Maya World on Athena’s Coaching & Teaching Prepared Her For Moments in Wrestling On Short Notice, Hikaru Shida Being an AEW Dream Match Opponent, Would Love To Wrestle At 2300 Arena, & Origins of Her “It Girl” Nickname”

Augusta Free Press held a recent interview with Maya World. One of the topics discussed included World’s thoughts about how Athena’s coaching and teaching had prepared her to be ready to take on opportunities and moments on a short notice in her wrestling career.

“Honestly, I say her coaching and teaching is what prepared me for moments like, making sure I’m ready whenever opportunity knocks. It’s definitely something she instills in her students to this day[…] In professional wrestling, you never know what’s going to happen. Even moments like, me getting signed after stepping up for a tag match, she told me, ‘I’ve been telling you, you never know what’s going to happen. Just always be ready, always be prepared, and never stop training. Stay ready.’”

World also gave her thoughts about Hikaru Shida being a dream match opponent for her wrestling career and her being hopeful of being able to get to wrestle against Shida in a match in AEW in the future.

“I’m here in Roanoke now, but I don’t have a match announced yet. I will be watching [Hikaru Shida defend the TBS Championship against Harley Cameron], actually. She’s the new champ. There’s new challengers. I could be one of her new challengers. So, hopefully one day I get to face her, too, because that’s definitely a dream match of mine also.”

World also gave her thoughts about the potential of her competing for the ROH Women’s World Championship at Ring of Honor’s Death Before Dishonor 2026 event and her desire to be able to wrestle at the 2300 Arena.

“I don’t know. But I would love to wrestle at the 2300 Arena. Like, it’s just iconic, and I feel like so many people have gotten to wrestle there recently, and I haven’t, so – I want to do that, and especially if it’s for the Ring of Honor Women’s World Championship, you never know. That’d be dope.

“I am pining for [the ROH world championship]. I don’t know what’s going to happen, I don’t know what the future holds, but that would be super dope.”

In a separate recent interview with WFXR News, World gave her thoughts about the origins of her ‘It Girl’ nickname.

“Well, I, you know, I’ve always been someone with a lot of confidence. Honestly, in wrestling, you have to have that confidence. So, I mean, it’s just like I loved sports growing up. I was just a show-off. I loved competing. So, like, I just, you know, The It Girl, and it kind of rhymes. So, like, I just went with it, you know. But I am the it girl. So, it was just easy.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com 1, 2, 3, & 4