Following the shock news that Toni Storm had parted ways with WWE, more information has come to light surrounding Storm’s sudden exit.
The 26-year-old star built a name for herself in companies such as Progress in the UK and Stardom in Japan before beginning her relationship with WWE in 2017. Storm was announced as one of the competitors in that year’s Mae Young Classic, with the New Zealander losing in the tournament to Kairi Sane in the semi-finals.
Toni Storm did better in 2018’s tournament where she won the trophy after defeating Io Shirai in the final held at the all-female WWE Evolution pay-per-view.
Storm then became only the second-ever NXT UK Women’s Champion in January 2019 when she defeated Rhea Ripley at TakeOver: Blackpool. Toni Storm held that title until August when she was defeated for the gold by Kay Lee Ray.
In July 2021 Storm graduated to the main roster of WWE when she debuted on SmackDown. Storm was most recently seen competing in a losing effort against Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Title on the Christmas Eve episode of SmackDown.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful first reported that Toni Storm was “gone” from the company and has followed up with a possible reason that she has departed and says it came at Storm’s request.
Fightful Select then reported that Storm had apparently flown herself home following a live event where she had competed in a Triple Threat match against Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair. That report also claims that there were those within the company “blindsided” by Storm’s decision to leave.
Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net followed up on that report, claiming a source confirmed that Toni Storm had flown herself home out of her own pocket, quoting the source as stating:
“Turns out, Toni didn’t exactly request her release… she just up and quit. Worked a triple threat at a house show last night and then paid out of her own pocket to fly herself home.”
“She straight up flew herself home after working the triple threat last night and quit. Took everyone by surprise.”