Toni Storm | AEW

“Timeless” Toni Storm earned an historic first for out LGBTQ pro wrestlers when the three-time AEW Women’s World champion was named the top female wrestler in the world in Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s annual Women’s 250 list.

Storm, one of 25 out LGBTQ pro wrestlers to make the field in 2024, becomes the first out LGBTQ pro wrestler to top the Women’s 250 list in its 16-year history, and the first out LGBTQ pro wrestler to rank number one on any PWI annual honors list.

PWI began the annual tradition with the introduction of the PWI 500, which ranks the top 500 wrestlers in the world, in 1991.

Storm rose to the top after a year of personal reinvention and refreshing interpretations of classic pro wrestling story beats. Storm reigned as AEW Women’s World champion for most of the evaluation period, introducing her Hollywood golden era-inspired “Timeless” persona that drew praise for various reasons from fans both queens and non.

Her partnership-turned-rivalry with Mariah May and the temporary addition of Mina Shirakawa broke new ground for telling sapphic stories of love, relationships and a slight nod to throuples on televised pro wrestling presentations.

Storm’s year also earned her a spot on the Outsports Power 100 list this year, at No. 77.

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Storm joins fellow AEW wrestler Saraya (who was not out at the time) as the only out LGBTQ women to ever top the PWI’s Women’s 250 list. Storm’s former Outcasts partner claimed the number one spot in 2014, one year before publicly coming out as bisexual on an episode of WWE’s reality TV program “Total Divas.”

Joining Storm in the top 100 were WWE’s Shayna Baszler, NWA’s Max The Impaler, Allie Katch, VENY, Sandra Moone, Alexis Lee and Gisele Shaw. The 2024 edition marks the fifth straight year that multiple trans pro wrestlers ranked in the top 100.

Other notable out LGBTQ names that made the cut were historic former AEW Women’s World champion Nyla Rose, Ring of Honor stalwarts Erica Leigh, Trish Adora, Leyla Hirsch, Abadon, Diamante and Kiera Hogan and WWE’s Tegan Nox.

International LGBTQ representation came in the form of Aussie indie stars Steph De Lander and Charli Evans, the U.K.’s Safire Reed, Chantal Jordan and Harley Hudson and emerging Puerto Rican wrestler Nahir Robles.

Check out the full list of ranked out LGBTQ wrestlers below: 

Toni Storm (1)

Shayna Baszler (46)

Max The Impaler (59)

Allie Katch (82)

VENY (85)

Sandra Moone (86)

Alexis Lee (91)

Gisele Shaw (92)

Steph De Lander (101)

Nyla Rose (105)

Gabby Forza (115)

Erica Leigh (132)

Safire Reed (134)

Trish Adora (140)

Leyla Hirsch (143)

Abadon (153)

Diamante (154)

Chantal Jordan (161)

Harley Hudson (171)

Tegan Nox (178)

Kiera Hogan (179)

Mylo (200)

Charli Evans (209)

Jordan Blade (227)

Nahir Robles (250)

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