10 Most Shocking 2023 Wrestler Transformations
7. Toni Storm
Toni Storm wasn't just a bad promo; back in NXT UK, she used to be cringeworthy.
Banging on about her Women's title as the "shiny shiny" and doing the creepy obnoxious laughter gimmick, she wasn't exactly Dusty Rhodes. She was always a terrific in-ring talent, with an ability to orchestrate high near-fall-driven drama and work a very snug, believable style. She wasn't however a must-see character capable of selling a huge match, although, in AEW, she became passable at pre-tapes.
As part of the Outcasts, she withdrew from her shell a bit, expressing a fondness for slapping "the t*ts" off her opponents. Then, when dissension slowly ripped apart the stable, she engaged in one of the most shocking transformation processes in wrestling history.
Toni Storm - at least until October - was sensational. Until AEW created a new universe for her, she was so good at playing with old Hollywood iconography to build her starlet descending into psychosis persona.
She discovered the inherently funny quality of the word "t*ts". With a brilliant approach to losing her head, her eruptions were piss-funny. She studied the Seinfeld rule - that people instantly exploding into rage fits from a position of softly-spoken calm is extremely funny - and fused it with the word "t*ts".
For a while there, it was more effective than the comedy rule of three.