One of AEW’s newest additions to its women’s roster Toni Storm sat down with Renee Paquette for her latest episode of The Sessions.
Storm is a former WWE NXT UK Women’s Champion and the second Mae Young Classic winner but she decided it was time to leave WWE in the final days of 2021. After being granted her release, Storm took her 90-days where she was restricted from working elsewhere to take time to reflect.
In her conversation with Paquette, she did consider going back to Japan but AEW did reach out to her and that is where she has landed. She contemplated if she even wanted to wrestle anymore. She talks about going back to Australia for a month to reset herself.
The two talked back and forth about Storm’s exit from WWE and the talent gave a lot of insight on how she was feeling and why she decided to move on in her career.
“I thought my whole purpose in life was to go to WWE, but then over time I realized it’s just pro wrestling that I love. It’s not a company that I love. I just love pro wrestling,” said Storm.
Storm had only been on the main roster for six months prior to requesting her release. During that time she was more off-screen than on. She had a debut win over Zelina Vega and then wasn’t utilized on TV for the months directly following.
Here is what she had to say about her time on the main roster –
“I say it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. Like people weren’t telling me that it was probably going to be terrible for years. I heard that from so many people, so many people. A lot of people don’t enjoy it, at all. For some people it just works out for others, it just makes them miserable and I guess I just fell in that category. It just wasn’t for me at that point.”
Paquette adds that it was a good thing that she realized that’s how she felt early on.
Storm continues, “They just fire people left, right, and center out of the blue. I could be fired next week and then it’s like, what’s the point? It just got very pointless to be honest. And it is hard to convey that.”
They continue to discuss how there are different layers and more to it when deciding to part ways with the company. Paquette says the last thing anyone wants is to sound bitter or that they weren’t handed the right cards. There is more to it.
“I’m not mad about the booking. I certainly don’t want to bury WWE. I don’t want to say bad things about the place. I had a great time there for the most part. There were times where I have great memories. It made me who I am essentially. I feel like I grew up. With them I had a very unique relationship.”
She continues, “I just felt like they, at times, didn’t have very much respect for me. Over time they just crushed my love for wrestling, I wasn’t even wrestling anymore. You’re not even allowed to say wrestling. It just wasn’t for me anymore.”
She goes on to say in the clip below that she knows she wasn’t going to succeed in WWE.
As for Paquette, she recently spoke up on the recent win that Dr. Britt Baker had in the Owen Hart Cup. Bake would defeat both Storm and then Ruby Soho in the finals to win the tournament. She spoke on this in a separate episode of The Sessions.
Paquette stated,
“My fingers not fully on the pulse with every little nuisance of things going on, but I think when Toni Storm didn’t go over Britt on their way to the tournament, and then to have Ruby also lose, it would be nice to have one of those women in that spot,” Paquette said.
She continues, “Like I’m saying, Britt is f***ing great, there’s no denying that. I think she’s fantastic, I think she is head and shoulders at the top of that division, but to spread some of that love around as they’re bulking up that division, these women are stars. Toni Storm is a star, Ruby Soho is a star … she’s amazing. Kris Stantlander is on her way up as well.”
For the full episode featuring Toni Storm below –
