Toni Storm announced her roster move to the NXT United States branch back in October at NXT TakeOver 31 but she was supposed to move to the roster a lot sooner.
Since moving over to NXT, Storm has showcased a new side of her persona, turning heel just before NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
In a new interview with Inside The Ropes, Storm reveals that she was supposed to debut on the roster shortly after WrestleMania but the global pandemic and travel restrictions prevented that.
“In May, WWE was like, ‘Yeah, you’re good to go, green light.’ So I packed up all my stuff, got rid of my apartment, went all the way to London to get on the flight. Then there were issues with border control and I couldn’t get in. So, long story short, I got stuck in London for about three or four months. So, it’s been a crazy journey just getting here. It’s been insane. But I’m here now.
“Yeah, I think I was meant to be there quite a few months sooner, but obviously I got stuck and obviously the UK… It’s still in a terrible state now, pandemic wise, but it was terrible back then so we didn’t know what was happening with NXT UK either. I was just kind of in-between, like, ‘I don’t know.’ I was living each day not knowing what was going to happen when I was going to leave, so it was a crazy time. But yeah, it took me until October.”
Storm says that she felt a step off of her game until she got inside the WarGames structure.
“I mean, I guess, after taking all that time off during the pandemic and then being in a massive steel cage with two rings and weapons everywhere, it was quite a shock physically because I’m just… I got used to not being hit with weapons and stuff! Yeah, it was cool, though, and I think it helped me get back into the swing of things a lot smoother. It was so much fun. I’m so glad that I got to have that kind of match. And I hope I’m in the next one because it’s great – and we won!”
Toni Storm will be challenging for the NXT Women's Championship this Valentine's Day at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day. Fightful will have live coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
