AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm has revealed ongoing creative tensions with AEW President Tony Khan over her storyline and promo ideas, confirming that several of her pitches have been rejected. Storm disclosed during a recent interview that some of her concepts shocked and even disgusted Khan, reflecting the friction involved in crafting her character’s direction within the promotion.
This insight into Toni Storm AEW creative tensions highlights the challenges wrestlers may encounter behind the scenes when pushing boundaries in scripted wrestling narratives. Storm described Khan as the leader of a large team overseeing AEW’s creative process, keeping tight control over what airs despite her attempts to stretch limits.
Details From Toni Storm’s Interview: Rejected Ideas and Team Dynamics
In her interview with TV Insider, Toni Storm outlined the creative environment within AEW, emphasizing that many of her proposals faced strong opposition from Tony Khan. She reflected on how Khan manages numerous moving parts across AEW and Warner Brothers, noting that his role involves holding the entire operation together despite her rebellious streak.
Storm said,
“I think you might actually be surprised. There have been a lot of ideas shot down. A lot of wild ideas that our President Tony Khan has been just horrified and disgusted by. He really has to work hard to keep it all together, God bless him. He leads a massive team. There are a lot of moving parts backstage at All Elite and Warner Brothers. There is a massive team made up of people I don’t even know or haven’t even met. But TK is definitely the leader and all. Nothing gets past him as much as I do try to push the limits.”
She also addressed rumors concerning the creative influence of RJ City, an AEW figure often credited in fan circles as a mastermind. Storm debunked these assumptions, claiming City has little actual sway and suggested he might be a scapegoat for any creative failures.
“There is a misconception as well that RJ City…I don’t know if you’ve heard of him. Probably not, but there is this misconception that he is the brain behind this whole thing. I must put the rumors to rest. He does absolutely nothing. I think they just keep him around so if something goes wrong, we have someone to blame. He is more of a fall guy. He may be an intern. I’m not sure if he works there. There is not as much creative freedom as you think. The amount of things I’ve wanted to do where Tony has been completely horrified. But yeah, I get away with what I can.”
Storm also mentioned the possibility of working with Juice Robinson on television but remained uncertain if the audience would be ready for such chaotic scenes, preferring her storylines to evolve naturally. Regarding other creative pursuits, she revealed her strong commitment to AEW’s demanding schedule, balancing weekly appearances on Dynamite and Collision with film projects for the promotion.
“I wouldn’t be against it, but I’ve kind of got my hands tied with All Elite right now. It’s a very demanding job. I do Dynamite and Collision each week most of the time, which means I never really go home or have any downtime. I’ve been focusing on creating films for All Elite Wrestling. That has been wonderful. I’ve created many films for them each week. Every week is a film.”
Saraya Celebrates Seven Years of Sobriety, Looks Forward to Future Opportunities
In related news within the wrestling sphere, former WWE and AEW talent Saraya marked seven years of sobriety, a significant personal achievement after her struggles with alcohol. The British wrestler and former WWE Divas Champion, now a free agent, shared her milestone on Twitter to the support of her fanbase.
Although Saraya has expressed openness to a WWE return under her Paige persona, as of mid-2025 no concrete discussions have occurred. Her last wrestling appearance was an October 2024 four-way match won by Willow Nightingale. Her announcement marks an important moment highlighting continued resilience away from the ring.
7 years sober! Let’s gooo 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/v1BafJacPA
— SARAYA (@Saraya) September 19, 2025
MVP Clarifies Career Status and Future Plans Amid AEW Involvement
Meanwhile, AEW veteran MVP addressed retirement rumors in a Yahoo! Sports interview, firmly stating he is not retired and remains active in the wrestling world. He is slated to team with The Hurt Syndicate against Ricochet and The GoA at AEW All Out 2025, continuing his in-ring career.
MVP reflected on over two decades in professional wrestling, acknowledging the influence he has had on younger wrestlers despite never holding a WWE world championship. He expressed pride in his longevity and readiness to offer guidance to others.
It’s humbling and it’s flattering to know that I’ve had that influence on these young men. I joke around about it being a backhanded compliment, but I have grown-a*s men with full beards coming up to me saying, ‘Oh man, you were my childhood, man. I watched you when I was a kid.’ I’ve never been the WWE world champion. I’ve never been the guy. But brother, I’ve been here making money in this space for over 20 years. From the time I got to WWE [in 2005] until now, I have not had an income source or I haven’t had a job outside of wrestling. So I have longevity. I know how to do this, and I know how to do it well. And I’ll put you up on game if you ask me for it.
He also reminisced about working with some wrestling legends, calling it exhilarating to be involved in iconic matches such as an Inferno Match with Kane and defending the United States Championship against Ric Flair.
[It’s like asking] what was your favorite breath that you ever took? I worked with The Undertaker. I worked with Ric Flair. I worked with Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy. … It was just exhilarating to show up and, ‘Hey, you’re going to be in an Inferno Match with Kane.’ I had the honor of wrestling with Ric Flair at the Royal Rumble at Madison Square Garden. Even before that, in Houston, the Night of Champions, I defended the United States Championship against Ric Flair. I hit him with a thumb to the eye and was able to beat him. He was cool enough to do the honors and put me over, and allow me to out-dirty the dirtiest player in the game.
Regarding how he wishes to conclude his wrestling career, MVP has discussed with Tony Khan his interest in a retirement storyline where he would lose a match and officially retire, allowing a younger talent to rise through that moment.
I’ve talked to Tony Khan about this, and he’s a great guy to work for, and I enjoy the relationship that I’ve developed with him. I told him that I’m not retired yet, but at some point I would like to have a feud with someone that I can have the good old-fashioned ‘if I lose, I’ll retire’ angle, so I can go out on my back and give some young, deserving and willing talent the opportunity to say, ‘I retired MVP.’ Right now, there are so many talented guys that I respect that I think are awesome, but I don’t have anybody [picked out], because, like I said, I’m not ready to retire yet.
Growing Spotlight on AEW Creative Challenges and Wrestler Autonomy
The revelations from Toni Storm about her creative frustrations provide rare insight into the complexities of AEW’s backstage process. Despite a reputation for offering talent more input compared to rival promotions, AEW still places significant controls at the hands of Tony Khan and his executive team.
Storm’s candid comments illustrate the balance between creative freedom and organizational oversight, emphasizing that high-profile wrestlers continuously negotiate their character development amid corporate standards and audience expectations. This dynamic will likely resurface as AEW continues to evolve its storytelling approach.
Similarly, MVP’s comments reflect respect for Khan while underlining the strategic planning involved in wrestling careers, including legacy considerations and retirement planning. Saraya’s sobriety milestone adds a human element to the wrestling world, reminding fans of personal triumph alongside in-ring drama.
Collectively, these developments shape an ongoing narrative about the intersection of creativity, personal growth, and career longevity in the modern professional wrestling landscape, signaling that AEW remains a focal point for intense behind-the-scenes developments and star-driven storytelling innovation.
7 years sober! Let’s gooo 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/v1BafJacPA
— SARAYA (@Saraya) September 19, 2025
