It was impossible to ignore the "what" chants that threatened to drown out Toni Storm's awards-style acceptance speech, and most reactions are as much a part of the macro issues at play in AEW rather than the micro problems with specific characters.
All that said - and that might be too much to keep this an "Up" much longer - the choice of segment was a novel idea, and the gags were sublime. Producers trying to play her off brought the best out in her incredulity, the thanking of long-deceased WB founder Jack Warner was the sort of cute gag this gimmick needs a little more of in place of mispronouncing words, and Skye Blue's interruption (and victory in the three-way that followed) felt pointed based on the multiple interactions they've had in 2023.
Storm's persona is one that risks jumping the shark once a week, but her continued commitment to the bit ensures at least one conversation about women's wrestling within the company can take place without being infuriatingly dispassionate.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
