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Two weeks after suffering the sudden loss of her 25-year-old brother, Jatwane Anton Wilson, Maya World delivered one of the most emotionally charged performances of her career — upsetting ROH Women’s World Champion Athena in the semifinal of the AEW Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament on the June 20 episode of AEW Collision.
The win books World a spot in the tournament final at Forbidden Door 2026, where she’ll face Mercedes Moné, who had already punched her ticket to the finals with a victory over Hazuki on the June 17 edition of AEW Dynamite.
Following her win over Athena, AEW cameras caught up with World, and she didn’t hold back on what the moment meant to her.
“Just to think, two weeks ago I was sitting on the couch thinking what life would be like without my brother,” she said. “But careers aren’t made on the couch, so I sucked it up. I sucked up every fear, every tear, and I came to work.”
World then acknowledged Athena — crediting her as a teacher while making clear the chapter is closed — before pivoting to what lies ahead. She admitted that facing Moné has been a dream since before she even laced up her first pair of boots, but that this version of the dream comes with a weight she never anticipated.
“I’m a day one Mercedes girl, and I dreamed of this match before I even laced up my first pair of boots,” World said. “But I never dreamed it would be like this.”
She closed by making her intentions unmistakable: “At Forbidden Door, ‘The It Girl’ is coming for that trophy and my hero Mercedes Moné.”
World had previously credited her love of professional wrestling to her late brother on social media following his passing. The Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, built around the spirit of perseverance and opportunity, has rarely felt more fitting as a backdrop. For a self-described small town girl from Dallas, Texas, Forbidden Door 2026 now represents something far bigger than a career milestone.
Reporting and match coverage produced by the PW Exclusive team. Articles under this byline are drafted with AI assistance and reviewed before publication — see our editorial standards for how we work.
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