Toni Storm has opened up about her WWE departure, and how her AEW signing came to be.
Storm requested her release in December, after wrestling at a WWE house show, then paying to fly herself home. This reportedly came as a shock to many backstage, with Storm working a program with SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at the time.
Speaking with Busted Open Radio, the New Zealand-Australian star noted that she was missing home, after years of being on the road, as well as the global pandemic keeping her from visiting.
Admitting that she ‘freaked out’, Storm said:
When I left WWE, I wasn’t banking on going anywhere else. Without getting too much into it, I kind of left suddenly and wasn’t prepared for life outside of that at all. I’m thankful Tony Khan reached out and has given me a job, a second chance, an opportunity to really do what I love, which is pro wrestling.”
“I went two and a half years without going home at all. That’s after a life, about seven years of being on the road, I left for England, about seven or eight years had passed. Then, take into account the amount of negativity you hear about WWE and add that on top of it.
“I’m not saying I have a problem with WWE, at all. I’m actually really grateful for the time I had there. I learned so much. It was so cool. It was real, it was cool, but in the end it wasn’t real cool. Something just happened and I left.
“I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience. Have you ever just lost your mind? That’s kind of what happened. The stress of not seeing family in years and so many overwhelming things all at once. I’ve been happier ever since.
Storm debuted for AEW on the March 30 edition of Dynamite, defeating The Bunny to qualify for the Owen Hart Memorial Cup Tournament. She is set to face off against Jamie Hayter in first round action.
You can view all the wins/loss statistics for both the women’s and men’s AEW roster by clicking here.
Transcription via Fightful.
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