If you tuned in to this week’s episode of “AEW Dynamite” looking to see what was next for AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm, you would have witnessed her in a brief backstage interview with Renee Paquette, where she promoted her upcoming appearance at the TCM Film Festival, wished Jamie Hayter and Kris Statlander luck in their semi-final match in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, and issued a challenge for this weekend’s episode of “AEW Collision” for an eliminator match. That challenge was answered by Queen Aminata, who will get a shot at Storm’s title with a victory.
Storm vs. Aminata? I think most people would be down for that, but the champion really feels like she has been hindered by the fact that her actual plans are for after Double or Nothing. Right now, it really does feel like Storm has been spinning her wheels waiting for the Owen Hart Cup to finish so she can actually craft a unique story with someone that isn’t called Mariah May. Speaking of, one could argue that Storm has not really done anything earth-shattering since she feuded with May, and while her brief program with Megan Bayne was fun, with the benefit of hindsight, that now feels like it came far too soon.
Coming out of Revolution, Storm was being positioned as a true main event player who could bring eyes to AEW. Obviously, she can’t main event the show every week, but already, just a few weeks on from feeling like one of the biggest stars in the entire business, Storm has kind of just been waiting around to get something she can really sink her teeth into. She does make the most of the minutes she is given, she’s arguably better than everyone in AEW at getting the most out of the TV time given to her, but there’s only a certain amount of times you can congratulate the Owen Hart Cup participants, or wish them luck, before you start saying “Ms. Storm, can we move on to the next scene?”
Why not do what you did with Megan Bayne, but have Aminata in that spot instead? A short program to elevate her up the card and make her a valuable challenger for whoever leaves All In Texas with the title. That would have been much better than just giving her a throw away match on an episode of “AEW Collision,” and sure, people have won eliminator matches before, just look at Mariah May’s feud with Anna Jay late last year, but Storm is the lead actress sitting in her trailer waiting for everyone else to film their scenes so she can get back out on to the set and steal the show.
We’ve still got a month to go before Double or Nothing, and there seems to be no signs of Storm actually wrestling on that card, which would be a very bad move. Even if it’s something short, AEW, please give your biggest female star something to do.
Written by Sam Palmer.
