Backstage Update On Toni Storm's WWE Release

Storm was let go by WWE last night.

by Andrew Pollard
Toni Storm WWE
WWE.com

Following last night's shocking news that Toni Storm has been released by WWE, there now comes an update on this situation.

Via Fightful Select, many within WWE were left "blindsided" by the news, with this release coming after Storm herself asked to be let go.

For WWE, one source noted how it would've been tough for Vince McMahon's sports entertainment juggernaut to not grant someone their release after spending the past 18 months or more making regular rounds of "budget cuts" firings. An internal memo was circulated by WWE, detailing that the former NXT UK Women's Champion had left the company, and said memo made no mention of budget cuts.

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The belief is that Toni will now be under the standard 90-day non-compete clause, which should make her a free agent at the end of March.

Having first worked with WWE back in 2017, Storm formally signed with the promotion in May 2018 and would go on to win that year's Mae Young Classic. The hugely talented Australian is one of the few stars to work in NXT UK, NXT and on the main roster, with her being moved to SmackDown earlier this year.

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That main roster move was extremely stop-start initially, with her featured on TV than absent for weeks before finally settling into a feud with SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair in recent times. Sadly, said feud has largely involved ridiculous 'humour' based around each woman throwing a pie in their rival's face.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.