After a lackluster mainstay run in the WWE, Toni Storm reinvented herself after signing with All Elite Wrestling in early 2023. In about a year in the company, she gained the status of being a three-time women’s world champion matching up to the only accolade that Hikaru Shida holds in the promotion.
Moving on from her happy-go-lucky character on TV, Toni Storm debuted the Hollywood Classic ‘Timeless’ gimmick that drastically changed the direction of her professional wrestling career. Many believe that this is the best run that she’s had in her entire career in the circuit and even her long-time colleague also admits the same.
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AEW’s recruit from Japan, Mina Shirakawa spoke with Troy Gonzales of WrestleZone about her appearances in All Elite Wrestling. She had mostly worked alongside her former Rose Gold tag partner, Mariah May, and Toni Storm during her time in the company. Having previously worked with both of them in STARDOM, she reflected on the experience, and how the ‘Timeless’ character is a great addition to pro wrestling.
“The character of ‘Timeless’ Toni Storm is perfect. Character is very important for a professional wrestler, and she’s one of my favorite wrestlers and ideal for our sport,” Mina Shirakawa explained.
“When I fought against her, I was careful not to get sucked in too far into her world. As tag-team partners, we worked so well together that I couldn’t believe it was our first time working together! It was a lot of fun!”
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Toni Storm became a timeless TV character in 2023 fall
It was in the 2023 fall that Toni Storm started losing her mind after dropping the AEW Women’s World Title in an attempt to adopt the “Timeless” gimmick. Based on an old-school Hollywood celebrity, the gimmick was loved by the fans and critics which further allowed her to regain the women’s title on November 18, 2023, at AEW Full Gear 2023 as she defeated Hikaru Shida at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California.
Since then she not only had a home run with ease in AEW for herself but also cultivated a next-generation star in Mariah May by acting to be her protégé. Before losing the title to May at All In, Toni Storm had her third AEW Women’s World Championship reign that lasted for 281 days which put her on the top spot of the annual PWI 250 list.
