BRISBANE, Australia - As one, the 13,000-odd fans that had packed into the Brisbane Entertainment Centre united in a single chorus, urging the hometown heroine on to glory with a battle cry taken from her promises in the weeks leading to this moment. "Rip her t--- off!" And while Gold Coast-raised Toni Storm may have departed AEW Grand Slam Australia without any of opponent Mariah May's anatomy in her carry-on, she did leave with her title, rolling up the champion to become a four-time AEW Women's World Championship in the main event of the promotion's first show Down Under.
To an unfamiliar observer, one with little grounding in the vaudeville, working-class theatre of the absurd that is professional wrestling, it would have felt like something out of a fever dream. Here was a deranged silver screen starlet against a psychotic glamour from London, who had won her trust only to betray her and take what was most precious to her - their story inspired by 1950s films such as Sunset Boulevard and All About Eve - repeatedly dropping the other on their head. On the outside, encouraging this madness, was the hulking Luther, his butler uniform replaced with that of a theatre usher, pantomiming furious indignation with May and fanning Storm when she was slumped in the corner with a sign sourced from a fan at ringside.
It was ridiculous in the best way possible, brilliant in a way only professional wrestling can be. And for Storm, whose 'Timeless' rise has seen her establish herself as one of the biggest names in professional wrestling, recognised globally as one of its most talented performers, this was a crowning moment in more ways than 'just' a title win. Through sheer force of personality and commitment to her craft, she has somehow taken a persona that shouldn't have worked, and probably would have been immediately discarded had it been anyone else attempting it, and turned it into one of the most memorable characters of the decade. And on this evening, clad in blue gear adorned with an Australian flag across her hips, the 29-year-old - a remarkably young age for someone that has already ascended the heights she has in the industry - was the undisputed star in front of friends and family, on a show staged in her backyard.
#ANDNEW #AEW Women's World Champion 'Timeless' Toni Storm!#AEWGrandSlam Australia pic.twitter.com/jZQA8ukhJ5
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 16, 2025
Taking the microphone, the 'Timeless' mask slipping as the recording stopped, Storm described what had just occurred as "the greatest moment of her life," and revealed that she had first attended the venue in 2007, pointing to the seats she had occupied with her mum. A "Thank you mum," chants subsequently broke out when Storm revealed it was her mother that had created her "costume" for the evening and there were laughs when she referenced celebrating with the nutbush. The evening then ended with the newly crowned champion asking if there was anyone heading down to "Goldy" because she needed a ride.
Undoubtedly, Grand Slam Australia was Storm's show, the Queenslander (she noted in the lead-up to the event that, while technically born in Auckland, Australia had claimed her as they had done Pavlova) preeminent in the events promotional push and the only challenger to win one of the five championship matches staged across Grand Slam and the Ring of Honor taping that preceded it. But in a broader context, the show was a marker of the growing place Australian talent has in professional wrestling and, in some cases, at its vanguard, as well as its status as a market that is growing in importance and stature in the eyes of major American promotions.
In addition to the main event winner, fellow-Gold Coast native Harley Cameron continued her rapid ascent by challenging Mercedes Moné for the TBS Title, falling short but, just weeks after recording her first-ever televised win, going some ways to establishing herself as an in-ring performer to add to her outstanding character work. Melbourne-born Buddy Matthews, despite seemingly injuring his ankle during his entrance, put on a highly competitive match with one of the best of all time in Kazuchika Okada, losing his Continental Title match-up but given a vote of confidence by management in becoming one of the few AEW performers booked to kick out of the Rainmaker short-arm lariat. In the Ring of Honor tapings, Sydney-born TMDK member Robbie Eagles received a loud ovation as he challenged for the ROH Pure Title against Lee Moriarty, while Aussie Open's Mark Davis defeated standout local performer Tommy Knight in a short but brutal hoss fight that was met with raucous "Meat" chants from the crowd.
Mercedes PUNTED the puppet!!!! #AEWGrandSlam pic.twitter.com/6IgsjakOKv
— Fightful Wrestling (@Fightful) February 16, 2025
Davis tag partner Kyle Fletcher, meanwhile, stole the show in the tag-team opener to Grand Slam, teaming with fellow Don Callis Family member Konosuke Takeshita against Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay. If Storm's win provided a storybook ending to the show, then the tag match energised the audience, both live and watching on television, with red bull, mixed with red cordial and red snakes; the match-up entrusted with opening off an NBA All Star game lead-in in the United States and delivering one of the best spectacles delivered by any promotion in recent memory.
As both AEW and WWE have experienced in taking televised events abroad in recent years, international crowds that don't get a lot of opportunities to be at these kinds of shows tend to be white hot. Grand Slam, while perhaps more foul-mouthed than most, was no different. Moné was quickly declared a "sick f---" for her attack on the Puppet Mercedes companion of challenger Cameron and in what is almost certainly his final show in Australia, Cope, who has retained his Metalingus theme from his days as Edge in WWE, was serenaded with the lyrics of his theme by the fans, the emotion in his demeanour obvious as the show gained a signature moment. Ospreay, Omega, Storm, and, funnily enough, Big Bill, were incredibly popular.
The crowd in Australia singing Metalingus to Cope 🥹#AEWGrandSlam pic.twitter.com/VTM5AkzevZ
— B/R Wrestling (@BRWrestling) February 16, 2025
It goes without saying that the logistical challenges associated with bringing shows Down Under are innumerate; the tyranny of distance, shipping costs, and time zones a costly nightmare for promotions to navigate. But as more and more talent emerges from its local scene - arguably the most popular women in both WWE and AEW right now are Australian - and fans continue to pack out shows, the country is increasingly establishing itself as a viable destination. Despite being forced to move the venue from the initially announced Lang Park to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Grand Slam drew one of the largest gates in AEW history, making it little surprise that the evening ended with the announcement that the promotion will be returning to Australia in 2026.
There will, of course, be plenty of lessons for next time. In no small part because of the initial announcement of the 50k seat Lang Park, there had been confusion, especially those purchasing tickets, if it was a pay-per-view or television-special level show, with expectations set in this vacuum before owner Tony Khan confirmed the latter to TV Insider earlier this month. AEW, still seeking cut through in a general public that sees WWE (and sometimes WWF) as synonyms for wrestling, was also given a crash course in the realities of promoting in the Australian media market when multiple mainstream outlets were diverted from its pre-show event to cover local NRL side the Brisbane Broncos. Merchandise sold out at the venue more than an hour before the show started, leaving many disappointed and a 30 minute drive out the city to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, compared to the centrally located Lang Park, added challenges for those coming from interstate and abroad, further compounded by the (out of AEW's control) replacement of rail services to the venue with buses.
Nonetheless, Saturday night felt like another good night for Australian wrestling. And just over a year after 50k fans attended a WWE Elimination Chamber event at Optus Stadium centred around Adelaide-born Rhea Ripley, a packed out Brisbane Entertainment Centre watched Storm receive her crowning moment, with fellow Australians celebrated up and down a card that delivered.