Toni Storm has been granted her request to be released from WWE.
Superstars being released from WWE seems to be standard at this point. However, the Superstar asking for their release is far less common. This is exactly what Toni Storm did this week, but we didn’t know why she asked for her release.
On the most recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio the possible reason was revealed. Dave Meltzer said the only information he had heard surrounding her release was that she was feeling burnt out.
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Being burnt out is a very common problem with wrestlers because of their busy work schedule. Working on the road close to 300 days a year is not out of the ordinary for WWE Superstars, especially the more popular ones. Many just ask for some time off and take a month or three off and rediscover why they love wrestling. Perhaps there is more to Storm being burnt out than it looks like on the surface.
This Release Request Was Shocking
Toni Storm did work this Tuesday at a WWE live event where she faced Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match. This may be her last match in WWE unless she decides to come back some day. The next day she was granted her release.
The abruptness of her release has caught everyone off guard. This is especially true when it is factored in that she has been involved in a long feud with SmackDown Women’s Champion Flair. WWE obviously likes Toni Storm and trusts her enough to put her in a feud with one of the top women on SmackDown, Flair, who also happens to be the Women’s champion. Storm had been one of the top women’s wrestlers for WWE since basically the beginning of her time working for the company. Â
One Of The Top Women’s Wrestlers Since Debuting In WWE
During the inaugural Mae Young Classic in 2017 Storm debuted and made it all the way to the semi-finals where she lost to Kairi Sane. However, the following year she won the Mae Young Classic by avenging her loss against Sane in the finals.
Toni Storm eventually made her way to NXT UK where she won the NXT UK Women’s Championship. In late 2020 she moved to the US and debuted in NXT. This past July she made her SmackDown debut where she defeated Zelina Vega.
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Meltzer also said he had not heard whether or not WWE put any kind of restrictions on her release. Most notably whether she has a non-compete and if it is the standard 90 day length. I personally would be very surprised if she did not have a non-compete, but pro wrestling is a crazy business.
If she has the standard 90 day non-compete then she will not be able to wrestle until March 29. It is not known if she has plans for her future in wrestling. However, someone has already thrown out a subtle challenge.
AEW Women’s World Champion Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. has issued what can only be assumed to be an open challenge to Storm. Baker posted a picture of Storm holding the NXT UK Women’s Championship on her Twitter.
Would you like to see Storm vs Baker over in AEW? Who else would you like to see Toni Storm face in AEW? Or do you think Toni Storm should move over to IMPACT and take on The IInspiration made up of Cassie Lee and Jessie McKay formerly Peyton Royce and Billie Kay? Leave a comment below and let us know where you think Toni Storm should end up.
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Sources: Wrestling Inc., Wrestling Observer Radio
