Former AEW Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa has reflected on her return to the company after over a year away.
Thunder Rosa made her return to AEW television on the December 16 episode of AEW Collision, when she came to the aid of Abadon to fend off an attack from TBS Champion Julia Hart and Skye Blue.
Rosa had been out of action since August 2022 with a serious back injury, which led to her relinquishing the AEW Women’s World Championship.
Following her return, Rosa spoke on Busted Open Radio about her return to the company.
She said:
“500 days to be away from the ring. I never really left. I was always on people’s minds. I was always trending on Twitter. I was always here (on Busted Open) surrounded by people that helped me, by people that love me like [Mark Henry], my friends, my family, my community. I never really left. I was on Busted Open talking about the women’s division. I was on commentary. I’ve been working commentary since February. I’ve been working tirelessly representing the women’s division as much as I could in Mexico and America talking to athletes. I’ve been doing a lot that is not necessarily being in the ring. That was my next step, to come back in the ring. It was very important. It was important to represent my people and show that it’s okay to have setbacks and to fight back and get back in there.
“I’ve been training since August in the ring, little by little. It’s a progression. You can see the change in my body and my mobility. It was difficult to come back because I was scared, I’m not going to lie, I was scared because you’re coming from a back injury that didn’t allow you to jump and run, and it was some things you had to re-learn.”
Rosa continued on, discussing the nerves she had ahead of her return due to it being over 500 days since she last competed.
She added:
“I was a little worried about botching that jump. I was a little nervous because it’s been 500 days and so much has happened during that time. There has been so much change in the women’s division. The new people, the new stars have risen. I was in the background for a long time. It was hard, in the beginning, to take that step. I learned it was important to take that role and learn about everyone in the ring, so when it became my moment, people were going to know when I was coming back. People kept asking, ‘When are you coming back?’ I said, ‘Everyone is going to know when I come back.’ Even though I looked different and came in without face paint and a full set of hair.
“It took me 500 days to recuperate, to find myself as a person, to physically, mentally, and spiritually heal. To face the fears of rejection. That people may reject me or boo me. Even though I was afraid and had doubts, I never doubted myself that I still have it, and I stopped listening to people who don’t like me and don’t want me to be successful. Even though I was in pain, I have very strong conviction to be one of the best wrestlers when I return, in the whole world. I will give my everything every time I step into the ring.
“It was a process where I had to redefine and reconstruct myself, and really find that new person that is Thunder Rosa. She was gone for so long. She died the last match I had when I defended the title. That was the last time that Thunder Rosa was alive. She went through a journey in the valleys of death. I could not find Thunder Rosa. In the last couple of months, she started resurfacing, and she started resurfacing in a different way,”
Rosa’s first match back has been announced for next week’s episode of Collision, when she teams with Abadon to face Julia Hart and Skye Blue.
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