry, prospective young talents.
But on that aforementioned episode of Dynamite, Storm immediately was determined to make this matter. Though she adorned her signature punk rock superstar visage she had been known for, that would soon change.
Her freshman year in AEW consisted of being an ally and occasional competitor against then-Women’s World Champion, Thunder Rosa. Only when La Mera Mera was forced to the sidelines due to injury did Toni become the interim champion, but before Rosa would ultimately relinquish her belt, Storm would lose her title at Full Gear in an acclaimed match against Jamie Hayter. Due to this, Hayter was recognized as an official champion, no interim – and Toni’s reign was retroactively recognized as such in addition.
As the months passed and as Saraya (formerly WWE’s Paige) sauntered into AEW, Toni Storm would soon join her ranks, as did Ruby Soho, and the trio wrought havoc for the roster ever since, most notably against Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter until Hayter’s injury that cost her the title at Double or Nothing, back to the woman she took it from.
Oh, how the lights did shimmer for Toni once more. With her emerald-clad cohorts by her side, so much so that her chance of being a fully recognized champ while officially being the champ, Toni was firing on all cylinders with her Outcast sisters at her side.
Tragedy would strike the young, however, as Hikaru Shida, a woman denied a full-capacity crowd during her previous reign would dethrone the star on the August 2 episode of Dynamite, thus sending her into a spiral.
It did not help that, although she entered a bye-week in the tournament for the four-way title match at London’s AEW All In event, she did not win the title.
In the meantime and as of now, that spiral has made her character all the more interesting, with or without the belt.
The art-deco, retro 1960s vibes of Toni Storm during this tumultuous time have made each match and promo all the more entertaining. Speaking in a cadence different than most wrestling promos, the blonde would deliver her messages in a vintage fashion, like some faded star of an era that long passed her by. The Marilyn Monroe-esque aura, coalesced with an unhinged personality is one she’s wonderfully been pulling off (in fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen something like this in wrestling in this way) has seen her bring shoes into matches and acting a total drama queen. Even the cadence in her promos reflects that of a vintage film style, with an accent that sounds trans-Atlantic. With the smeared makeup, you can sense her spiraling, and with that comes an unpredictable nature, someone who is lost to her desire to be accepted and successful again. Genius work.
No doubt you have seen the clips and memes of her telling Renee Paquette to keep her “chin up, tits out, and watch for the shoooeee” before tossing her high heel at her. No doubt you’ve seen her snatch up Saraya in a deep kiss then let out a sinister grin before driving her down to the mat.
So much of what she’s presenting herself as has maximized Toni’s presence, giving her all the more means to be featured on AEW programming. Due to this, the saga of her downfall is intriguing and excellent storytelling.
To think that she was almost done with this art form, to think that she was previously being pied in the face and being asked to do things she wasn’t comfortable with, only to put in so much for a company she’s still new to delivers what we all knew of her – she was born to be a star.
When I turn on AEW on Wednesdays or Saturdays (or Sundays, depending on pay-per-view events), I want to see where she’s going to take things next. I want to see her lose her marbles, be unpredictable in her nostalgia, and tell this story that will carry her to megastardom with each page turned.
Toni Storm, as it stands, is a blueprint among many that the company should pay attention to to get its women’s roster over. Maximize on their strengths, let the creativity shine, give them some time, and watch for the shoe.
She should be patting herself on the back, though the best is yet to come. So Toni, here’s to you, kid.
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