Lisa Marie Varon, a former WWE Women’s Champion known as Victoria, recently addressed Toni Storm’s remarks about rejecting a potential WWE return, highlighting the tension surrounding the Toni Storm WWE Controversy. Varon took aim at Storm’s decision to label herself an AEW lifer and seemingly close the door on WWE, cautioning against disparaging a former employer publicly. These comments come amid Storm’s ongoing success in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she holds the Women’s World Championship and is preparing for a Fatal 4-Way title defense at the upcoming AEW All Out 2025 event.
Storm had explained on a podcast that she respects WWE’s business but feels she no longer fits within their system, sparking debate among wrestling fans and industry insiders. Varon, appearing on The Velvet Ropes podcast, advised Storm to consider the long-term consequences of burning bridges with WWE.
Former WWE Champion Warns Against Criticizing Wrestling Organizations
Varon shared her perspective on how wrestlers should handle their relationships with wrestling companies, emphasizing respect and caution. She explained how she regrets publicly criticizing companies during her career and urged others to avoid similar mistakes. According to Varon, stormy emotions often drive wrestlers to speak out too harshly on social media, but the impact can be damaging.
She stated,
First of all, I love Toni Storm. I love her look, Marilyn. Super sweet when you see her at a meet and greet, very thankful. And yeah, I love her, but you never bury a company. You know, we all learn this saying that ‘maybe that’s not the place for me,’ but every company changes every year. You never know when you’re going to go back or when they’re going to demand Toni Storm to make a comeback to WWE.
— Lisa Marie Varon, Former WWE Women’s Champion
Varon also reflected on her personal experiences, saying,
You don’t want to bash any company, and I’ve learned that lesson. I’ve done that before and shame on me, but I think you get very like in your head going, ‘I need to say what I am feeling right now.’ But social media is not the platform to go if I’m angry at a moment. You know what? Let me think about it tomorrow if I feel the same way, you know because social media is so easy to go on a rampage and you’re going to go the next day, ‘I shouldn’t have said that.’
— Lisa Marie Varon, Former WWE Women’s Champion
Challenges of Cancel Culture and Online Backlash
In the discussion, Varon also addressed the impact of cancel culture and how it affected her personally, urging resilience in the face of public backlash. She shared struggles related to being removed from bookings after social media controversies, emphasizing the importance of maintaining composure amid online hatred.
She recounted,
I got canceled on a October 19 show, and it was on Twitter, and a friend of mine called me and said, ‘Hey, I just want to see if you’re okay,’ and then she goes, ‘Oh, they canceled you for a certain reason.’ And I was like, ‘what?’ And I never experienced, this is just recent, to experience so much hate, and we got to rise above.
— Lisa Marie Varon, Former WWE Women’s Champion
Varon admitted how difficult it was to resist responding to negativity but stressed the need to be the better person. She stated,
Everybody knows that it was very… I was struggling so hard not to say anything, but I’m the better person. I should not care about what somebody else thinks of me. They don’t know me.
— Lisa Marie Varon, Former WWE Women’s Champion
Upcoming AEW Matches and Storylines Center on Championship Battles
Toni Storm will defend her AEW Women’s World Championship at AEW All Out 2025 on September 20, 2025, in Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena. She faces challengers Jamie Hayter, Kris Statlander, and Thekla in a high-stakes Fatal 4-Way. This event is widely anticipated, not just for Storm’s title defense but also for multiple championship matches that promise intense competition.
Meanwhile, AEW TBS Champion Mercedes Mone, who is in a real-life relationship with The Beast Mortos, is scheduled to defend her title against former AEW Women’s Champion Riho at the same event. Despite their connection, Mortos and Mone have yet to team up in AEW, sparking curiosity among fans about a future mixed tag match.
Mortos replied to a fan query on social media about teaming with Mone by stating,
“I’d love to.”
— The Beast Mortos, AEW Wrestler
Mortos will compete later tonight on AEW Dynamite: September to Remember, facing Mascara Dorada in an AEW Unified Championship Eliminator Tournament match. The winner advances to a Triple Threat championship bout at All Out 2025 against reigning champion Kazuchika Okada and Konosuke Takeshita.
