6 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (8 May - Results & Review)
2. Mariah May Vs Harley Cameron
AEW
Harley Cameron's first match on Dynamite (and fourth in AEW overall) was anything but the sort of mess that's becoming too common in 2024, and though the two year pro deserves an awful lot of credit for holding up her end of the bout, Mariah May was in stupendous form.
She sold Cameron's offence in a way that made the Aussie look like she wasn't just trying to escape with one, and then patrolled the ring like the far more experienced general when it came time to put her away. Smashing through Cameron and sidekick Saraya with bruising punches and slaps that drew shock pops every time for just how snug they looked, and was dominant in her victory by the end.
Mina Shirakawa's post-match save continued the ongoing teases of a possible romance with May and Shirakawa being the ultimate wedge between Toni Storm and her protégé. It's unclear exactly how all the characters will shake out due to each of them assuming tweener roles at present, but the focus on the characters and the longer term story here remains pleasingly consistent.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back almost 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
