AEW Star Thunder Rosa Provides Return Update, Eyes Current Champion

Thunder Rosa has been out of action in AEW since last November due to a serious back injury. During that time, she was forced to relinquish the AEW Women's Championship after holding it for 172 days. During a recent episode of "Busted Open Radio' though, Rosa indicated that her in-ring return was imminent and she's ready to compete, wanting to step into the ring with whoever holds any of the women's championships when that is. "It's really freaking soon," she said without providing a specific timeline. 

But the former AEW champ centered much of her focus on ROH Women's World Champion Athena. The pair have been exchanging barbs on X (formerly Twitter) in recent weeks, and Thunder Rosa once again had Athena's name in her mouth — particularly in discussing a recent bout involving Ronda Rousey at Wrestling REVOLVER's "Unreal." Both women would again find themselves on opposite sides of the ring not too long after for a match to be aired on "ROH on HonorClub."

Athena and Rosa have yet to match up in singles competition in either AEW or ROH. Last year, they wrestled to a time-limit draw at Warrior Wrestling 19, and then later engaged in a Triple Threat affair that included Skye Blue at Warrior Wrestling 20.

Rosa expressed that she would love to fight Athena again but she is really willing to take on anyone after being out of the ring for so long. "When fighters are injured, or they go through a lot of stuff and have to wait to come back ... we're like a dog in a cage, just waiting for a moment to get out." CMLL's Stephanie Vaquer and various members of the Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling roster were also thrown out there as possible future opponents.