Toni Storm: From ‘Timeless’ Champion to ‘Queen of the Ring’ – Her Feud and Hollywood Ending

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In the wrestling world, she’s known as the high-maintenance, low-saturation champion “Timeless” Toni Storm. However, cinema audiences can get to know her as Clara Mortensen in Ash Avildsen’s Mildred Burke biopic “Queen of the Ring,” which is currently showing in theaters.

Storm, being a dedicated fan of wrestling throughout her life and an active competitor in the sport, expressed her profound respect for embodying an early women’s wrestling trailblazer like Mortensen. “It was incredibly surreal for me,” she said. “Clara was a real person at one point, and I felt like there was a striking similarity between us. I never realized I looked so good in yellow.

Although there wasn’t much video reference available, Storm dedicated herself to accurately portray Mortensen’s unique wrestling style. “I delved deeply into every detail and made every effort to embody the role of a 30s and 40s female wrestler. During filming, I aimed to give the wrestling scenes an old-school feel and adopted the same wrestling style as they used in those days. I incorporated many aspects of that era into my performance.

Embracing the character of a 1930s and 40s female wrestler isn’t far-fetched for me, Storm, as my “timeless” persona is a nod to an era of wrestling that has long passed. “I’m deeply drawn to the classic, vintage flair of wrestling from yesteryears, the way women wrestled then. They were incredibly physical. It’s my way of paying tribute to that time, to all the powerful women who paved the way for women’s wrestling in its infancy.

Collaborating with AEW writer and television presenter RJ City, Storm’s on-screen narratives draw inspiration from timeless cinematic tales such as “All About Eve,” “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?,” and “Sunset Boulevard.” This means that the stories being told through Storm’s character are reminiscent of these famous films.

Storm admits it’s hard to put it into words, but honestly, he can’t explain the source of this magic. He has a deep affection for vintage cinema, just like Storm does. In fact, he adores classic films, and he enjoys watching them. Storm is a big fan of Bette Davis, as well as Joan Crawford.

However, even though Storm’s character is reminiscent of classic films and iconic actresses, her unique wit and acting style are distinctly hers.

She claims her humor is innate rather than influenced by others. She doesn’t have a specific role model or idol to emulate; instead, she believes she’s simply expressing her authentic self. There hasn’t been a particular actress or wrestler that she’s mimicked, and her performance is unique, stemming from something deep within herself.

Prior to starting her fourth record-breaking term as AEW Women’s World Champion, Storm faces her upcoming hurdle at AEW Revolution, where she aims to put an end to her prolonged conflict with former protégée-turned-adversary Mariah May. In a recent interview, May declared that she feels indifferent towards Storm, but Storm strongly disagrees with this assertion.

Storm believes that Mariah experiences a multitude of emotions, which he suspects fuels her anger. However, he speculates that she’s struggling to manage these feelings, as many are captivated by him, including Mariah. He’s accustomed to this adoration, but for Mariah, it’s challenging due to past mistakes.

Regarding the possibility of reconciling, Storm has no intention of mending things. She views her partner as deceitful and untrustworthy, saying “She’ll always be a snake, a slippery little serpent, and I will never trust that snake again. This is it; I won’t find love in my heart for her, or anyone else ever again. She has changed me; I have become a different person. I won’t trust as easily as before; I won’t be deceived again.

Drawing inspiration from famous actresses who influence her wrestling style, Storm adopted a method acting approach for a recent “AEW Dynamite” match, dressing up as May. This was a tactic used to mentally prepare for their upcoming pay-per-view encounter.

Storm shared that she thoroughly enjoyed taking on that role for an evening,” she said. “I felt incredibly alluring, mysterious, and deeply wicked at my core. It’s exhilarating to embody the woman from hell. However, I’m not the woman from hell; in truth, I’m more like a saint. I’m the woman from heaven. Yet, I pulled off that role wonderfully, if I might add.

Storm indicates that she’s willing to move past the complicated history with Mariah and focus on leaving their troubles in the past when they both appear at Revolution.

Storm declares, ‘I’m going to completely overpower her, for truthfully, I can no longer endure this child disrupting my life.’ She’s been a part of it for around 18 months now? I accepted her as my own, provided for her, and she betrayed me. This will be an event not easily forgotten. At last, I get to vanquish the beast.

In my perspective, this cinematic duo has reached its swan song – we’ll never share the silver screen together again. To put it mildly, legal measures have been taken to ensure our separation. She’s effectively been barred from my life. This is a definitive parting of ways. It’s akin to that moment when you successfully evict an unwanted former partner from your life – the relief of finally getting rid of their belongings is what I anticipate experiencing. Already, I have planned a well-deserved getaway.

Beyond her title reign following Mariah May, the enduring champion expresses readiness for any competitors who are willing to face her challenge. “Indeed, our women’s division is thriving. There’s Megan Bayne, a woman of immense strength who seems to be man-made. I expect she’d be eager if she’s up for it. Then there’s Penelope Ford and Julia Hart, the latter being a young actress with acting skills in horror films. I’m prepared to engage her as well; she’s quite a gifted individual.

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2025-03-09 02:17