Maya World’s remarkable run in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament continued on Saturday’s AEW Collision, as she secured the biggest victory of her career under emotional circumstances.

Just days after suffering the loss of her brother, World advanced to the tournament final by defeating ROH Women’s World Champion Athena in a major upset. The victory punches her ticket to next Sunday’s AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door event, where she will face Mercedes Moné with far more than tournament glory on the line.

The winner of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament final will earn a championship opportunity at All In in August, challenging for the AEW Women’s World Championship.

World’s tournament journey has been nothing short of unexpected. Earlier this week, she was inserted into the competition as a late replacement for the injured Sareee. Making the most of the opportunity, she defeated Skye Blue in the quarterfinal round before following it up with a career-defining win over Athena.

The result was especially significant given Athena’s dominance over the past year. The two competitors were already familiar with one another through their previous encounters in Ring of Honor. World pushed Athena to a draw in March before coming up short in a subsequent ROH Women’s World Championship match. Saturday’s victory marked Athena’s first singles defeat since her loss to Syuri at NJPW New Beginning USA in February 2026.

Standing in World’s way at Forbidden Door is Mercedes Moné, who is aiming to earn another shot at the AEW Women’s World Championship. Moné previously challenged for the title at All In last year but was unable to dethrone then-champion Toni Storm.

Now, with a place at All In and a world title opportunity at stake, Maya World and Mercedes Moné are set to collide in one of the most anticipated matches on the Forbidden Door card.