Toni Storm is speaking out about her abrupt departure from WWE in December 2021.
Storm now finds herself as part of All Elite Wrestling after making her AEW debut two weeks ago. She will be part of the upcoming Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament and battles Jamie Hayter in the opening round.
During a Friday appearance on Busted Open Radio, Storm spoke about the decision to walk away from the job she dreamed about since childhood.
“I guess I just freaked out and went home.”
– Toni Storm on leaving WWE
Shortly after getting called up to WWE’s main roster in late 2021, Storm feuded with Charlotte Flair on SmackDown. It didn’t take long for her to realize that her dream job was not what she envisioned. She also felt it was unfair for her to take a spot on the WWE roster that could go to someone else who actually wants to be there.
Ultimately, it became “abundantly clear” that she was not cut out for life as a WWE Superstar.
“Something just happened and I left,” she said. “I felt like I was having an out of body experience, to be honest. Have you ever just lost your mind? That’s kind of what happened. The stress of not seeing family in years and then just so many overwhelming things all at once. I’ve been happier ever since.”
Despite the nature of her exit, Storm remains grateful for the lessons she learned in WWE and the friends she made there.
Interestingly, Bryan Danielson also spoke about being “oddly detached” in the main event of WrestleMania 37 just months before he decided to leave.
“It was really bizarre,” he told BT Sport. “It’s taken me time to fully process what the experience was like because it wasn’t like a normal thing. I felt very out of body in it. When I’m wrestling, I feel everything and feel like I’m enjoying it. This was weird, I was out there and it felt like I was detached. It was so strange that before the match started, I got this strange feeling like, ‘Oh no, is this what it’s like before you die? Am I going to die? Huh, well, okay.’ I don’t know why or how it happened, but it was unlike anything I’ve felt while wrestling.”
