The current Interim AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm is gearing up for a Four-way match to defend her championship on the Spet. 21 episode of Dynamite: Grand Slam. She will be facing Britt Baker, Athena, and Serena Deeb. Storm became interim champion after winning a Four-way at All Out following the AEW Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa having to take a step back due to injury.
While speaking to TVInsider, Storm discusses the current state of the AEW women’s locker room. She says she is very confident in the division and she knows that there is a struggle to get the same amount of time as the guys.
“It’s a story as old as time. Women’s wrestling struggles to get the same amount of time as the guys. We are put in a different position, but I really do believe we are headed in the right direction. We’ve got a locker room full of really hardworking and talented women that I believe are the future. It’s going to change the entire game. I think we’re going to overcome and get more time and see more emphasis on ourselves. But we’re doing the hard work. I’m very confident in this entire division. I’m proud to be at the top and will do whatever I can to push it where it needs to go. I’m proud of everyone back there. I’m choosing to be positive. I think, little by little, there will be more emphasis on us in AEW. We just need to keep breaking down that door. I also think consistency is what will get us there.”
Storm comments on being considered the “interim” champion. –
“It is a bit of a bummer. Thunder Rosa is still technically considered champion, even though I would consider myself a champion. It’s a bit frustrating for me right now. I guess when she is good to be back, I’ll be champion.”
One of Storm’s opponents for the Grand Slam show, Athena, also recently spoke on how she feels the AEW women’s division is going for her. Athena spoke with Busted Open Radio and the transition between WWE and AEW.
“I’m still acclimating. I don’t want to say I’m fully formed and jumped right into the mix. I’m still trying to find my place. I’ll say this the locker room is great, it’s awesome, its very uplifting. All the women in our locker room want to see everyone succeed. As a locker room we want to seep pushing that boundary of what women’s wrestling can do and that’s where I’m hung ho, ‘let’s go to war, let’s do it.’ That’s one thing I absolutely love. I remember feeling like everyone thought we were porcelain princesses, ‘don’t fall, don’t get hurt.’ Mickie (James) can attest to this because she’s been through way worse and way better than I have. We want to continue to evolve women’s wrestling and push boundaries of what women can continue to do.
In AEW, I feel the women are getting that platform and pushing through. I love to see everyone…there are times when women come in and go, ‘I saw this move, I think you should do it’ or ‘here’s this gear idea, it doesn’t work for me but it’ll work for you.’ Having the support of a locker room and feeling like it’s us vs the world, it’s an awesome feeling. Not saying it wasn’t like that on the other side, but just more so, I genuinely feel sometimes they think AEW is the underdog and a lot of us have been wrestling for a long time and we don’t want to feel that way,” she said.
Athena continued, “The transition, I’m always worried of getting lost in the shuffle a bit because you do have so many phenomenal talents but for the first time my wrestling and what I do in the ring speaks for me. Promos are great, I love promos and getting to talk and for the first time I’m actually getting to talk without a script and show people that I can actually tell a story and have that intensity vs having someone else’s words. Not saying that’s bad, it’s just different. It feels different, feels raw, just a proving ground more so than the other place, not saying it’s not there. It feels raw and different. For the first time in a long time, I look forward to hopping on a plane and doing the hellacious drives and look forward to walking into the building and seeing what’s next for me. I absolutely love that. It’s something I haven’t felt in a very long time.”
Check back in with Diva Dirt for further news and results from the women of AEW.
