10 Best Wrestlers Of 2023
7. Toni Storm
The ace of the AEW Women's Division has done it all in 2023.
After once again being made custodian of a title in flux when Jaimie Hayter - the woman who dethroned her in 2022 - unfortunately went down injured, Storm worked tirelessly to bring credibility and consistency to a division that has been perpetually overlooked since the formation of the company.
The Outcasts were a divisive stable from the off, but Storm unexpectedly shone as the one member that made (and kept) them as a real deal threat to the babyfaces. The moments of individual brilliance from Storm against just about everybody (Riho, Britt Baker, Willow Nightingale, Skye Blue, Taya Valkyrie, Hikaru Shida, Kiera Hogan, Billie Starks - everybody) were next level. Or it seemed as if they were until she took her character there instead.
In an era of AEW leaning harder than ever towards comedy, the mileage will vary for some, but Storm as a slightly deranged fallen Hollywood star has been a revelation. It's added some charm to her in-ring violence, and she's afforded the company the rarest of gifts - a chance to push a woman without it just being about a chase for the title. The Hollywood Ending in AEW is actual equality, but she might be the first wrestler to finally force the creative team into kicking off their second act.