Photo: Ethan Miller
One of WWE's top rising stars is reportedly "gone" from the company.
Toni Storm, a former NXT UK Women's champion and recent contender for the SmackDown Women's championship, has reportedly been released, Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp reports.
"Fightful has been informed Toni Storm is gone from WWE," Sapp tweeted. "I've confirmed this news with the company. Those that I spoke to within WWE believe Toni Storm asked for her release from the company, though I'm also making an effort to reach out to those close to her."
Sapp added that WWE sent a memo about Storm's release, which did not cite budget cuts as has been the case with numerous other releases in 2021.
Storm, 26, had recently been involved in an angle with SmackDown Women's ChampionCharlotte Flair, losing their title match on the Christmas Eve episode of SmackDown Live.
The New Zealand native had appeared at a WWE live event as recently as Tuesday (December 28) in Washington, D.C.
Storm had recently reflected on her frustration with a lack of consistent main roster booking during an appearance on Out of Character with Ryan Satin, a web series WWE on FOX's verified YouTube account.
“It’s the worst because you just don’t know," Storm said via WrestleTalk.com. "Obviously, wrestling (can be) so unpredictable. Next week you could be main eventing and winning a title and everything could be happening, or nothing. You don’t know. This is showbusiness at the end of the day. It’s a topsy turvy industry.
“When you’re sat in catering, it’s not a good feeling. Just sitting there waiting for your shot. Waiting for your big break. Waiting to show everyone what you’ve worked your life to be good at. I just sat there (asking), ‘When am I next? What’s happening?’. Now (when) stuff starts happening, I’m still like, ‘What’s going on? Oh, my God. What is my life?'"
WWE's last round of multiple releases came in November when eight wrestlers were released and the company has since released former WWE Champion Jeff Hardy and now Storm, bringing its total to 85 in 2021.
Since February, WWE has released on-screen talent from itsRAW, SmackDown, and/or NXTshows during every month of 2021 excluding September.
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