AEW News, Toni Storm, Hobbs, Local Medical Facility, More

• Ricochet was in town early doing media for AEW Lexington. He's from Kentucky.

• We're told the decision to to the tag gauntlet casino was finalized this week and talent found out the match would be happening Tuesday.

• In addition to being at AEW Dynamite, we're told Powerhouse Hobbs was at AEW All Out weekend, and is back on the road with AEW.

• Fightful has interviews with Darby Allin, Orange Cassidy and Paul Wight coming to the site in upcoming weeks.

• For those inquiring about "local medical facility" terminology on WWE Raw, we're told that isn't a hard and fast rule.

• Corey Brennan noted something was being closely guarded on last night's NXT at the tapings. It ended up being The Bloodline appearance.

• Alex Hammerstone was rehearsing in plain sight ahead of NXT.

• Fightful's Scott Edwards has an interview dropping with Xena in the coming week or so.

“Timeless Toni Storm”

Phid McAwesome of Downunder the Ring spoke with “Timeless” Toni Storm in Brisbane, Australia, on behalf of Fightful to promote AEW’s Grand Slam at Suncorp Stadium, which will occur on February 15th, 2025.

Phid begins the interview by telling Toni he is excited to meet a true Hollywood icon. He then informs Toni that his co-host, The Warship, cannot join them. Toni responds by calling Warship a "peasant" and voicing relief that he is not there.

Toni confirmed to Phid that she flew to Australia after ALL IN to be at Suncorp Stadium and is happy to be back in Australia. Phid mentions that Toni is billed from Gold Coast, Australia, but was born in New Zealand. She said that she is from New Zealand, though Toni mentioned that she trained at Warner Brothers Movie World studios on the Gold Coast.

Phid asked the former NXT UK Women’s Champion if she had received a response from WWE Hall of Famer Wendy Richter. Toni said, “No, she's been ducking and dodging me for years.” She told McAwesome that he should try to contact her.

Phid mentions another WWE Hall of Fame member, Nikki Bella, and notes that she praised Toni’s match against Mariah May from AEW ALL IN. Toni replied, “Yes, yes. She's right. She's right.”

Phid asked what it meant to get praise from a peer, a legend. Toni said, “I mean, it's run of the mill. Standard. It's actually quite boring. I get this all the time. The people rave about it. The people demand me. It's no surprise.”

Toni discussed her earlier wrestling days in Australia, remembering her performances at local venues such as the Chermside Bowls Club. She said they have a fantastic pub dinner.

You can follow Toni Storm on Instagram at @tonistorm_.

Check out Phid’s interview with the former AEW Women’s World Champion, “Timeless” Toni Storm, at this link . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD1hxJHuvRg.

Interview filmed by Buddy Watson.

Downunder The Ring is Pro wrestling from the perspective of Australian Pro Wrestler, The Warship, and a lifelong fan and award-winning podcaster Phid McAwesome.

Downunder The Ring is available on your favorite podcast platforms.

Follow Down Under The Ring on Social Media.

X: @dwnunderthering

Instagram: @downunderthering

Xena

Fightful’s Scott Edwards spoke with STARDOM’s Xena on a variety of topics including her World of Stardom Championship match against Maika, favorite venues to compete at on Japan, and working alongside Mina Shirakawa.

At STARDOM THE CONVERSION, Xena main evented the show against her EXV stablemate Maika with the World of Stardom Title on the line. She discussed how the match is one of her favorites because of the physicality and how the match allowed her to standout for the first time. She added that she felt it was a match she needed in her career.

When talking about her favorite venues in Japan, Xena named KBS Hall as her favorite. She also added that she likes the smaller, more intimate venues to compete in as it creates a great atmosphere. The STARDOM star also mentioned how a pack Korakuen Hall is so special to compete in. She main evented this past weekend against Mei Seira, saying that the High-Speed style is the more difficult match than a World Title main event bout based on her experience.

Finally, Xena shared how Mina Shirakawa has helped her in her time with the company. Originally when she debuted, she joined Shirakawa’s Club Venus and is now apart of EXV alongside her. Xena explained how helpful Mina has been and credits her as a big reason she was able to make it to STARDOM originally in 2023. Xena went on to say that she believes that Shirakawa deserves the grandest stage possible.

Make sure to check out the entire interview with Xena on the Fightful YouTube channel as she details more about joining STARDOM, living and competing full time in Japan, her favorite opponents, and so much more.