Harley Cameron has credited “Timeless” Toni Storm as one of the biggest inspirations in her career while also revealing the advice AEW World Champion MJF gave her during a backstage conversation.
Speaking on the Off The Ropes podcast, Cameron praised Storm’s ability to seamlessly blend top-level in-ring performances with an entertaining character, calling the former AEW Women’s World Champion a “revolutionary” in women’s wrestling. Cameron said Storm has shown that wrestlers can remain true to what makes them unique while still delivering when the bell rings.
“Another perfect example I can look at as someone I look up to greatly is, for example, Toni Storm, who is just the most sensational character. To me, is like a revolutionary person in women’s wrestling and I think about how she’s such an ass-kicker in the ring but then, every time you watch her, she’s making you laugh, she’s making you feel something and I’m like, you know what? A woman such as that who I look up to so much is a good example of you shouldn’t lose that spot that makes you unique, but you definitely have gotta kick some ass when you get out there and I think that I’ve been trying to find the balance of that, you know?”
Cameron also reflected on receiving praise from AEW World Champion MJF, admitting she had questioned whether she needed to present herself more seriously in order to be viewed as a legitimate competitor. After seeing MJF speak highly of her in an interview, she thanked him backstage, where he encouraged her to stay authentic while continuing to elevate her in-ring performances.
“I think that I definitely for a while was kind of questioning, ‘Okay, do I need to present myself a little bit more seriously to be taken seriously?’ And it was funny because there was actually an interview I saw MJF do a while ago and he brought me up and spoke very highly of me and it was really kind of him and believe it or not, he’s got a good bone in there. I went and talked to him at work and I was like, ‘Hey man, thanks for what you said.’ I was like, ‘I’m a little on the edge about how to approach things… I want people to take me seriously but I also don’t wanna lose the core of who I am.’ I have to give a shout-out to him because he very much was like, ‘Don’t ever lose who you are. That is what makes people connect with you. It’s just that when you get in that ring, you need to kick ass.’ When I look at all the greats and the people that I’ve looked up to, I feel like there’s so much power in — you don’t have to be, ‘I’m the tough guy! I’m gonna do this and I’m gonna beat your ass’ and stuff. It’s okay to be unique and be entertaining, as long as when you get in that ring and the bell goes, you just gotta bring it…”
