Toni Rossall (born October 19, 1995), better known by her ring name Toni Storm, is a New Zealand-born Australian professional wrestler, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she is a current record-breaking four-time AEW Women's World Champion. She competes with the epithet "Timeless" Toni Storm.
Storm previously wrestled in the Japan based World Wonder Ring Stardom (Stardom), where she was the first non-Japanese wrestler to hold its world title, the World of Stardom Championship. Storm also held Stardom's SWA World Championship for a record-setting reign of 612 days. She is also the winner of the 2017 5★Star GP and the Cinderella Tournament in Stardom, becoming the first person to win both tournaments within the same year.
She also worked for the UK based Progress Wrestling, where she is a former Progress Women's Champion and Germany based Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw), where she was a two-time wXw Women's Champion.
Toni Rossall was born in Auckland, New Zealand on October 19, 1995, but moved to Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia with her mother at the age of 4 when her parents broke up. At age 10, while living on the Gold Coast, she discovered WWE on television and developed a passion for professional wrestling.
Professional wrestling career[]
Early career[]
Rossall began training at Impact Pro Wrestling's Australian affiliate and debuted for the company under the ring name Storm on October 9, 2009, when she was 13 years old. After five years of honing her skills in Australia, she decided she wanted to become a better wrestler; at the age of 18, she convinced her mother to let her move to England, where she moved into her grandmother's home in Liverpool. While in England, she trained under Dean Allmark. She started working internationally in countries such as Finland, France, Germany, and Spain. Storm took part in a WWE tryout camp in Melbourne on the 2014 WWE Australian tour and the 2015 WWE UK tour.
World Wonder Ring Stardom (2016–2018, 2019)[]
In 2016, she began working for the Japanese World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion, where she won the SWA World Championship on July 24. On October 2, 2016, Stardom officially announced that Storm had signed with the promotion. After winning the 2017 Cinderella Tournament on April 30, Storm also won the 2017 5★Star GP on September 18, becoming the first wrestler to win the two tournaments in the same year. On September 24, Storm became the new World of Stardom Champion in an unplanned finish, when Mayu Iwatani was legitimately injured during a title defense against her, prompting the referee to stop the match and award Storm the title. On May, 24, 2018 Dave Meltzer reported that Storm had signed a WWE contract. On 9 June 2018 Storm lost the World of Stardom Championship against Kagetsu. On June 10, 2018 Storm wrestled her last for Stardom match before returing to the promotion in May 2019 teaming with Deonna Purrazzo in a winning effort against Saki Kashima and Shiki Shibusawa. In May 2019 Storm would be scheduled to face Bea Priestley for the World of Stardom Championship before the match being cancelled. On July 7, 2019 Storm would made her last apperance for the promotion for the second time teaming with Arisa Hoshiki and Mayu Iwatani in winning effort defeat Andras Miyagi, Kagetsu and Natsuko Tora.
Return to Stardom (2024)[]
At Stardom American Dream 2024, Storm made a surprise return to Stardom to take Mariah May away of Mina Shirakawa as the two of them shared a storyline relationship in AEW. Storm teased a possible future confrontation for the AEW Women's Championship against Shirakawa, mentioning that the "Forbidden Door" is always open.
On September 14, at Namba Grand Fight. Storm reached out via video to challenge Iwatani for the IWGP Women's Championship in a match set for Nagoya Golden Fight on October 5, 2024. This led on the October 5 event, Storm unsucessfully challenging Iwatani for the IWGP Women's Championship.
Professional wrestling persona and reception[]
Beginning in 2023, Storm took on the persona of a Golden Age Hollywood starlet, drawing comparisons to Marilyn Monroe
While competing on the independent circuit, Storm began to develop different personas before settling on one highly influenced by her enjoyment of 1980s glam metal music, leading her to take on a "rock star" aesthetic. This persona carried on through her time under the WWE banner and into the early goings of her run in AEW. Since losing the AEW Women's World Championship to Hikaru Shida in the summer of 2023, Storm adopted "The Illustrious", later "Timeless" persona, which saw her transition into the character of a highly demanding and paranoid Golden Age of Hollywood starlet.
