The official AEW Instagram account posted a cryptic video on Sunday, showing a package with “Play Me” written on it and a lipstick front and center. Toni Storm was not mentioned by name in the post, but both details point directly to the mystery surrounding her absence.
The video was posted hours after Tony Khan spoke about Storm once again. During Saturday night’s post-Full Gear media scrum in Phoenix, Arizona, Khan reiterated that Storm will be back at some point but once again didn’t give a date.
AEW also used “Play Me” on the packages of the Toni Storm Tapes, a series of cassette tapes narrated by Renee Paquette and handed out to the media at WrestleDream on October 17. This time, however, the official AEW account posted the tease itself.
According to a Fightful Select report in late October, Storm’s in-ring return is not imminent, but other elements involving her could be featured on AEW programming.
Storm has been off AEW TV for 242 days, since she was attacked backstage by a mystery assailant at the March 18 edition of Dynamite. At the time, AEW expected that she wouldn’t be cleared to wrestle until the end of 2026 at the earliest.
If that timeline holds, Storm won’t wrestle at Worlds End, AEW’s next pay-per-view, set for December 19 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.