Tony Khan is refusing to discuss two specific subjects, according to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, with Dave Meltzer reporting that Khan has made clear he will not address Toni Storm’s ongoing absence from AEW programming or the story about AEW putting in a bid to purchase WWE in 2023.
“I was told outright before even asking about the subject that the two subjects Tony Khan will not talk about are Toni Storm and the story about his company putting in a bid to purchase WWE in 2023,” Meltzer wrote. He also noted that Storm did an autograph signing over the weekend while not selling any injury at all, despite having done an injury angle on AEW television.
The refusal to address the Storm situation is notable given the circumstances surrounding her absence from programming. Meltzer had previously reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that Storm’s absence is not injury-related and that AEW only learned of the issue on the day of the March 18 Dynamite taping in Fresno, California.
Storm was pulled from her scheduled No Holds Barred match against Marina Shafir just ten minutes before the show went on air, with AEW posting a social media clip of Storm being found laid out in her locker room in a pool of blood with Luther and Mina Shirakawa attending to her. Shirakawa stepped in as a replacement and defeated Shafir with a Storm Zero.
AEW had been operating under the impression Storm would wrestle that evening all the way through Tuesday and into Wednesday morning before the situation changed on the day of the taping. Earlier reports indicated the company was prepared for Storm to not be cleared through 2026 at a minimum, though the non-injury nature of the situation adds a layer of uncertainty to that timeline. AEW reportedly already has a creative direction in place for the reveal of Storm’s on-screen attacker, suggesting the company is moving forward with the storyline despite her absence.
The Storm situation also has implications for a program that appeared to be in development following AEW Revolution on March 15, when Ronda Rousey made her AEW debut and confronted Storm following her match. Rousey is reportedly not planned to make any appearances in AEW in the near fear future.
Storm has been with AEW since 2022 and is a record four-time AEW Women’s World Champion, having held the title for a combined 640 days across her reigns.
