AEW's Thunder Rosa Discusses Journey From WWE Extra To World Champion

In wrestling, nobody debuts on top; dues must be paid. What sets legends apart from footnotes is a talent's ability to persevere and transcend a weak gimmick to become something greater. One could point to Nic Nemeth as a male cheerleader or Batista as a wrestling deacon for examples.

Thunder Rosa is another. The former AEW Women's World Champion began her wrestling journey as an extra in WWE, where she was part of a rotating group of females portraying The Godfather's "hoes." She spoke about her less-than-ideal start during an extended guest appearance on "Busted Open Radio."

"You will question your own self and your own worth because of the characters you have to portray on TV," Rosa said. "I just saw the picture, I was like a 'ho' on [Godfather's] 'Ho Train' when I first started wrestling... I'm proud of it. Because it's part of my journey. And people are, 'I can't believe you did that.' You know how many women did that in WWE that became Superstars? You gotta do what you gotta do."

The Mexican-born Rosa would find her stride in promotions like Lucha Underground and Ring of Honor before becoming a standout in All Elite Wrestling's women's division. She was involved in a prolonged and memorable feud with Britt Baker which saw her defeat the doctor of dentistry for the AEW Women's World Championship in a steel cage match. But despite the accolades, Rosa admitted there were times in her early "Ho" days where she battled self-doubt.

"Yes, I questioned myself sometimes," Rosa admitted. "I'm like, 'Am I doing the right thing? Is this the right thing? Should I just quit? Should I just find another career and figure it out?'... [but] it is what it is, and I became a world champion. I'm okay with that."