Jamie Hayter says Toni Storm absence is ‘an opportunity’ for others to step up
Jamie Hayter believes Toni Storm’s absence opens the door for others in AEW’s women’s division.
Speaking to The Takedown on SI.com ahead of AEW Dynasty, where she’ll challenge Thekla for the AEW Women’s World title, Hayter noted that Storm’s absence has created opportunities for others in the division to step up.
Hayter said:
“I think Toni did such a fantastic job and no one else could have done that. She really did carry this division for those three years, and she was the division I feel like. Of course, this is an opportunity for myself and for everybody else. It’s a chance to kind of mix up the roster a bit more. Maybe put people in the mix that haven’t been for a while.”
Storm has been out of action since her win over Marina Shafir at AEW Revolution 2026. Storm was also involved in a pull-apart with Ronda Rousey at the show, but was later not cleared for Dynamite and is expected to be away for a significant period. The reason for her absence has not been disclosed.
Hayter continued:
“This is a process for everyone. We’re constantly learning. We are all at different parts of our careers and we’ve been at AEW for different lengths of time. So I think it really is the perfect moment to just switch things up and give things a try. It’s never a bad thing to try things out. And if it doesn’t work or it doesn’t go well, if it doesn’t feel good, you can always do something else. That’s the beauty of wrestling.”
Hayter previously held the AEW Women’s World title from November 19, 2022, when she defeated Storm at Full Gear that year, until she dropped it back to Storm at Double or Nothing on May 28, 2023.
Hayter’s full interview with The Takedown on SI.com is available here.
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.