"You're the guy that everyone's going to turn to" - AEW star Toni Storm opens up on her initial stint in WWE

AEW star Toni Storm has opened up about how she felt during the first portion of her run in WWE, when she was a member of the NXT UK brand.

Storm's WWE career started off extremely well as she reached the semi-finals of the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament in 2017, before winning the tournament a year later, defeating Io Shirai (IYO SKY) at the 2018 Evolution Premium Live Event.

Toni continued her solid run in WWE as part of the NXT UK brand, where she became the second-ever NXT UK Women's Champion, defeating Rhea Ripley for the title which she then held for nearly eight months.

During a recent interview with The Ringer, Toni Storm was asked about her time on the NXT UK brand, which despite not getting as much recognition as other WWE entities, Storm described as a great time in her career:

"NXT UK was honestly something so special, the experience I gained from that was unbelievable. The coaches that I got to work with in the [NXT UK Performance Center were] amazing and it was a really good and unique introduction to WWE for me ... I got to train with Johnny Saint, I got to train with Robbie Brookside, and Johnny Moss, and James Mason, and it was really wonderful." [H/T Wrestling Inc]

Storm also commented on her lengthy reign as NXT UK Women's Champion, where she admitted there was a lot of pressure on her shoulders, which led to her knowing she needed to lead the women's division by example:

"It's a lot of pressure, and that comes with being champion anywhere, it doesn't matter what company you're with. When you're a champion, you're the leader of the division, the company, and a lot is expected of you. A lot is asked of you. You're the guy that everyone's going to turn to, and you have to lead by example." [H/T Wrestling Inc]

Toni Storm lost her Interim AEW Women's Championship at Full Gear 2022

Toni Storm made history at the All Out pay-per-view in September 2022 when she became the Interim AEW Women's Champion, becoming the first woman to hold titles in both AEW and WWE, respectively.

However, that reign as the queen of the AEW women's division came to an end at the recent Full Gear pay-per-view when she took on her long-time friend turned rival Jamie Hayter.

After a long, hard-hitting contest, Hayter picked up the win, ending Storm's reign at 76 days and two successful defences. Toni has not been advertised for either of this week's Dynamite or Rampage shows, leaving fans to wonder what will be in store for the now-former champion.

What do you think will be next for Toni Storm in AEW? Let us know in the comments section down below!

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