AEW: Toni Storm on Decision to Leave WWE & Being Glad for Being in AEW, Mercedes Mone AEW In-Ring Debut Plans Update, More News

Lee South Timeless Toni Storm Acceptance Speech Chicago, IL AEW Dynamite November 22, 2023

Apr 12, 2024

Toni Storm Comments on Her Decision to Leave WWE & Being Glad for Being in AEW

A recent episode of the Going Ringside podcast featured “Timeless” Toni Storm as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Storm’s thoughts about her decision to leave WWE in 2021.

“Well, before AEW, yes, I was a WWE superstar. Eventually came a time where I thought, I must branch out. Something was calling for me. There was something inside of me that says, Toni, no, your destiny is elsewhere and so I went for it. I don’t know what come over me. It was a blur… (Host brought up quote from Storm when she said backend of her WWE run crushed her love of wrestling for a while) Oh, something like that. I mean, it was all so many things. It was so many things. Looking back, it was a crazy time in my life, you know? I’m still trying to make sense of it, but I’m happy with where I’ve landed. I’m happy with the decision that I made.”

Storm also gave her thoughts about being glad to be able to work in AEW and her heart being in the company.

“I mean, thank God for AEW honestly, because you know, there was a time where I wasn’t happy where I was and if it weren’t for All Elite Wrestling, Tony Khan, I don’t know what I would have been doing. I’m not sure of the trajectory of my life, where it would have gone, had I not had the option to come to All Elite Wrestling so I’m very thankful for it. My heart is here.”

Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com

Mercedes Mone AEW In-Ring Debut Plans Update

As noted before, Mercedes Mone made her official debut for AEW at their Dynamite Big Business show this past March in Boston, Massachusetts. Mone recently issued a challenge to face off against the current TBS Champion for the title at next month’s Double or Nothing 2024 event.

In a recent response to a fan question on Twitter, Mone confirmed that she will be making her official in-ring debut for AEW at their Double or Nothing event on May 26th in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Double or nothing
— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) April 9, 2024

Mone provided an update on Twitter stating that her ring gear for her upcoming debut match in AEW recently arrived to her.

OMG I just got my gear yesterday for #aewdon I’m shaking 😭😭🤑😭🤑🤑😍😍🤑🤑😭😭
— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) April 10, 2024

AEW News & Notes

As noted before, AEW recently announced that this year’s Forbidden Door event will be taking place at the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York. AEW officials had originally planned for this year’s event to take place at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens before dropping those plans. PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that his sources stated that AEW officials still have plans to run an event at the Arthur Ashe Stadium at some point this year.

AEW also recently announced their full schedule of pay-per-view events for the remainder of 2024. PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that his sources stated that the reason for AEW releasing their full PPV schedule for the rest of this year was in order to allow fans who wish to attend their events plenty of time to prepare travel plans.

AEW recently released a new episode of their Johnny Loves Taya romcom series featuring Johnny TV and Taya Valkyrie on their official YouTube channel.

Anthony Bowens filed a trademark for “The Scissor King” on April 9th for merchandise-related purposes to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Fightful’s Jeremy Lambert reported that sales of Jack Perry’s “Scapegoat” shirt on his official website hit sold out status less than 24 hours after AEW’s airing footage of the Perry and CM Punk backstage altercation at this past August’s All In event.

Warner Bros Discovery recently touted AEW’s ratings for helping make TNT the #1 ranked cable entertainment networks in prime among Adults 18-49 for the first quarter of 2024. It was stated that AEW’s Dynamite, Rampage, and Collision shows “reached nearly four million viewers each week across TNT and TBS” for the quarter.

New Japan Pro Wrestling and former WWE talent TAKA Michinoku recently gave his thoughts on Twitter about him current being interested in potentially working in AEW in the future. Michinoku stated “I wrestled in US more than 20 years ago. After that, I avoided going abroad, but while my body was still moving, I began to want to try a little bit. I’m especially curious about AEW. want to go up.“

In a recent interview with the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast, Dustin Rhodes gave his thoughts about how much AEW has changed since 2019 and revealed that he has been coaching Swerve Strickland a lot in all of his matches in AEW last year. Rhodes stated “I think it’s (AEW) changed a little bit. I don’t think it’s changed for the worse. I mean, every company grows and you have somebody like Tony (Khan) who is a huge wrestling fan. I mean, huge. I’ll sit in Gorilla, okay, and say, I’m not wrestling that night, I’m coaching. Right now, I’ve been coaching Swerve (Strickland) a lot in all of his matches in the last year and I’ll be really focused on watching the things and talking to the referee and the giving the times and telling them, ‘Oh, you forgot to do this. Do this’ or whatever, and Tony will, ‘Hey Dustin, do you remember in 1991, you were in Syracuse, New York? You were wrestling so and so and you did this spot in this match?’ And I’m like, ‘No, I don’t Tony. Let me concentrate on what’s going on right here. We’re on live television.’ I mean, he’s got such a mind and he remembers everything and he loves my — Dustin Rhodes, he’s always loved him and I’m one of his favorites and it’s pretty cool to be under him as, you know, the boss and I’ve never had a boss like that, because Vince (McMahon) was completely different. Very intimidating and very — just business all the time and Tony’s business, but he’s also a very kind man, his doors are always open and it’s good because I feel very comfortable conversing with him, pitching him ideas constantly and just enjoying this from the beginning. It’s been one last ride and it’s still going on. So it’s doing something. It’s got my passion, it’s still piqued.” (Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com)

AEW recently announced three new matches for Friday’s AEW Rampage show, which was taped this past Wednesday in Charleston, West Virginia: