"I can't be in the ring" - Beloved AEW star gives heartbreaking update on wrestling future

An AEW fan-favorite and former women's champion has shared a disappointing update on her immediate in-ring future. The star in question, Thunder Rosa, has been missing from action for several months now.

La Mera Mera has been one of the most prominent faces of AEW's women's division since the Jacksonville-based promotion's early days. She wrestled actively on the company's weekly television throughout the early half of 2025, although she has not been inside the squared circle since unsuccessfully participating in the Women's Casino Gauntlet Match at All In : Texas this past July. It was subsequently revealed that the Mexican star had sustained an "undisclosed injury", and she herself has since spoken about her path to recovery.

During a recent interview with Masks, Mats & Mayhem, Thunder Rosa was asked about the possibility of a reunion with her former tag team partner and rival, Toni Storm. The former AEW Women's World Champion responded by emphasizing that materializing an idea like this is not up to her, besides noting that she cannot compete inside the ring at the moment. She also stated that focusing on her health is her priority right now.

“Unfortunately, it’s not up to me. I just work there. I just come, show up, say thank you very much. I’m happy to be here and when I go back and wrestle, that’s what you do. I would have loved to but, given the circumstances right now, I can’t be in the ring. So, people have to move on and that’s what happened… And for me right now, my health is super important for the rest of my career.”

Rosa furthermore revealed that she was gearing up for her comeback, and alluded to multiple non-wrestling endeavours she has planned for next year, including a Master's degree.

“And I’m preparing myself to get back in the ring, which is important. I think this year, 2026, is gonna be extremely important. I have to stay healthy for big opportunities to come in the future. What do they look like? I don’t know yet. But for sure, my Master’s degree is coming, that’s for sure, and some music is coming, and a documentary is coming. So, there’s a lot of stuff that we’re working on…” [H/T - Ringside News]

This past May on Dynamite, Rosa had unsuccessfully competed against Storm in a four-way Eliminator bout for The Timeless One's AEW Women's Title, a match which also involved Anna Jay and Penelope Ford. Earlier in March, "ThunderStorm" had their latest team-up, as they took on the "Superbad Girl" and her dominant ally Megan Bayne in a losing effort.

Thunder Rosa on "finishing the story" with former AEW champion

Elsewhere during the same interview, Thunder Rosa discussed her feud with Britt Baker, one of the original and most intense rivalries from AEW's women's division. On the topic of a potential rematch with The DMD, whom she has not faced one-on-one since beating her for the Women's World Title in 2022, the 39-year-old said that although she was interested in revisiting her history with Baker, the decision to make it happen lay in the hands of people above her.

“Again, it’s not up to me. It’s not up to her. It’s up to the people above us. That’s above my pay grade. I mean, I would love to. I think it would be a good idea to close the chapter on our story and do it right. That’s what I’m saying — it’s time to finish the story. Give her another chance. It’s not me giving her another chance — I mean, for years I’ve been saying we should finish. I’ve called her out plenty of times, yes. I don’t know if it will happen.” [H/T RSN]

Baker has been on hiatus from the Tony Khan-led company herself since last year's November, and despite conjecture of her potential departure, TK has maintained that The Doctor is still signed with AEW.

Edited by Anurag Mukherjee