In the suburb of Boondall, some 16km north of the CBD, the Brisbane Entertainment Centre will host AEW Grand Slam: Australia this Saturday. But it’s not the first time the venue has hosted Toni Storm.
Born in New Zealand and raised in Australia’s Gold Coast, Storm has many a memory of attending events at the BEC.
“It’s a very, very special place to me,” she told NZPWI.
“The first show I went to was in 2007, it was my very first wrestling show, I would have just turned 12.
“I went to many shows there and I just hold such fond memories of the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. I’ve missed the multi-coloured seats and all the rest of it. I’m really excited, it’s extra special that [Grand Slam]’s going to be held there.”
And it has air conditioning! “We’re not all going to pass out in the heat.”
Describing herself as a pavlova – “very fruity, originally from New Zealand, but claimed, much like most things, by the Australians” – Storm can relate to the struggle tourists will face, with temperatures north of 30 degrees much of the week.
“Unfortunately most of the year it’s sweltering hot,” she said. “You can’t get out. It’s a shame really … It’s why I left actually, it’s too bloody hot. Yeah, I’m much cooler now in Florida…”
Storm is something of a citizen of the world. From humble beginnings in New Zealand and Australia, her journey to Florida has taken her via the United Kingdom, where she became the first-ever Progress Women’s Champion, and Japan, where she was a longtime fixture and titleholder in Stardom.
“I’m just very grateful for all these wonderful performances that I get to do across the world,” she said. “The world’s my oyster, it’s a lovely thing.”
Speaking of oysters, any recommendations for Kiwis travelling to Brisbane for Grand Slam when it comes to local cuisine?
“It’s a tough one, ’cause every time I come back here the Australian food that I tend to get into is usually sushi, or a kebab,” Storm said.
“Someone asked me, I was travelling with some of the American girls, some of the makeup artists, my team. They said, ‘What is the Australian cuisine like?’ Well, I don’t really know. But I know I’m home, and I’m jetlagged, because I was up at 7 o’clock this morning trying to find sushi around Brisbane City. That was me.
“I really couldn’t tell you about the cuisine. All I’ve got is pavlova, and that’s not Australian either!”
Toni Storm challenges Mariah May for the AEW Women’s World Championship at AEW Grand Slam: Australia, streaming Sunday, February 16, from 4:30pm (NZDT) on TrillerTV.
