Harley is Hot
Fantasy booking is flawed. Yet, as an alternative history fan, I am pondering what could reveal a lot about a wrestling promotion, particularly about current feelings, strengths, and weaknesses.
For AEW 2025, it has had a broadly positive start. With louder (smaller but more suitable) buildings and fans digging various storylines, wrestlers and characters, there’s a lot to be optimistic about.
There are opportunities for interesting and unique outcomes every week. For AEW to get hot again, it’s a gradual process where opportunities need to be seized. For example, fans online and in buildings feel the wrath of one woman.
Previously, I’ve profiled how Harley Cameron’s background and personality led to her breakout in 2024.
Cameron’s a minute maximizer. Capitalising on every opportunity, Cameron made her voice heard with QTV, popped the Rampage audience weekly alongside Saraya and has become one of the best characters in the women’s division.
If Okada is the bitch maker, Cameron is the meme-maker. It feels just that Cameron gets her chance in Australia, in her home country. However, I would be lying to myself and you if I didn’t highlight one concern.
That post-Grand Slam, Harley falls into the revolving door of AEW’s women’s booking and appears sporadically.
Right now, Harley Cameron is hot. Grand Slam will be the biggest match of her career against TBS champion and belt collector, Mercedes Mone. When I evaluated Mone’s prospective opponents when she joined AEW, Harley Cameron didn’t even make the list.
Yet, on Saturday, there’s potential for both women to make this match a huge moment.
But what if, against the odds, Harley Cameron won?
The Trope Not Travelled
AEW is an underdog company, although paradoxically, it has significant financial backing. The company loves telling underdog stories but has an issue sustaining them.
Private Party scored a huge upset victory over The Young Bucks on the first-ever Dynamite. The lack of follow-up didn’t cement their stardom. Five years later, another upset against The Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team championship fell short. AEW didn’t use the team or opponents to address systematic, unaddressed problems in the division.
At Christmas, we had a Miracle on 34th Street. Kommander got a huge upset victory over Claudio Castagnoli. While Kommander is the ROH TV champion and appears frequently on AEW Collision, it has not resulted in a significant spotlight or character development.
AEW often has a habit of waiting too long to capitalise with championship contenders. FTR was red-hot and collecting belts across continents, but AEW had a selection headache with The Acclaimed, who had everyone donning pink and scissoring.
Rightly, AEW capitalized on The Acclaimed at Grand Slam 2022, but then waited too long to crown FTR. Yet, AEW with FTR, The Acclaimed and Private Party stretched out the championship win.
Delaying gratification is fine to an extent, but it takes away the surprise factor. Also, the pattern becomes noticeable and detrimental to what’s happening in between.
Think of waning interest for some fans with Jon Moxley’s current reign while we await Darby Allin’s potential ascension. I’ve written in another “what if” about subverting this expectation here.
That surprise upset championship victory that few saw coming is an unexplored trope AEW has yet to try.
You Couldn’t Take It Away
Harley Cameron’s reign could go one of three ways. Temporary transitional champion or the underdog overdelivering.
For Mone, the character can highlight in real sports that upset (“flukes”) happen every season. A rematch at Revolution in LA would be a fun rerun.
What’s more insufferable than The CEO with four belts and touting how she’s the longest reigning TBS Champion in AEW history? Additionally, being the only two-time TBS Champion. Plus, crushing Cameron and the fan’s joy would allow some new energy into Mone’s persona and put more heat on the character.
Alternatively, freeing Mone from the TBS Championship would give her time to prepare for a potential run at the AEW Women’s World Championship. If Mone moves on, there are various other possibilities for Cameron.
Another transitional champion opportunity could be for Cameron to put the belt on a newcomer like Megan Baynes. Regardless of the shortness of the reign, you can take the belt off Cameron, but you can’t take the achievement off her shoulders.
Most daringly, there’s a list of women, as long as the talent section on Cameron’s CV, who have beaten the wrath-wielder. Why not have them come knocking for a title opportunity?
Deonna Purrazzo has cause to challenge first. A gradual conveyor belt of rematches where Cameron must grow and develop as a champion could, if booked with time and care, somewhat replicate Orange Cassidy’s first AEW International championship reign.
Playing Out the Wrath
AEW has something with Harley Cameron. The few sparks she creates each week light entire fires within the fandom online. Her humour and character are infectious, and folks want to feel the wrath. Eventually, like all things in wrestling, that thrill will fade.
Harley Cameron will not have another opportunity like this. It’s a perfect time and place. I am going to be trying (and hope you will too) to bring this into existence because I’m so invested in the character and performer. And character is what makes wrestling peak, especially in the ring.
If it doesn’t happen, then like AEW’s final PPV of the year, it’s not the world’s end. Cameron will keep maximizing her minutes. There’s no reason she won’t create another opportunity for herself. It just won’t be the same as this one.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header photo – AEW – Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on AEW Dynamite and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS. AEW Collision airs Saturday at 8pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content available on their YouTube
