3 potential challengers for AEW Women’s Champ “Timeless” Toni Storm

In a rousing performance against Hikaru Shida at Full Gear 2023, “Timeless” Toni Storm became a three-time AEW Women’s World Champion. Yes, it took a hip attack with a steel pan (in a clunky spot), but AEW’s resident starlet once again reached the top of her profession in front of her adoring Hollywood fans.

For Storm, who underwent a drastic gimmick change in between her last two reigns as world champion. Shedding much of what made her popular throughout her lengthy career, she reinvented herself as an actor who got plucked from an RKO (not this one) Pictures set. AEW’s unwelcome uptick in “sports entertainment” nonsense has made the schtick stand out slightly less, but it’s still effective.

With Storm now a week into her current title run, she will need some opponents for her gold. Let’s talk about a few of them.

Could these three women challenge Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Championship?

Kris Statlander

Despite losing the TBS Championship at Full Gear, Kris Statlander remains one of the most popular babyfaces in AEW’s women’s division. She has become a great example of what happens when a promotion takes a chance on a young wrestler with potential and highlights what they do well.

Statlander could pursue new TBS Champ Julia Hart, especially since Hart didn’t pin Statlander to win the title, but it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see her move up the card to challenge for the world title.

Statlander and Storm would make for an interesting clash between two wrestlers who have never met in a one-on-one encounter. With that comes a level of uncertainty, but it also brings the excitement of seeing something fresh from two great workers.

Skye Blue

Speaking of wrestlers who have transformed over the last few months, Skye Blue has also ditched the snapbacks in favor of a different persona. Unlike Toni Storm, however, Blue has taken a darker path thanks to Julia Hart’s MIST.

This change has benefitted her won-loss record; she’s won three of her last four matches, indicating the start of a more consistent push from AEW. While that could result in another crack at the TBS Title, it’s also possible that the promotion tests the waters with Blue in the world title picture.

When these two wrestled each other on Oct. 4, Storm got the glorified enhancement win as part of her “Timeless” reintroduction. Now that Blue has gained some in-ring credibility, though, the company should consider revisiting this one.

Mariah May

We know this match is happening at some point. AEW has already set it up with May’s dutiful admiration of Toni Storm. It’s an apparent rendition of the 1950 classic All About Eve, with Storm assuming the Bette Davis role.

This means that May will eventually turn on Storm in an attempt to take her spot. If Storm still has the world title by then, these ladies will have that to fight over alongside Storm’s quest for revenge.

We know how good of a worker Storm is, and May’s rapid development in World Wonder Ring ST☆RDOM made her a coveted free agent acquisition. Fans will look forward to seeing them face each other, even if it takes a while to get there.