While All Elite Wrestling fans know her as high-maintenance, low-saturation champion “Timeless” Toni Storm, moviegoers will meet her Clara Mortensen in Ash Avildsen’s Mildred Burke biopic “Queen of the Ring,” in theaters now.
As both a lifelong wrestling fan and an active participant in the sport, Storm says she was honored to embody an early women’s wrestling pioneer like Mortensen. “It was surreal for me, very surreal. Clara, she was a real person once upon a time. I felt like there was an uncanny resemblance as well. I had no idea I looked so good in yellow.”
Despite limited footage, Storm worked to nail Mortensen’s specific in-ring mannerisms. “I studied absolutely everything and really tried to nail stepping into the role of a female wrestler from the 30s and 40s. When I was filming the actual wrestling part of it, I really tried to make it look a little more old-school and wrestle the same style they did back in the day. I’ve taken a lot of elements of that with me.”
Playing the role of a woman’s wrestler circa the 1930s and 40s isn’t exactly a stretch for Storm, whose “timeless” persona is an homage to a bygone era of wrestling. “I just really like the old-school vintage style of wrestling, the way the women did it back then. They were so physical. It’s my tribute to that, to all the strong women that came before me, who created women’s wrestling in the first place.”
Working with AEW writer and on-screen interviewer RJ City, Storm’s onscreen storylines incorporate elements from classic films like “All About Eve,” “Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?” and “Sunset Boulevard.”
“I don’t know how to describe it, to be honest. I don’t know how we come up with this magic,” Storm says. “He’s very into vintage film, and so am I. I love old films, I love watching them. I’m a big Bette Davis fan. I’m a big Joan Crawford fan.”
But while Storm is inspired by films and actresses of the past, her sense of humor and approach to character are entirely her own.
“I think I’m just naturally hilarious,” she says. “I’m not inspired by anyone in particular, I suppose I’m just being who I truly am at the very core. I’ve never watched a certain actress or a certain wrestler and been like ‘Ok, I’m going to copy what they do.’ Obviously there’s certain elements to it, but it comes from somewhere inside myself.”
Before she can move forward with her record-breaking fourth reign as AEW Women’s World Champion, Storm’s next challenge is AEW Revolution, where she looks to close the book on her long-running feud with protege-turned-rival Mariah May. In a recent promo, May claimed she “looks at her and feels nothing,” but Storm thinks that isn’t true.
“I think she feels a lot of things, and I think that makes her very angry,” Storm explains. “I don’t think she knows what to do with those emotions, you see, because like most people, she’s enamored by me, she’s in love with me. I’m used to it, but for Mariah, it’s very difficult, because she screwed up. She did what she did and the rest is history.”
As for whether or not their relationship could be salvaged, Storm isn’t interested in making up. “She’ll always be a snake. A slithery little snake, and I’ll never trust that little snake again. This is truly it, I’ll never find love in my heart again for her, or probably anyone. She’s changed me, I’m a changed woman. I won’t trust like I did. I won’t be fooled again.”
Channeling the Hollywood starlets that inspire her wrestling, Storm went full method and wrestled a recent match on “AEW Dynamite” dressed as May; a form of psychological warfare ahead of their pay-per-view bout.
“I absolutely loved stepping into that role for an evening,” Storm said. “I felt very sexy, very sultry, and just evil to the core. It’s very empowering to be the woman from hell. But I’m not the woman from hell, if anything I’m a bloody saint. I’m the woman from heaven. But I nailed the role, if I do say so myself.”
She may have had her fun stepping into Mariah’s blood-soaked shoes, but Storm says she’s ready to put their messy affair behind her at Revolution.
“I’m going to absolutely decimate her, because to be honest, I can’t take much more of this child interfering with my life,” Storm says. “I’ve been dealing with her for what, 18 months? I took her in as my own, gave her everything, and she stabbed me in the back. This will be one to remember. I finally get to slay the dragon.”
“To me this really is the Hollywood Ending,” she continues. “We’ll never step foot in the ring together again. In fact, I’ve actually filed a restraining order. She’ll never be in my life again. This is a real breakup. You know when you finally get rid of that ex that just won’t piss off? You finally get all their stuff out of your house, that’s what it’s going to be like for me. I’ve already booked a vacation.”
As for what her title reign looks like beyond Mariah May, the timeless champion welcomes any and all potential challengers. “Well, we have quite a flourishing women’s division. We’ve got Megan Bayne, that big strong woman that was made in a lab. I assume she’d step up if she’s game. We’ve got bloody Penelope Ford. That young horror actress, Julia Hart, I’m ready to take her on as well. She’s quite the talented little thing.”
“Queen of the Ring” is in theaters now. AEW Revolution streams March 9 at 4 p.m. PT live on pay-per-view via Prime Video, Triller TV, PPV.com and YouTube.
