Maya World Emotionally Reacts To Winning AEW TBS Championship After Brother’s Passing: ‘He Was In The Ring With Me, He Helped Raise My Hand’

Published: 7 minutes ago by Jamie Toolan | Last Updated: 1 second ago by Jamie Toolan

Jamie has been covering the world of wrestling for four years and currently holds the position of Assistant Editor of WrestleTalk.com. During his time working for WrestleTalk.com he has written and published over 4,000 news and feature articles covering events and happenings from WWE, AEW, TNA and a variety of international and independent wrestling promotions.

Maya World Emotionally Reacts To Winning AEW TBS Championship After Brother’s Passing: ‘He Was In The Ring With Me, He Helped Raise My Hand’

Maya World has shared her emotional reaction to winning the AEW TBS Championship over a month after losing her brother Jatwan Anton Wilson.

In what was two major women’s division title changes on the night, Maya World dethroned Hikaru Shida to win the AEW TBS Title – gaining her first taste of championship success in the company, on her birthday no less.

The win comes over a month following an extremely trying time in the life Maya World and her family, when her 25-year-old brother Jatwan Anton Wilson passed away suddenly in early June.

World would then embark on a cinderella story-type run in the AEW Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, but unfortunately she fell at the last hurdle to Mercedes Moné in the final at AEW Forbidden Door.

Any fears that World’s success in the Owen was a one-off were evaporated at last night’s AEW Redemption however, as she dethroned former two-time AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida to become the new AEW TBS Champion.

Immediately after the win AEW cameras caught up with World, and she commented on the win and feeling her brother’s presence in the ring with her in Montreal:

“I was hoping you know, I always dreamed that one day I would be, honestly TBS Champion, Women’s World Champion one day, but never this soon did I think this would happen.

“I wish Hyan was here right now to celebrate with me, but I’ve had to do this – I’ve had to do a lot of things by myself and this is just another thing on the list. Owen Hart finalist and now TBS Champion.

“Since June, I lost my brother and honestly it hasn’t been the best year for me in terms of that. But in terms of AEW, I turned it around early in June and I came to work because that’s what my brother would have wanted. And I know he’s standing or sitting right next to me. He was in the ring with me. He helped raise my hand…

“And now, I get to go home and show my family this new shiny championship and I know they’re probably blowing my phone up and texting me but, I’m just so happy. And all the hard work, all the hard work I put in led to this.”

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As mentioned, World’s win was not the only title change in the women’s division during Redemption, as former TBS Champion Willow Nightingale dethroned Thekla to become the brand new AEW Women’s World Champion.

Willow’s win sets her up for a one-on-one AEW Women’s World Title match with 2026 Women’s Owen Cup winner Mercedes Moné at AEW All In London on August 30.