Mercedes Mone Hopes for Final Match with Bayley Before Retirement
Mercedes Mone expressed her desire to share the ring one last time with friend and rival Bayley before retiring. In a heartfelt Twitter message, she said,
“It’s my dream to have one more with her before I retire, but if it doesn’t happen, I’m so happy with the matches we did have.”
— Mercedes Moné Varnado, AEW TBS Champion
This added emotional layer amplifies interest in Mone’s title defense against Riho and underscores the significance of long-standing rivalries in AEW’s women’s division.
TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher Reflects on Career and Influences
In a recent interview with Forbes, TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher discussed how his tag team partner Mark Davis played a pivotal role in his growth as a professional wrestler. Fletcher credited their long journey together starting in 2017 and their shared experiences around the globe.
He noted,
Mark Davis and I started teaming around 2017, and a lot of our success came together when we traveled the world. When you span the globe for five years with one person, you naturally get pretty close with them, so that’s been very cool.
— Kyle Fletcher, TNT Champion
Fletcher also described how teaming with Davis began when he was just 18 years old, providing support during formative years both personally and professionally.
He shared,
I was 18 years old when we started teaming. I didn’t know who I was as a person yet, let alone a wrestler, so having my best friend there with me for all that stuff, it was so helpful in many ways. I’m not sure if I would have had the same success that I did by myself at that time, and without a doubt, I would not be where I am today without him. He’s meant so much to me. And then there are all the injuries he’s suffered. As a friend, seeing it is very hard. It’s difficult because I want the success that I’ve had for him. I care so deeply about him, so I want him to experience that. But from speaking to him, he kind of sees my successes as his successes in a way which is really cool, which makes me feel good about it, that I can almost do this thing for both of us. That’s not to say he won’t come back and absolutely kill it when he’s back from his injuries. It’s cool, though, that I can take a part of him with me into everything I do. I wouldn’t be the wrestler I am today without him, so hopefully that can show as well.
— Kyle Fletcher, TNT Champion
On his approach to developing his wrestling style, Fletcher explained how he balances influence from others with trusting his own instincts, crediting his recent persona change to “The Protostar” as a turning point.
He stated,
My whole career, I’ve tried to be inspired by other people that I watched as a kid and thought, oh man, they’re so cool. I’ve tried to take pieces of that throughout my career, but you get to a certain point where it’s more important to carve your own path and to start doing your own things. With this most recent run, where I shaved my head, I call myself ‘The Protostar.’ Since then, I’ve relied less from others for inspiration and trust my own instincts more, which you can see in the ring. Now, I’m really just feeling it when I’m out there. I’m at a place where I’m confident in the ring. And so, when I get this feeling of, ‘Oh, I should do this,’ there’s no hesitation behind it.
— Kyle Fletcher, TNT Champion
AEW All Out 2025 Set to Deliver High-Stakes Wrestling Action in Toronto
AEW All Out 2025 is scheduled for Saturday, September 20, at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The event is expected to showcase a mix of title matches, eliminator tournaments, and personal rivalries, highlighting the growing popularity of AEW on a global stage.
With Toni Storm defending the AEW Women’s World Championship in the Fatal 4-Way and Mercedes Mone putting her TBS Championship on the line against Riho, the event underscores AEW’s emphasis on dynamic storytelling and championship prestige. Meanwhile, the men’s division will feature TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher’s momentum along with The Beast Mortos’ tournament pursuit, setting the scene for further developments in AEW’s competitive landscape.
The Toni Storm WWE Controversy adds a layer of backstage drama to the wider wrestling world, reminding fans and wrestlers alike of the ever-shifting dynamics between WWE and AEW as the rivalry intensifies. Storm’s outspoken rejection of WWE contrasted against former WWE stars like Lisa Marie Varon highlights the tension between loyalty and career progression within wrestling.
I'd love to
— the beast mortos (@BeastMortos) September 17, 2025
It’s my dream to have one more with her before I retire but if it doesn’t happen I’m so happy with the matches we did have.
— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) September 17, 2025
