Toni Storm is the latest NXT Superstar to be SmackDown bound. The blue brand played vignettes announcing her arrival. The Mae Young Classic II winner will make her main roster debut on next week’s show.
Storm has an accomplished wrestling career. She has wrestled far and wide making history and winning gold wherever she went. She has undeniable charisma and a superstar look and mentality. As the face of NXT UK’s women’s division for well over a year, she will make a great addition to the SmackDown roster.
The former NXT UK Women’s Champion also recently came out as bisexual via WWE’s social media channels. Before she makes her SmackDown debut here are 5 things you may not know about Toni Storm.
5. Toni Storm grew up and trained in Liverpool
Toni Storm was born in Auckland, New Zealand where she made her pro-wrestling debut for Impact Pro Wrestling Australia in 2009 at the age of just thirteen. She then moved to Liverpool to live with her grandmother.
It was in Liverpool she began training Dean Allmark and from there she has never looked back. She went on to perform all around the UK and Europe as well as returning home to wrestle in Australia.
4. Toni Storm was the World of STARDOM Champion
During her time in Japan, Toni Storm received a huge push in the world’s best Joshi promotion. In 2016 she won the SWA World Championship followed by becoming the first wrestler to win both the Cinderella Tournament as well as the 5 Star GP in 2017.
Her crowning achievement in STARDOM was winning the promotion’s top prize the World of STARDOM Championship. Storm defeated STARDOM legend, Mayu Iwatani, to capture the title and held it for 258 days.
3. Toni Storm was the first-ever PROGRESS Women’s Champion
In 2017 Toni Storm was crowned the first-ever women’s champion of PROGRESS in a Three-Way Match featuring Jinny and Laura Di Matteo.
The match was a result of the first women’s Natural Progression Series, which saw the likes of Bea Priestley, Pollyana, Dahlia Black, Chakara, and Nixon Newell (Tegan Nox).
Storm became a vital part of the PROGRESS movement in the late 2010s and was the face of their women’s division.
2. Toni Storm tried out for WWE twice before getting signed
Before eventually getting signed to a deal with WWE in 2017 Toni Storm tried out for the company twice.
Storm attended WWE tryouts during their tours of Australia and the UK. In 2014 WWE was in Melbourne so she made the journey over for her first try-out. The following year the company taped RAW in Manchester and she tried out again with future NXT UK colleague Nina Samuels.
It wasn’t until the first Mae Young Classic where she gave the WWE no other choice but to sign her up.
1. Toni Storm wrestled for other promotions while NXT UK Women’s Champion
In a move rarely seen from WWE, they allowed one of their champions to appear for another promotion with the title in hand.
While NXT UK Women’s Champion Toni Storm took the title on tour. She appeared for ICW successfully defending the championship against Kay Lee Ray. During this time she also wrestled for wXw, PROGRESS, Sendai and STARDOM.
In May of 2019, NXT UK Women’s Champion Storm appeared for STARDOM in Shinkiba and Tokyo for their show at the Korakuen Hall.