Maya World got the best birthday present imaginable at AEW Redemption: her first championship.
The rising star pulled off the upset at the Bell Centre in Montreal, dethroning Hikaru Shida to become the new AEW TBS Champion. Almost every prediction had the veteran retaining, which only made the shocker land harder.
Shida controlled the early going, beating World down and at one point biting her forehead. World spent much of the match fighting from underneath before finding her opening, building momentum with head kicks, a double foot stomp out of the corner, and a moonsault off the top for a near fall. She hit an outside dive after ducking a kendo stick shot, but Shida countered a moonsault attempt off the middle rope with a knee to the midsection and a rollup for two.
The finish came out of nowhere. Shida unloaded with several knee strikes, only for World to catch her flush with a rollup for the surprise three count. It was a fitting way to cap the night, as World won the title on her actual birthday.
The victory is a massive moment for World, who has been on a breakout run in 2026 that included a standout showing in the Owen Hart Cup and a win over former ROH Women’s World Champion Athena. She now has her first piece of AEW gold, taken off one of the promotion’s most decorated originals.
