In some ways, it was always written in the stars that Toni Storm would become one of the biggest names in pro wrestling. Debuting all the way back at 14 years old, those who saw the future AEW Women’s World Champion could tell she had a world of potential, and by the time she began gaining international notoriety working for Stardom and several UK promotions at only 21 years old, it was just a question of when she would reach the mountain top. During this period, one aspect of Storm’s rise that never seemed in doubt was that she would reach her pinnacle the same place most others had; working in WWE, which at the time was beginning to present women’s wrestling more seriously than ever before.

The ultimate irony regarding how things have turned out for Storm is that WWE did help her realize her full potential, just not in the way anyone expected. Storm did indeed make her way to WWE in the mid-2010s, first by competing in the 2017 Mae Young Classic tournament, before signing a contract in 2018 and subsequently winning the 2018 Mae Young Classic. For all intents and purposes, it appeared Storm was on the fast track. Instead, it never quite worked out beyond a reign as NXT UK Women’s Champion, and by the end of 2021, Storm walked out of WWE following a disastrous main roster run that Storm admitted left her disenchanted with the wrestling business for a time.

In the long run, Storm’s decision to leave WWE and sign with AEW wound up being the best decision she ever made in his career. Even if one takes Storm’s four AEW Women’s World Championship reigns, her run as “Timeless” Toni Storm, and her beloved feud with former AEW star Mariah May out of the equation, it would seem obvious that the move was a major benefit for the still only 29 year old superstar. Storm has been used consistently since joining the promotion, save for a several month hiatus last year, has been given the freedom to show up in other promotions and pursue outside projects, such as staring in the film “Queen of the Ring,” and has quickly become someone, much like Swerve Strickland, who feels like a day one AEW talent, even though she’s only been in AEW for four years. Whatever way you slice it, Storm’s jump hasn’t just worked out, it’s really worked out.

Storm’s career pivot from WWE to AEW also should serve as a valuable lesson to many other wrestlers out there. As noted, Storm always had the potential to reach where she was now, it was just about getting the opportunity and the right backing. It happened, it just didn’t happen in WWE like many expected, a fair mistake given that AEW was only in its working stages when Storm first burst onto the WWE scene. But with AEW now established in the American wrestling landscape for years to come, it provides wrestlers who may find themselves stuck in WWE, or vice versa, to explore other options, step out of their comfort zones, and maybe figure out that doing so was the best thing they could do. After all, it certainly was for “Timeless” Toni Storm.