Thunder Rosa’s long-awaited in-ring return should have been the only story coming out of AEW Collision on February 21. Instead, the former champion found herself addressing something far more personal just hours later.
Thunder Rosa, who competed for the first time in eight months on Saturday’s Collision in Oceanside, California, revealed on Sunday that she had received what she described as a hateful message targeting her identity rather than her performance. In a video response, Rosa made it clear she would not repeat the message or amplify the individual behind it, but she did not shy away from addressing the wider issue.
“I want to address something real,” Rosa said. “I received a hateful message, the kind that doesn’t critique my work, but it really attacks who I am and where I came from.”
She continued by placing the incident within a broader social context.
“I’m not going to repeat it, and I’m not going to give this guy more oxygen, but I will say this: in the United States right now, a lot of people are being treated as suspects. Not because of what they’ve done, but because of their names, their accents, or the place that they came from.”
Rosa stressed that criticism of her wrestling is part of the industry, but insisted there is a line that should not be crossed.
“If you don’t like my matches, my promos, my style, that’s your right. Wrestling is a passionate sport. Debate is part of it. But dehumanising people, threatening them, turning immigration into a punchline, that’s not fandom, that’s hate.”
She then delivered a message to both the locker room and the fanbase.
“So here’s my message to the locker room, to the audience, and to everyone listening. We can keep wrestling tough without being cruel. We can be loud without being dangerous, and we can protect this community by refusing to normalise intimidation.”
What Message Did Thunder Rosa Send With Her Ring Gear On Saturday?
Thunder Rosa’s entrance on Saturday carried added meaning. For her match against Julia Hart, she wore gear emblazoned with the words “Mujer Mexicana Migrante,” which translates to “Mexican Migrant Woman.” After the show, she reinforced that message on Twitter, writing, “Mexican Migrant Woman. Here we are, and we’re not leaving!”
The Collision appearance marked Rosa’s first match since AEW All In Texas on July 12, 2025, making her return significant even before the controversy that followed. Now, her comeback has sparked a conversation that extends well beyond the ropes.
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