As part of the transition, some notable parts of Storm's "Illustrious", later "Timeless" persona are her mannerisms, outfit and entrance song, which include Storm carrying a much posh accent, similar to the British English's Recieved Pronounciation accent notably portrayed by Queen Elizabeth II, a bobbed and curled haircut, wearing early 20th-century fashion-inspired outfits and appearing in a mix of black and white and slow motion early 20's style vignettes.
Some of her traits also include Storm often doing overly exaggerating acting poses during her matches, as well as having a more egoistical and paranoid attitude, as well as a more highly demanding and complaining attitude, as part of her character. "Timeless" Toni Storm often dictate to AEW's director, telling them "I'm ready for my close up" (quoting Gloria Swanson's character in Sunset Boulevard) before a dramatic zoom as well as speaking directly to the audience, informing them "And now a word from our sponsors" just before a break for commerical, as well as often throwing shoes at her opponents.
Her entrance song is based on a vintage early 20's Hollywood style jazz genre, named "Somewhere In A Dream"; However, at the beginning at AEW All In, Storm came in her entrance with the British National Anthem "God Save The King", which is also the Royal Anthem of Storm's native Australia.
Storm's in-ring character was wildely praized by multiple in figures in the professional wrestling industry, with former WWE's competitor president and industry veteran Eric Bischoff, praising Storm's character work claming that Storm "was living and believing to be her character". Her new persona drew comparisons to the widely famous actress and American icon Marilyn Monroe, and actresses Gloria Swanson and Norma Shearer. Later elements of the gimmick – such as her feud with Mariah May – took inspiration from other Golden Age films, such as All About Eve and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
After a nearly four months hiatus, Storm briefly returned with her "Rockstar" persona as part of her act under her Timeless persona at the onset of her feud with Mariah May.
Some of Storm's signature moves are a snap piledriver dubbed the Storm Zero and a running hip attack to a low cornered opponent.
Other media[]
Storm made her video game debut as a playable character in WWE 2K20 and WWE 2K22.
In August 2022, Rossall was featured as the cover girl of Fitness Gurls magazine.
Personal life[]
In June 2020, it was revealed that Rossall was dating New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) wrestler Juice Robinson. On September 30, 2021, Rossall revealed that she and Robinson had gotten engaged. The two later married in 2022.
On June 22, 2021, Rossall came out as bisexual during her Takeover of the NXT Instagram account for Pride Month.
In Wrestling[]
Finishing moves
Air Raid Crash (Back-to-belly piledriver)
Storm Zero (Snap Piledriver)
Storm Splash (Diving Leg Drop)
Toni Driver'18 (Sitout Double underhook powerbomb)
Signature moves
Back Starbucks (Double knee backbreaker)
Big Boot
Clothesline
Double Underhook Powerbomb
DDT
Headbutt to an opponent's jaw or throat
Multiple elbows variations
Back elbow
Elbow
Elbow stamp
Multiple legdrop variations
Top Rope Legdrop
Guillotine Legdrop
Multiple pin variations
Backslide
Jacknife Hold
Rolling Clutch Hold
School Girl (Split-legged evasion transitioned into an inverted roll-up)
Small Package
Multiple strike variations
Backhand Chop
Clothesline
Slap
Multiple suplex variations
Belly-to-back Suplex
Fisherman Suplex
Fisherman's Suplex onto Knee
German Suplex
Snap German Suplex
Snap Suplex
Superplex
Running hip attack to a low cornered opponent
Storm Breaker (Air raid crash neckbreaker)
Sliding Dropkick
Suicide Dive
Nicknames
"The Illustrious"
"Timeless"
Entrance themes
"Round And Round" by Ratt
"Watch What's Next" by Mikey Rukus feat. Suzie Mojo
"Scorn" by Mikey Rukus feat. Ivey Andrews (used while part of The Outcasts)
"Somewhere In A Dream" by Mikey Rukus (as "Timeless" Toni Storm")
Championships and accomplishments[]
"Timeless" Toni Storm as the AEW Women's World Champion
All Elite Wrestling
AEW Women's World Championship (4 times, current)
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Ranked No. 13 of the top 100 female wrestlers in the PWI Female 100 in 2019
Progress Wrestling
Progress Women's Championship (1 time, inaugural)
Sports Illustrated
Ranked #7 in the Top 10 Women's Wrestler of the Year (2018)
