Toni Storm admits how she really feels about 26-year-old AEW star

Toni Storm is set for a World Championship match on her home turf this week as AEW makes its Australian debut with its latest Grand Slam television special. Days ahead of her title bout, The Timeless One has confessed her feelings about her opponent and foe, defending champion Mariah May.

Storm confused All Elite Wrestling viewers when she returned at Dynamite: Winter is Coming 2024 and continued her professional career as an apparent "rookie" with no memory of her previous run with the company. This was revealed to be a ruse, however, as the former WWE Superstar brought back her beloved Timeless persona on Collision: Homecoming 2025 after her explosive in-ring encounter with Mariah May.

Storm will be looking to reclaim the AEW Women's World Championship from The Glamour this week at Grand Slam Australia - a belt she had lost to the Englishwoman at All In London last year. May has sustained a dominant reign since then, retaining the championship against numerous opponents, including Willow Nightingale, her (probably former) Stardom ally Mina Shirakawa, and Thunder Rosa, among others.

During her interview with Timeless Toni Storm on Close-Up, Renee Paquette asked the former champion if she was impressed with Mariah May's reign. Storm responded by admitting that the 26-year-old star had a certain edge over her as a title holder, albeit asserting that the distinction may still not be enough for her former understudy to put her away at Brisbane.

"Yes, I admit it. She's a champion I've always wanted to be but never could be. And that's because she does not have a heart. My biggest downfall is that I have too much of a heart. Mariah, you sick b***h, I am proud of you. But she will soon realize, that is just not good enough." [3:47 - 4:08]

Storm showed May that she was no slouch at mind games herself by impersonating the latter for her match against Queen Aminata on AEW Dynamite last week.

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Toni Storm sheds light on her plan for her AEW return

During the same interview with Renee Paquette, Toni Storm elaborated on the effects of the betrayal she suffered at the hands of Mariah May last year, and how that led her down a path of self-reflection. She admitted that her plan was always to return as The Timeless One, stating:

"Yes, Renee, my plan was all along was to become a three-time AEW Women's World Champion, reach new heights of fame and artistic prominence and give my heart and soul to a woman I loved with all my heart. All the while she was secretly plotting against me, then she pulled the trigger on my downfall in the most violent way possible. And then I needed to find myself, before I could ever speak her name again. So far, all is going according to plan," said Storm.

Storm outwitted her former protege once again last Saturday and reunited with her loyal ally in the process.