Thunder Rosa competed in her first singles match since August 2022 on AEW Collision against rising star Queen Aminata. Both women came out of the match looking great but with Rosa’s first big win coming off her back injury, she’s primed to take back her position at the top of the women’s division.
Following her match, Rosa talked about her return, mentioning that she must now work her way back to the top. “You seriously asking me that question? I left as a champion, and you’re asking me how do I feel to be back in the ring? I’ve been walking in the shadows for a long, long time,” Thunder Rosa said. “All of you girls say that you’re walking in the darkness, that you are lost, that you don’t get an opportunity. I was on the top of my career, and life and circumstances took away from me. Now, I have to come and work from the bottom to get back to the top. I’ve been waiting for you guys to ask me a question. Where were you when I needed you guys? Where were you, to ask me the real questions? How I feel about being in the ring? I feel strong, I feel empowered, I feel like I never left. I never left. Just remember that.” (h/t: WrestleZone)
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Prior to Rosa’s unfortunate injury, she was theย AEW Women’s World Champion which she won from Britt Baker in their steel cage match. She held the championship for just five months before she was forced to vacate the title due to her back injury. Toni Storm would then win the interim AEW Women’s World Championship, dropping it to Jamie Hayter atย AEW Full Gear. The women’s championship has been on a rollercoaster since then, changing hands another five times.ย
Rosa returned to in-ring action in December teaming with Abadon against the TBS Champion Julia Hart and Skye Blue. She had been candid about the nature of her injury, noting that it put a damper on her mental health and she wasn’t sure she would return to the ring at all. She has previously stated that Kris Statlander helped her train when she was cleared to step in a ring again. Though she had been missing from one aspect of AEW programming, during her recovery she started appearing on the road again. She was part of the Spanish announce team for a bit of time before her official return.
