Toni Storm’s extended absence not due to an injury
Toni Storm’s sudden departure from AEW storylines last Wednesday was not due to an injury, according to our Dave Meltzer.
As was previously reported by our Bryan Alvarez, the former AEW Women’s World Champion is expected to be out of action for “a long time” but it’s remains unclear as to why. After last Sunday’s Revolution, she was set to rematch Marina Shafir in Fresno, California, this past Wednesday but was pulled at the last minute as she was not cleared to wrestle.
On Sunday’s Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer said what Storm is dealing with is “not an injury or anything like that” and that AEW found out whatever they found out on Wednesday after being under the impression as late as Wednesday morning that they were proceeding as planned.
“On Wednesday, she is there. She is set up to wrestle in this match and they had to do this emergency angle to take her out and put Mina Shirakawa in,” Meltzer said.
Shirakawa took Storm’s place against Shafir in the previously announced no holds barred match and picked up an upset win. She will now challenge reigning champion Thekla on this Wednesday’s Dynamite.
Fightful Select reported this past week that AEW is prepared for Storm “to not be cleared to wrestle through 2026 at a minimum.”
In a clip that aired on social media just prior to Dynamite and then during the broadcast, Storm was shown laid out in a pool of blood with Shirakawa and Luther attending to her. Fightful also noted AEW has plans for the mystery attacker storyline as there were various “Easter eggs” in the room Storm was laid out in.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.