Maya World Opens Up on Competing at Forbidden Door Weeks After Brother’s Death: ‘I’m Doing It for Him’

There are moments in professional wrestling that transcend the sport, and Maya World’s run in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament is one of them. The AEW newcomer is set to face Mercedes Mone — the woman she has cited as her idol — in the tournament final at Forbidden Door this Sunday, all while carrying the weight of an unimaginable personal loss.

World entered the tournament on short notice after Sareee was ruled out for medical reasons, stepping in just two weeks after the passing of her younger brother Jatwane. She responded by defeating both Skye Blue and Athena on AEW television to earn her spot in the final, results that carry a deeply personal significance given the circumstances surrounding her participation.

In a candid interview, World spoke openly about the emotional toll of the past few weeks and how she has managed to keep competing at the highest level of her career.

“Mentally it’s been really tough, but it’s just something that I know a lot of people are looking to me and seeing how I’m getting by, and I’m just trying to be strong for myself, for my family and for my brother because I’m doing it for him,” she said. “A lot of it hasn’t settled in for me, which is why it’s a little bit easy. I’ve been feeling a lot of numbness, so it kind of feels like I’m on a mission and it’s full steam ahead honestly.”

The scale of what Sunday represents has yet to fully sink in for her. Less than a year after signing with AEW in January — alongside tag partner Hyan, after the two accepted an unsigned booking on AEW television back in December — World is now one win away from a potential All In appearance at Wembley.

“If you told me in like January or February that I would be facing my idol at Forbidden Door as one of the main events from the Owen Tournament, if anyone told me that I would definitely not believe them,” she said. “Last year All In was in Texas and I was in the audience as one of the extras, and I never thought a year from then that I would be in this position, doing what I’m doing in this kind of fairytale scenario.”

Faiytale or not, Maya World has earned every step of this opportunity — and on Sunday, she’ll look to take one more.