Of course, before she was “Timeless,” Toni Storm was still pretty good. Having debuted at 14 years old, Storm was attending WWE tryouts by 19 years old and becoming a breakout sensation between PROGRESS Wrestling in the UK and World Wonder Ring Stardom in Japan when she was 20/21 years old. That she wound up in WWE’s Mae Young Classic twice, winning the 2018 tournament, and signed with WWE before she was 23 was less of an accomplishment as much as it was an inevitability given her talent and high potential. Certainly, one can argue that the rest of her WWE run was a disappointment, and that her first year or so in AEW was a mixed bag. But even still, most wrestlers would take the career Storm had going into the summer of 2023, which included successful runs in Japan and the UK, a decent career in WWE, and two reigns as AEW Women’s World Champion. That’s nothing to sneeze at.

And because of that, it really goes to show just how much the transition from regular Toni Storm into “Timeless” Toni Storm took the Gold Coast, Australia native from a star to a mega star. And it didn’t happen overnight either; many critics will tell you that it took some time for Storm to work out the kinks before the gimmick translated both in ring as well as from a character perspective. But the results are clear as day now; in her “Timeless” persona, Storm is not only the top star of AEW’s improving women’s division, but has arguably been the promotion’s top star. She had what many consider to be the greatest feud in AEW history with Mariah May. And to date, she remains the only woman to look Mercedes Mone in the eye and make her blink in an AEW ring. The original incarnation of Toni Storm was quite good. But it cannot be denied that becoming “Timeless” turn Storm from very good into a potential Hall of Famer.