What happened between AEW star Thunder Rosa and Lucha Underground producers?
Thunder Rosa won the AEW Women's Championship with an emphatic victory over arch-rival Britt Baker at AEW St. Patrick's Day Slam. Before establishing her place as a top star in AEW, Rosa worked as Kobra Moon on Lucha Underground.
When she first competed in Lucha Underground, Thunder Rosa was just over a year into her professional wrestling career. Her first match in the promotion was against Bengala aka Ricky Marvin.
However, Rosa didn't exactly have the best of experiences in the promotion. So what exactly happened with the reigning AEW Women's Champion in Lucha Underground?
While speaking on AEW Unrestricted, Rosa stated that she was quite inexperienced and also messed up the finish of her first match:
"My first match, I was with a veteran, I won't say his name but you probably know who I'm talking about. I had this mask that didn't fit me, the shoes were two sizes too big, this gear that was riding on my vajayjay. I have to get in the ring with this person and I'm trying to be respectful because I'm green. The guy is yelling at me the whole time we're putting the match together. (...) And then I messed up the finish. Never mess up the finish, ever," said Rosa. (24:06)
The AEW Women's Champion also reflected on how poorly she was treated and how badly it made her feel:
"I will never forget how poorly I was treated and how little I felt. I felt like I was nobody. Ever since then, I promised myself I would never treat another person like that in the ring if it's their first match. I don't care how inexperienced they are, I don't care where we are. We'll work on it." (25:08)
Thunder Rosa is finally a champion in AEW
After several months of anticipation, Thunder Rosa is finally a champion in AEW. She ascended to the top of the mountain in an emotionally-charged cage match against Dr. Britt Baker, and fans couldn't be happier. But it wasn't an easy road.
At AEW Revolution, La Mera Mera faced Britt Baker in a bout full of interference from Jamie Hayter and Rebel. Seeking revenge, she defeated Leyla Hirsch on the next episode of Dynamite to earn another opportunity at the AEW Women's Championship.
Rosa and Baker then clashed again in the former's adopted hometown of San Antonio, TX. The match involved chairs, thumbtacks, and plenty of brutal violence. With Thunder Rosa emerging victorious, she will now venture down the even more difficult road of defending her title against AEW's slew of talented women.