Tony Khan Singles Out Maya World as AEW’s Most Underrated Talent Ahead of Forbidden Door Finals

Maya World has been making serious noise in AEW over the past several weeks, and now she has the company’s president in her corner — at least in spirit. During an appearance on Q93, AEW President Tony Khan was asked to identify the most underrated talent on his roster, and he pointed to World without hesitation.

The endorsement comes at a meaningful moment. World has been on a remarkable run through the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament, knocking off both Skye Blue and Athena to punch her ticket to the finals. Those are two significant scalps — Athena in particular has been one of AEW’s most dominant performers in recent memory — and World’s tournament run has opened a lot of eyes to what she’s capable of.

With a spot in the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament finals secured, World will now compete on one of AEW’s biggest stages of the year: AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door. The crossover event has historically served as a showcase for talent that deserves wider recognition, making it a fitting backdrop for someone Khan himself is calling the most underrated performer in the promotion.

For a wrestler still establishing herself on the main roster, having the boss go on record with that kind of praise — and backing it up with a high-profile tournament final slot — is about as strong a vote of confidence as you can get. Whether World can convert the opportunity into a tournament title at Forbidden Door remains to be seen, but the build to this point has already made a compelling case.