Thunder Rosa can be the spark the AEW women’s division needs

The AEW women’s division needs something to create excitement in its booking and perhaps that can be Thunder Rosa’s long-awaited return. 

There’s something missing with the booking of the AEW women’s division. It has become a hot topic once again, as discourse balloons around what’s hindering the division moving forward. Tony Khan referenced injuries as being a hindrance to the group, but that is far from the only issue when he successfully finds ways to book around the injuries in the men’s division. There needs to be an influx of excitement back in women’s wrestling for AEW and perhaps that can come through the return of Thunder Rosa.

It has been more than a year since she vacated the AEW Women’s World Championship, forced to the sidelines due to injury. Fans continue to wonder when she will return and it appears that moment is to come. Rosa recently acknowledged that she’s back to training and working out in the ring.

"“I stepped into the ring last Tuesday. I actually took my son with me to help do cardio. I’m training.” Rosa said while speaking to Doc-Chris Mueller of Bleacher Report. “I have to come back healthy. In the ring, what we do, it is extremely dangerous. I always pray for my opponent and pray for me to come back the same way that we came in. And sometimes we don’t. So, I’m praying that this time will be positive.”"

As are Rosa’s fans and many of the viewers that want to see women’s wrestling elevated to a stronger position in AEW. The Outcasts versus Homegrown Talent angle hasn’t worked, with even Khan admitting that the momentum has stalled. A lot of that stalling comes from the lackadaisical booking that presents the women as an afterthought. When given the opportunity to thrive, the women deliver. Look back to big moments like Rosa versus Britt Baker and their series of matches. Or Jamie Hayter versus Hikaru Shida from 2022. One could even point toward the metrics that Mercedes Mone/Sasha Banks generated for WWE and generates for NJPW. When given the same focus that the men’s division receives, the women are more than capable of providing strong results.

With Jamie Hayter out, the speculation is that Hikaru Shida will face Toni Storm at AEW All-In at Wembley Stadium. This match should excite fans because they’re two of the best performers in the industry today. AEW can tell the story of Shida being “overlooked” as the longest reigning champion in the company’s history and not originally factored into The Outcasts. Again, the show is scripted and there’s plenty of time between now and the event set for August 27.

With more than a month away, it would be interesting to see Rosa make her return after that match to confront Storm. The easy story to tell is right there. Rosa never lost the title and Storm became the interim champion. Just like CM Punk returned to AEW Collision with what many suspected was the AEW World Champion in the red bag, Rosa can do the same here. The difference is that the women’s division needs a compelling story while there are multiple going on within the men’s division.

AEW’s women’s division features some of the most talented women in the industry. The booking doesn’t serve them well, but perhaps there’s an opportunity to light a spark for the group’s booking with Thunder Rosa’s return setting the tone.