Athena has offered a detailed look at the journey that led Maya World from the Texas independent scene to an AEW contract, including the middle-of-the-night phone call that confirmed a major career breakthrough for her trainee.
AEW President Tony Khan announced the signings of Maya World and Hyan at Worlds End in December 2025, a moment that marked an important opportunity for two wrestlers who had built their reputations through extensive work on the independents. World has since made a rapid impact in AEW, including a 35-day reign as TBS Champion earlier this summer.
Speaking with Denise Salcedo, Athena described seeing something special in World early in her career. Athena said World was among the first women in Texas that she made a point of pursuing as a potential trainee, having been struck by World’s athletic movement and overall performance during an independent show.
Athena Saw Potential in Maya World Early
For Athena, the raw elements were already present. The challenge was helping World sharpen the smaller details that can make the difference between a promising independent wrestler and a performer ready for larger stages. Athena invited World to train with her, and said the two worked together for nearly three years.
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“Maya was one of the first women in the Texas area that I avidly went after,” Athena said. “I saw her on a show and I was like, ‘Man, there’s something there.’ There’s something really special that came to mind, the way she moved, the way she performed. She was just missing a couple of beats so I invited her to come train with me.”
Athena’s account reflects the value of sustained mentorship in wrestling. Training does not only involve developing in-ring mechanics. It also means learning how to present oneself, how to maximize limited opportunities, and how to adapt when the level of competition and visibility rises. Athena said she pushed World continuously on those areas as the prospect began receiving AEW opportunities.
That included advocating for World to get in front of Tony Khan. Athena recalled wanting Khan to see what World could do after World had appeared on an AEW show. While Athena could not recall which show hosted World’s first AEW match, she remembered directly making the case for a match between them.
At the time, Athena had recently wrestled Billie Starkz and was feeling the physical effects of that bout. Even so, she saw an opening to demonstrate World’s potential in a match against an established AEW and Ring of Honor star. Athena noted that World lost that encounter, but framed it within the dynamic between trainer and student.
“I remember being like, ‘Yo, TK, you got to see this girl,’” Athena said. “I remember it was after a match with Billie and I was so sore. I was so sore, Billie beat my butt black and blue. I was just like, ‘Give her a match with me, let me show you what she can do.’ We had this match, she lost because I’m the trainer.”
World continued to be brought back for appearances, and Athena saw that recurring exposure as an encouraging sign. But being invited back was only part of the process. Athena explained that she pressed World to improve every dimension of her presentation as she worked toward a permanent spot.
The Work Beyond the Ring
Athena’s recollection emphasized how much preparation goes into being ready when a contract opportunity arrives. She spoke about urging World to upgrade her gear, continue developing her speaking ability, and address any remaining areas in need of work. It was direct, persistent guidance from a mentor who believed World could reach the next level.
“Girl, we’ve got to get you new gear, we’ve got to get you this, we’ve got to get you that. Hey, we’ve got to work on your promos. We’ve got to work on this, we’ve got to work on that,” Athena recalled telling World. “I was just hounding her left and right and then soon enough, when the moment came, she took advantage of an opportunity and she ended up with a contract.”
That final point stood out in Athena’s story. Advocacy and training can help create a path, but the wrestler still has to capitalize when the chance comes. In Athena’s view, World did exactly that. Her AEW signing became the payoff for years of effort, development, and steady pressure to keep refining her craft.
The moment World received the offer was not kept quiet for long. Athena said World called her at approximately 2 a.m. and attempted to reach her six times. The late hour and repeated calls naturally made Athena think something serious had happened. Instead, World had life-changing news.
A Late-Night Call and an Emotional Celebration
After getting out of bed to answer, Athena heard an excited World explain that AEW had offered her a contract. Athena said the emotion of the occasion immediately hit her, and she cried while celebrating the achievement with World.
“She called me like at like 2 AM. She called me like six times and I was like, ‘Oh my god, this must be an emergency, what’s going on?’” Athena said. “I’m getting out of the bed and she’s like, ‘I did it. I did it.’”
Athena said she was particularly moved because World reached that point early in her career. Comparing it to her own much longer road, Athena was happy to see someone young and eager to learn receive a major opportunity without having to wait as long as she did.
“I just like cried because I was like, oh, thank goodness she did it,” Athena said. “It didn’t take her ten years like it took me, she’s very early in her career and she’s very young. She’s very eager to learn. I was just so happy for her in that moment.”
World’s call also led Athena to think immediately about Hyan, who was signed alongside World. Athena said World and Hyan wrestled in a tag team match that night, making the timing of the news even more memorable. Athena reached out to Hyan at around 4 a.m. to confirm whether she had received the same good news.
As Athena told it, the conversation began with a few hesitant messages before she called Hyan directly and asked the question. Hyan confirmed the signing, prompting another celebration.
“I called her like, ‘Girl, did you get signed?’” Athena said. “I had to call her. She goes, ‘Yeah, we did it.’”
Hyan Also Earns Athena’s Praise
Athena made clear that her excitement was not limited to World. She praised Hyan’s efforts across the independent scene, describing her as a wrestler who has worked hard and traveled around the world. Athena also said she does not offer enough praise for Hyan’s abilities, calling her phenomenal.
The signings were meaningful to Athena in part because both wrestlers had been featured in Who Runs The World. For Athena, seeing two performers who had put in that work receive AEW contracts represented a rewarding outcome and a reminder of the depth of talent developed outside the major promotions.
World’s subsequent TBS Championship reign has added another chapter to that story. A 35-day run with the championship earlier this summer placed World in a prominent position quickly after her arrival, underlining why Athena had been so insistent that AEW take a closer look at her.
There is still considerable room for both World and Hyan to shape their respective AEW careers, and Athena is eager to see how their futures unfold. Her account of World’s late-night call, however, captures the personal side of a contract announcement that fans often only see in public form. Behind the announcement was years of training, repeated appearances, feedback on every facet of presentation, and a mentor waiting anxiously for a student to get the opportunity she believed was possible.
For Athena, the news was worth being awakened at 2 a.m. For Maya World and Hyan, it marked the beginning of a new stage in their careers. And for World, her rise to a TBS Championship reign has already shown that the contract call was not an endpoint, but the opening of a far bigger AEW journey.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.