On February 21st, AEW star Thunder Rosa made her in-ring return after a seven-month absence, competing against Julia Hart on the Collision show. Shortly before, on February 18th’s AEW Dynamite, Rosa had appeared during a backstage segment with Kris Statlander, announcing she was medically cleared and setting her sights on the current AEW Women’s World Champion, Thekla. Despite the excitement around her comeback, Rosa quickly encountered hateful messages targeting her identity rather than her wrestling performance.
Details from AEW’s February 18 Dynamite and Rosa’s Return
The February 18th episode of AEW Dynamite featured a high-stakes match in which Swerve Strickland defeated Kenny Omega. Following the bout, Strickland continued his attack, driving Omega through the announce table with a brutal vertebreaker, an action likely intended to keep Omega off television until the Revolultion pay-per-view on March 15th. Alongside this intense storyline, Thunder Rosa made her first AEW appearance since July 2025’s All In Texas event, signaling her comeback with a backstage segment alongside Kris Statlander to challenge Thekla.
Thunder Rosa Addresses Online Hate and Defends Her Identity
After her match on Collision, Thunder Rosa wore entrance gear emblazoned with the phrase Mujer Mexicana Migrante, emphasizing her heritage as a Mexican migrant woman. Soon after, she responded publicly to a hateful message she had received, which she described as attacking her personally rather than critiquing her wrestling skills. Speaking out on social media, Rosa condemned the rising tide of prejudice in the United States, highlighting how people are increasingly viewed with suspicion based on their names, accents, or backgrounds.
“I want to address something real. 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.
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.
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 dehumanizing people, threatening them, turning immigration into a punchline, that’s not fandom, that’s hate.
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 normalize intimidation.”
?Thunder Rosa, AEW Wrestler
Community Response and Rosa’s Call for Respect
Rosa’s statement emphasized the importance of maintaining passionate debate within wrestling while rejecting hate and dehumanization. She urged the wrestling community—including locker rooms and audiences alike—to foster an environment free from intimidation and cruelty. Her message resonated widely, capturing the challenges many wrestlers and fans face when identity becomes a target beyond their in-ring performance.
“I have a message to share #Wrestlingforeveryone#ThunderRosapic.twitter.com/QFj6Goznzx”
?Thunder Rosa, AEW Wrestler
Additional Wrestling Headlines from February 2026
Meanwhile, other notable news from the wrestling world includes WWE legend Lilian Garcia announcing her upcoming wedding to a former wrestler, as revealed in November 2025. Saraya opened up about a troubling encounter involving pressure to participate in a threesome, adding to ongoing discussions about personal boundaries in the industry. Chelsea Green spoke out following a botched WWE SmackDown appearance, while Dominik Mysterio recently returned from injury and faces contract consequences if he loses his title match. Bad Bunny’s WWE career remains under discussion, with speculation over future matches after his three previous appearances.
There are also rumors connecting a former Universal Champion to WWE’s mysterious “mystery box,” while Seth Rollins, currently sidelined due to an injury sustained at Crown Jewel against Cody Rhodes, has issued sharp comments about Edge and Triple H. Meanwhile, Vince McMahon’s expected WWE return suggests potential shifts in leadership, though reports indicate he will not come alone.
What Thunder Rosa’s Comeback Signifies for AEW and Wrestling Culture
Thunder Rosa’s return to AEW marks a significant moment for both her career and the promotion’s women’s division. Her swift confrontation of hateful backlash underscores the ongoing issues surrounding identity and acceptance within professional wrestling’s passionate fan base. As AEW continues to build storylines around stars like Rosa, Strickland, and Omega, her outspoken stance signals a broader call for respect and inclusivity. The reaction to her comeback may influence how the wrestling community addresses harassment and intolerance moving forward, while fans anticipate her challenge to Thekla for the AEW Women’s World Championship.
I have a message to share #Wrestlingforeveryone#ThunderRosa pic.twitter.com/QFj6Goznzx
— Thunder Rosa (@thunderrosa22) February 22, 2026
