Now the New Zealand-born Aussie is hoping to reward her mum’s hard graft by capturing WWE glory on female wrestling’s most historic evening.
Storm, 23, battles Io Shirai in the final of the Mae Young Classic at the Nassau Coliseum tonight.
And she admits to still pinching herself to check if it’s all a reality as she prepares to perform at the first-ever all-female pay-per-view.
Speaking exclusively to SunSport, Storm said: “It’s so big I can hardly believe I’m here, I feel like my head is going to explode.
“When I was ten I was a huge fan of the Hardy Boys, Mickie James and Trish and I was like ‘I want to be like that’.
“I remember there was a moment with my mum when she said to me ‘you’re gonna be like those bloody wrestlers’ and I thought to myself ‘you know what mum, yes I am!’ And that’s what I did.”
Storm became one of the biggest stars on the British wrestling scene after originally only planning on coming to England for a short stint of training.
Her talents soon caught the eye of Triple H and WWE and she is now part of the newly-launched NXT UK brand.
But her rise to success did not come without sacrifice – and she will be ever thankful to her mum for helping her dreams become a reality.
Storm said: “She was reluctant about me wanting to become a wrestler at the start as I was very young, but after a lot of nagging she let me when I was 13.
“My mum was on her own with me and my little sister so we didn’t have much.
“So because she couldn’t afford the fees, what she’d do is go to each show and help sell hotdogs and drinks and for that they agreed to train me for free. Then when I was old enough I hopped on a plane to
the UK.
“It was meant to be three months but I’ve ended up staying and I’m still there! Now I feel like a bit of an honorary Brit.
“Going out to the ring is like walking off a cliff but you’re still there and alive. It’s such a thrill and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Standing in Storm’s way of Mae Young Classic success is Sharai.
The 28-year-old Japanese star won a host of championships in her homeland before signing for WWE this year and she currently stars in NXT.
And Sharai is equally determined to steal the show today.
She told SunSport: “I’m so excited. The first ever women’s pay-per-view.
“In my heart I’m so proud. When I first started wrestling my dream was WWE. And I’m so glad to be part of it.”
Evolution airs tonight from midnight on the WWE Network. Register today and watch the event for NOTHING with a 30-day free trial.
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