Pro Wrestling

Thunder Rosa signs with All Elite Wrestling

After nearly a year of guest appearances, Thunder Rosa finally made the leap.

July 23, 2021

As official AEW accounts announced on social media earlier today, former NWA Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa is officially All Elite.

Thunder Rosa made her debut for All Elite Wrestling in exactly 11 months ago on Aug. 22, 2021, when she challenged then-AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida to an inter-promotional match at AEW All Out 2021. Rosa’s first match for the promotion came on the Sept. 2, 2021 edition of Dynamite, where she defeated future rival Serena Deeb in a tune-up match prior to her PPV outing with Shida.

Though Thunder Rosa lost the NWA Women’s Championship in the months since then and has been a featured performer in AEW — including wrestling in the first women’s match to main event an episode of AEW Dynamite — Rosa was still an official NWA roster member until recently. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select (Patreon subscription required) revealed just this afternoon that AEW officially bought out Rosa’s NWA contract, allowing her to work for Tony Khan’s promotion full-time.

Cody Rhodes did announce yesterday that Thunder Rosa already had an official role in the company as a member of AEW’s new community outreach team (alongside Big Show, Mark Henry, Shawn Dean, and others), but today’s announcement — which doubles as a birthday present of sorts for Thunder Rosa — means that Rosa’s place in AEW is potentially less hampered by third parties. However, she will most definitely still be appearing for other promotions, as Thunder Rosa made her IMPACT Wrestling debut just this past weekend at Slammiversary, and she still owns and runs Mission Pro Wrestling.

Thunder Rosa signing with the company is not just exciting for the stories and matches she will take part in, but also because of her continued championing of women’s wrestling and the wrestlers she helps to bring in, like onscreen protégé Madi Wrenkowski.

We at AIPT are excited wish Thunder Rosa the best as she continues her journey with AEW!