Toni Storm’s sudden absence from All Elite Wrestling has taken a major turn, with new details indicating she could be out of action until 2027 and that her situation forced a significant creative overhaul within the company.
According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, AEW’s original plans for the March 18 Dynamite taping in Fresno, California were for Storm to defeat Marina Shafir in a No Holds Barred match before transitioning into a championship feud with reigning AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla.
However, those plans changed abruptly on the day of the show. AEW pivoted to an on-screen injury angle, with Mina Shirakawa discovering Storm unconscious in the locker room and stepping in as her replacement against Shafir.
Dave Meltzer provided further context on the situation:
“Toni Storm has been reported as being out of action until 2027. There are a number of stories floating around but it is obviously something that they want to keep under wraps. It is not an injury situation and it came up on 3/18, the day of the show, as all plans until the afternoon were for Storm to beat Marina Shafir to lead to the start of a Thekla vs. Toni Storm program for the title. When they found out she could not wrestle, they laid out the injury angle and will be doing a tease akin to Who Shot JR? with clues and such and multiple potential assailants.”
The report also highlighted a notable contradiction between Storm’s storyline and real-life appearances, as she participated in an autograph signing shortly after the angle without portraying any injury.
Meanwhile, Tony Khan has declined to comment publicly on the situation, with Meltzer previously noting that Storm is one of two topics Khan has refused to address.
Storm, who joined AEW in 2022, has been a cornerstone of the women’s division, becoming a four-time AEW Women’s World Champion with a combined 640 days across her reigns. If the reported timeline holds, her absence could extend well beyond a year, leaving a significant gap at the top of the division while AEW moves forward with a mystery attacker storyline inspired by the classic “Who Shot JR?” angle.
