Toni Storm Not Expected To Return In 2026

It emerged this week that “Timeless” Toni Storm would be out of the ring for a ‘long time’ after she was taken off the AEW Dynamite card at the last minute, with Mina Shirakawa stepping into her planned No Holds Barred match with Marina Shafir instead. Details were sparse on Storm’s condition and the timeframe of her being out of the ring, though more has now emerged on this front. 

Fightful Select have reported that AEW have prepared for Storm to be out of the ring and not cleared to compete through the rest of 2026 and potentially beyond. AEW posted an image of Storm laid out backstage, including various clues hinting at a litany of different attackers. It is noted in this report that AEW has already got a creative direction in place to reveal the perpetrator of Storm’s assault. 

The report doesn’t reveal how and why Storm has been rendered unable to compete in the ring, but the length of time is one that is likely to cause some upset for fans. At the Revolution 2026 PPV, Storm was confronted by the debuting Ronda Rousey, something which reportedly caused some shock from those in WWE.