AEW Personnel Reportedly 'Appalled' Over Booking For Toni Storm's Return Match

Wednesday's Winter Is Coming edition of "AEW Dynamite" featured the return of Toni Storm after more than three months away, with the former AEW Women's World Champion confronting Mariah May at the end of the show. In a move that was surprising to many fans, it was soon revealed that Storm's return match would take place on "AEW Rampage," despite the fact that the Friday night show is coming to a close and typically brings in abysmal ratings. Speaking on yesterday's "Wrestling Observer Live," Bryan Alvrarez revealed that fans weren't the only ones shocked by the decision.

"Do you know how many people I talked to in AEW yesterday, and every last single one of them [were] ... appalled that Toni Storm's return is on 'Rampage,'" Alvarez said.

While Alvarez noticed some fans defending the move, the podcast host was adamant that it would've made more sense to build to Storm's return match on an episode of "Dynamite," "AEW Collision," or the upcoming AEW Worlds End pay-per-view. Though many personnel within AEW reportedly agree with that perspective, it wasn't enough to change the mind of the company's CEO and booker.

"You could've had 200 people lined up outside Tony Khan's door last night," Alvarez continued. "One by one, all 200 of them could have gone in there and said 'This idea is stupid,' and do you want to know what would've happened at the end of the night? He would've still done it, because that's what happens. People argue things with him every single week and at the end of the day he does whatever he wants."

Storm's first match back will air on tonight's "Rampage," with a second bout taking place on tomorrow's "Collision." Though it will start late due to the NBA, "Collision" will go head-to-head against the return of WWE Saturday Night's Main Event.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Wrestling Observer Live" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.