Lately I’ve been going back through the archives of NWA Powerrr. Yes. I did spell that right. NWA had a resurgence after being bought by William Patrick (Billy) Corgan, of Smashing Pumpkins fame. In bringing back NWA he did something interesting and different. He went old school with it, putting it back in the studio atmosphere. Much like in NWA’s early days. Even though it’s an older format, in today’s wrestling world it seems fresh and new.
Anyway, that’s not what we’re here for. This is a Wrestler Retrospect. The reason I brought up NWA is because today’s wrestler is one of, if not my favorite thing about NWA.
I knew a little of Thunder Rosa from Lucha Underground. She wasn’t known as Thunder Rosa there. She went by Cobra Moon and was masked. The other thing that really didn’t draw too much of my attention was the fact that she was there in more of a manager capacity. I do remember her being memorable in that role. Great on the mic and a very noticeable character, but I don’t remember her being anything I was excited to see each week. Mainly because she wasn’t in many matches that I saw. I did enjoy the rest of the stable though, which meant I was exposed to her quite a bit. I didn’t end up watching the final couple seasons of LU, so her capacity could have changed. No hating on me if that was the case.
Flash forward to watching clips of AEW (I know, different wrestling company, but we’ll get there.) and a dark haired woman with half her face painted like a sugar skull made her presence known. Rosa was NWA women’s champion at the time. She cut a promo on AEW’s women’s champion Shida, challenging her to a match and the forthcoming PPV. I knew by then that Rosa and Cobra Moon were the same person, but something about the passion in which she cut the promo struck something in me. This was someone who’d grown into herself as a character.
Now seeing that promo wasn’t the main reason I started watching Powerrr, but it helped put it on my list and a few months later I decided to pick it up again. I’d watched an episode and enjoyed it, but hadn’t watched another one.
I actually started watching NWA Shockwave. A more recent show. I’m not sure if it replaced Powerrr because of the pandemic or is something they put on in the meantime. But it was good. And Thunder Rosa was featured heavily, being the NWA women’s champion.
Now don’t get me wrong. There were plenty of great matches, but the Thunder Rosa matches were my favorites. She was charismatic and brutal in the ring. She was a great wrestler and her MMA background made her a legitimate threat from the get go. I was hooked. It was her match against Bea Priestley that I really became a fan. Both women pummeled each other, leaving just about everything in (and out of) the ring. I really could have seen it go either way as to who would win. The match ended up going to Thunder Rosa, but I also gained a huge respect for Bea and look forward to seeing more of her. I then decided to go back and finish Powerrr. Waiting with baited breath for Thunder Rosa to debut.
It did not disappoint.
When she debuted she didn’t wrestle. She’d offered an alliance to a wrestler that, at the time, was best friends with the current NWA women’s champion. The girl turned her down. It was just her presence and the pounding ware drums that accompanied the segment that created an atmosphere that left you wanting more. You wanted to see what Rosa was going to do next.
The next week when she did make her wrestling debut on the show, it was that same hurricane force that she was in Shockwave. Brutal and unforgiving in the ring, while still making her opponent look really good. There was no denying though that Thunder Rosa was already on the rise.
She eventually entered into a faction with that girl she’s offered her hand to, Marti Belle, and another wrestler that made her name in WWE, Melina. Even though Melina was the leader of the group, it was clearly Thunder Rosa that was the stand out. She had a presence, both in and out of the ring, that made her stand apart from the others. Even though she was supposed to play second fiddle to a more recognizable Melina.
It wasn’t long before Rosa captured the title, creating a wedge in the group that already felt like it was splintering. Rosa, who was quickly becoming a fan favorite, became the target of her own faction member Melina. Sad to say I haven’t gotten to a point where the feud plays out, and I’m not sure if it does. I’m on the last episode of Powerrr, and due to the current pandemic, no more have been made. As I’ve already said we do know that Thunder Rosa stayed champion, at least up to her AEW debut.
Thunder Rosa has been a very magnetic presence since laying eyes on her. Whether it’s her in-ring skills, her painted face, or her great promos, she’s definitely someone I can’t help but keep watching.
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