Maya World Wants To Run It Back With Mercedes Mone, Paul Wight Praises The Undertaker

Paul Wight has shared which WWE legend had the biggest impact on his development as a professional wrestler, revealing that The Undertaker played a crucial role in shaping him during the early years of his career.

Breaking into the business, Wight had the rare opportunity to learn from some of wrestling’s greatest names, including Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Randy Savage, and The Undertaker. Now a veteran himself, Wight is passing those lessons on to the next generation of talent.

Speaking during a recent interview with Joey Franchize, Wight was asked which wrestler taught him the most during his career. While he credited several legends for helping him along the way, he singled out The Undertaker as the person who had the greatest influence on him, even if that guidance often came in the form of “tough love.”

Reflecting on his journey, Wight explained that learning from veterans like The Undertaker helped shape both his in-ring abilities and his approach to the wrestling business. Today, he aims to pass that same knowledge and experience on to younger wrestlers as they begin their own careers.

You can check out some highlights from the interview below:

On who helped him out the most in his career: “I think throughout my career, probably the guy that helped me the most when I was the greenest as far as everything was probably Undertaker. Yeah, I got to give him the credit, because Taker was on my ass a lot. He’s got a broken tendon in this [right index] finger. So, I would come through the curtain, he’d always have that broken finger, and he would do that [pointing]. And I’m like, ‘Oh damn.’ You don’t want to hear it, like every night there was something I was doing wrong. And sometimes I knew it before I did it, but I’d still get this [pointing].

“And I remember one night I messed up, and I didn’t want to hear it. Just, I didn’t want to see his face, I didn’t want to talk to Vince, I didn’t want to hear it. So, I went [through the] side ramp. As soon as I come through the curtain, Taker was there with his finger. [laughter] He knew I would go side ramp; he didn’t let me get away.”

On passing what he learned onto younger talent: “But what’s funny is, a lot of the things that he taught me about locker room etiquette, handling stuff business-wise, I learned from him. I mean, he taught me a lot because he was the one that was, ‘Hey,’ you know, ‘this this and this.’ And I find myself helping the younger talents out with the same kind of information.”

“I actually talked to him a couple months ago about it and he started laughing. He goes, ‘Well, at least you finally learned something!’ I was like, ‘Yeah, finally.’”

On ‘Taker’s ‘tough love’ approach: “I went to him early in our relationship. I went to him, and I was looking for a — because younger talent’s always looking for that ‘Thatta boy.’ They go out there, they feel good. They didn’t make any mistakes in the match. They go, ‘This is great. I’m awesome, right?’ So, I went, ‘Hey man, what do you think? You got any advice? Got any tips?’ Because as a young guy, you’re supposed to do that to the older talent.

“He says, What do I think? I think you should take two weeks off and quit the business,’ and he walked off. [laughs] So like, ‘Don’t come to me with that weak ‘You want a pat on the back,’ kid. You know what to do. Go out there and work hard. When the time’s right, you’ll earn it. It’s not going to be given to you.’ It was tough love, but it was good love at the time.”

Maya World believes her breakout performance against Mercedes Moné at AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door is only the beginning, and she’s already looking forward to running it back.

World turned heads across the wrestling industry after advancing to the finals of the women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, earning a championship showdown with Moné at Forbidden Door. Although Moné emerged victorious, the match marked the biggest moment of World’s career to date, especially since she has long viewed the reigning champion as one of her biggest inspirations in professional wrestling.

Speaking with the Augusta Free Press, World reflected on taking advantage of the opportunities AEW has given her and made it clear that she isn’t satisfied with just one meeting. She said she’s eager for a rematch with Moné and hopes it happens sooner rather than later, believing another chance to face her idol is only a matter of time.

You can check out some highlights from the interview below:

On her ability to rise to the opportunity: “I honestly believe it’s a quality I’ve always had. But I think it definitely has developed more in professional wrestling. In pro wrestling, you come from the indies, and it’s all about opportunity. It’s about going everywhere you can and trying to make a name for yourself, which is exactly what I did on the Indies, and it got me to where I am now.

“So, it’s definitely like prepared me for moments like being able to be put in a situation, and being able to like take that head on. I’ve always wanted to be the person who exceeded all expectations when I’m put into anything, and I feel like that’s what I’ve done so far.”

On a potential rematch with Mone: “Honestly the rush of the crowd, being that deep into the match — like, I still think about the moment where I had her in the crossface and the crowd was getting behind me. Going that deep into a match was amazing, and now that I know I can do it, I want to do it again. So if I go that deep again, I’m definitely ready for it this time.”

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