Injured AEW Star Thunder Rosa Provides Health Update, Says She Might Need Surgery

When Thunder Rosa was unable to defend the AEW Women's World Championship last August due to a back injury, many assumed that "La Mera Mera" would be returning to the ring imminently, since Toni Storm was crowned the interim champion after winning a grueling four-way match at All Out. However, Rosa would ultimately relinquish the title after Full Gear and has been on a rocky road to recovery ever since. And with the latest update on her condition, it seems that journey isn't over yet. In an interview with AdFreeShows, the former champion revealed that despite doing everything she could to avoid it, her severe injury may now require surgery.

"It's been really dark," she said. "Especially when you think you're making steps to coming back to the ring and the pain does not leave your body. I've done pretty much everything to avoid certain things that you don't want to do like surgery, but [there are] talks of having to have surgery ... Some weeks it's been very, very dark, and I just feel like I'm never gonna wrestle again, and some other weeks, things are going really well. But when I get in the ring, [that's when] it's not well, and you have to be realistic."

Luckily, Rosa has been able to participate in wrestling in new ways during her time away from the ring. Working as a producer and a Spanish language commentator, in addition to being a critic as a co-host of "Busted Open Radio," she has learned so much in a backstage role at AEW. That said, Rosa told AFS she doesn't "feel the same rush that you feel when you're in the ring" in her new positions.