Thunder Rosa Credits This AEW Star With Helping Her Through In-Ring Return

2024 could be a big year for former AEW Women's World Champion Thunder Rosa as she looks set to bounce back from a back injury that kept her from performing for over a year. Rosa was forced to vacate her crown before the All Out pay-per-view in 2022 and only made her in-ring return on the final episode of "AEW Collision" in December 2023. During a recent appearance on 'Busted Open Radio,' Rosa revealed that there was one member of the women's division in particular who helped her prepare for her return match.

"Kris Statlander was the one who helped me with my first match when I got cleared," Rosa said. "She volunteered to help me because she's been through what I've been through in terms of injuries, and that to me was very empowering. Having women that ... they want to help you get better, and they care to make the division better."

Statlander has suffered multiple setbacks throughout her AEW career due to injury. The former AEW TBS Champion tore the ACL in her left leg in June 2020 during a match on "AEW Dynamite," putting her on the shelf for nine months. She was out for another nine months after tearing the ACL in her right leg in August 2022, returning at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view in May 2023.

Rosa also noted that the likes of Willow Nightingale, Athena, and Julia Hart are examples of women in All Elite Wrestling who are not only performing at an extremely high level in the ring, but are making efforts to improve the women's division out of it.

Please credit Busted Open Radio when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.