Toni Storm’s booking is going to be a test for AEW

Toni Storm stepped into the world of All Elite Wrestling on Wednesday, defeating The Bunny, and punching her ticket into the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. Many wrestling fans are excited to see her in a new phase of her career, while others are taking a “wait and see” approach based on AEW’s struggles with booking women. Storm’s initial exposure to the company will be an interesting test for whether AEW is willing to improve the booking of their women’s division.

Storm has “it.” Those familiar with her abilities and pre-WWE career are aware that she has all the makings of a main event star. She has the looks and in-ring skills that are key in developing someone into a top-level talent. Just look back to her time in STARDOM and PROGRESS as examples to what Storm can do when given the space to work her craft. At just 26-years of age, she’s someone that a women’s division can hinge its future on.

Everyone said the same thing when she joined the WWE. She got off to a good start. Winning the Mae Young Classic and becoming the WWE NXT UK Women’s Champion. But once she was moved over to the NXT roster, her usage became quite perplexing.

She had her moments in NXT. She defeated Rhea Ripley and challenged for the NXT Women’s Championship. But a sudden heel change and surprising losses to Zoey Stark and Zayda Ramier cut her momentum out from under her. The situation worsened when she was moved to the SmackDown roster. Months passed between matches and when she was on television it was quick outings that led to more defeats than victories. Her title program with Charlotte Flair was based on the latter hitting her in the face with a pie and then a single shot at the belt. Not the main roster run that many expected for Storm.

All Elite Wrestling has faced its share of criticism when it comes to its women’s division. Much of it is attributed to the lack of time and development for deeper storylines. Plus, there’s also the lack of featuring a wide cast of women on Dynamite or Rampage. Much of that time has gone to the same individuals, as many of the other women brought into AEW highlight their talents on Dark or Dark Elevation. Storm has all the tools needed to stake claim to time on the television shows, but there’s a growing narrative that Ruby Soho should be the case to cause concern.

Soho came into AEW with a lot of fanfare. Her production of videos leading up to her debut at All Out in 2021 built a wealth of momentum in her direction. She challenged Britt Baker for the AEW Women’s Championship but dropped that match. From there she was featured consistently on Dynamite and Rampage, taking part in key matchups, especially for the TBS Women’s Championship. But her placement on the roster has changed.

In 2022 Soho has had three matches on Rampage or Dynamite, with all others occurring on Dark or Dark Elevation. Much like Hikaru Shida immediately after dropping the title to Baker, Soho hasn’t been leveraged on AEW television as frequently. While other women like Leyla Hirsch are getting an opportunity to step into a new role, many fans are asking why there isn’t a consistent utilization of more women on these shows.

The idea that the women’s division needs “time” to develop is a tired trope from the past. With Thunder Rosa as champion and a host of other talented, experienced professionals on the roster – there is no longer an excuse for not giving this group ample time. Toni Storm’s addition to the roster gives the group another, ready-made main-event level performer that can take the opportunity and run with it. AEW has shown that the company can book experienced performers in a way that their addition from another company adds to the roster, the same should be done with Storm. She’s going to be a true test to see how much AEW is committed to booking the women’s division, and hopefully, she is a test that they pass.