AEW Women's Champion Thunder Rosa set to face four-time champion at major international event
AEW Women's World Champion Thunder Rosa has been announced as returning to Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling for their Summer Sun Princess event.
La Mera Mera last wrestled for the Japanese all-women's promotion at the beginning of 2020, where she captured the International Princess Title from Maki Itoh. AEW fans may recognize from her return as the 'Joker' entrant in the Owen Hart Tournament.
Unable to return to the promotion and defend the title at the start of the pandemic, she vacated the title, going on to reign atop NWA and AEW in the time since. TJPW announced via Twitter that La Mera Mera would once more return to the promotion, facing Miyu Yamashita at their July 9th Summer Sun Princess event.
"Thunder Rosa is making her return to TJPW for the first time in over 2 years! She will be facing Miyu Yamashita at TJPW Summer Sun Princess 2022. The whole world will have their eyes on this match!" (TJPW announced via Twitter)
サンダー・ロサvs山下実優【速報】
『SUMMER SUN PRINCESS '22』
☆7月9日(土)大田区総合体育館
⚡️サンダー・ロサvs山下実優
@thunderrosa22 is making her return to #tjpw for the first time in over 2 years!
She will be facing @miyu_tjp at #tjpwSSP22. The whole world will have their eyes on this match!
#AEW https://t.co/jNWw2f4eZM
Her opponent, Miyu Yamashita, is a four-time champion. She reigned as Princess of Princess Champion three times within TJPW and once with the SHINE Championship.
What did fans make of the announcement that the AEW Star would return to Japan?
The comments section of the Twitter announcement may be considered enough to sell you on the idea of the match, as fans made clear their excitement for the cross-promotional clash.
There were a sizeable few who made their feelings known not by words but rather by GIFs, conveying a considerable level of excitement towards the announcement:
@tjpw2013 @thunderrosa22 @miyu_tjp Thunder Rosa vs @miyu_tjp !!!! https://t.co/5zqfSPmuh0
@tjpw2013 @thunderrosa22 @miyu_tjp https://t.co/vnTuL8uCPn
@tjpw2013 @thunderrosa22 @miyu_tjp https://t.co/4O2qTY1wcE
Of course, some expressed their discontent with the announcement as well, as seen below.
@tjpw2013 @thunderrosa22 @miyu_tjp AEW cares so little about their champion that they are going to send her to TJPW?
It's been a busy couple of days for the AEW Women's Champ, having been called out by former WWE Superstar Taya Valkyrie recently too. La Mera Mera is scheduled to defend her title at the end of this month against Toni Storm at Forbidden Door.