10 WWE Releases That Actually HELPED A Wrestler

2. Toni Storm

A pie to the face.

When wrestling fans are asked to sum up Toni Storm’s 5-month run on WWE's main roster, that's how they invariably describe it - immediately recalling the memory of then-SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair humiliating Storm on the post-Thanksgiving episode of blue brand TV. (Actually, it was 2 pies to the face.)

A month later, Toni requested and was granted her release.

Storm made the jump to AEW 3 months later as a surprise entrant in the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament, immediately becoming a more respected star than in her entire WWE main roster run. Less than 6 months later, she won the first of 4 AEW Women’s World Championships.

Like others, Toni had a bit of an uneven patch (Outcasts, anyone?), but in the latter half of 2023 she developed what has become a career-defining character: 'Timeless' Toni Storm. Billed as hailing from Stage 7 at Warner Studios, Storm transformed into a starlet from Hollywood’s Golden Age, albeit as a foul-mouthed, raunchy starlet.

Storm quickly became one of the most popular acts in AEW, turning into a major star and a force in the company. She took on protégé Mariah May, who would brutally turn on her by beating her bloody in one of the most vivid moments in recent memory. Their 'Hollywood Ending' match in March 2025 was easily one of the best matches that year.

Today, even though her star has slipped and she is expected to be out of action for the remainder of the year, 'Timeless' Toni has reached a peak that very few wrestlers ever achieve. She has created a character that is...well, it's timeless, and she will constantly be in the conversation as a potential champion whenever she is around.

It’s a far cry from the woman who took 2 pies to the face in a bizarre WWE humiliation ritual.