Toni Storm’s AEW Departure Forced Major Reshuffling of Women’s Owen Hart Tournament Plans

Toni Storm’s abrupt exit from AEW back in March sent ripples through the promotion’s booking well beyond the immediate moment — all the way to August’s All In pay-per-view. The women’s Owen Hart Foundation tournament, which has been building toward its finals, was among the plans significantly impacted by Storm’s sudden departure.

The tournament’s final match is set to feature Mercedes Mone against Maya World — a matchup that carries an added layer of intrigue given that both women in the finals are non-tournament participants in the traditional sense, a situation that stems directly from the reshuffling that followed Storm’s exit. Details surrounding what the original plan looked like before Storm left have now come to light, revealing just how much the booking had to pivot in a short period of time.

Storm had been one of AEW’s most prominent women’s division talents during her run, and her departure created an obvious void in storyline direction heading into the summer. AEW has had to rebuild its women’s division narrative on the fly, ultimately landing on the Mone vs. World final — a match that nonetheless carries considerable star power, with Mone being one of the company’s biggest names.

All In is shaping up to be a major event on the AEW calendar, and the women’s Owen Hart tournament final figures to be one of its highlighted bouts. How the situation fully unfolded — and what Storm’s role in the original plan might have been — adds meaningful context to a match that will now carry extra weight given the behind-the-scenes turbulence that preceded it.