A back injury forced Thunder Rosa to step away from the ring earlier in the summer. She recently gave an update about how the rehab process is going.
Thunder Rosa was forced to step away from AEW due to a lower-back injury, and she recently gave an update about how she’s progressingβwhile also making a promise to her fans. She’d reportedly been working through issues with a disc in her spine for some time. It apparently became too much to overcome with the All Out pay-per-view on the horizon. She had been booked in a fatal four-way match on the September 4 event but was forced to bow out due to the lingering back issue. Toni Storm won the interim championship at the PPV, and she’ll defend that title against Jamie Hayter at Full Gear.
Since Rosa didn’t have to relinquish her title, she’ll eventually get a shot at whoever is holding the Women’s Championship once she returns. And when she does, she promises to be better than ever. Speaking on The Wrestling Perspective Podcast, Thunder Rosa said the following: “It’s hard on any athlete, but I’m really excited that I know when I come back, I’m gonna’ come back a lot stronger in many aspects than when I left before.” She also gave a general update on her recovery, telling Wrestling Perspective that “I’m doing really well. This week, we made some good progress. I started running for the first time in almost 3 months. So, the physical activity is getting a little bit bigger, and I’m allowed to do a lot more stuff than before.” Rosa said that she can’t lift or wrestle yet, and stressed the need to take things slowly due to the nature of back injuries. (h/t, and thank you to Fightful.com for the transcription)
AEW Has Changed A Lot While Thunder Rosa Has Been Away
Perhaps it’s for the best that Thunder Rosa couldn’t compete at All Out. September 4, 2022, is one of the darkest days in AEW’s history. CM Punk savagely ripped into the EVPs of the company (Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks) while going on an explicative-filled rant during his media scrum following the event. The atom bomb interview reportedly led to a backstage altercation with The Being The Elite crew, and no one involved has been live on AEW television since. Punk might be done with the company all together. (It’s widely believed that Storm was supposed to go over at All Out anyway, so at least that much would have remained the same.)
The state of the women’s division has also changed pretty dramatically. Storm still carries the championship, but Hayter caught fire with fans in the summer months, leading to their match at Full Gear. It wouldn’t be shocking for Hayter to win that match, either. The debut of Saraya and the subsequent revelation that she’s healthy enough to wrestle will also have serious repercussions on the division for years to come. When Rosa can return to in-ring action, the AEW she’s returning to will look quite different from the one she left in August. Given the rampant rumors about Rosa having backstage heat with some other performers, including Hayter and Britt Baker, it’ll be interesting to see where exactly she lands once healthy.