Thunder Rosa On Empowering Women In Wrestling, Calling For The Next Women's Evolution

Thunder Rosa is the current NWA Women's Champion and also competes in Women of Wrestling. She has made it a mission to empower other women in the industry to know their worth and get what they deserve.

Rosa discussed what it takes to be an empowered woman in wrestling when she joined the Duke Loves Rasslin' Podcast.

"I really do want to empower other women to become businesswomen, because pro wrestling is a business. I've been so blessed for the last four years; I haven't had to work a regular 9 to 5 job. I've been talking to my friends about investing money, buying a house, taking classes that's going to help me build my brand even bigger. I trademarked my name. Wrestling is more than being in the ring, and this is the mentality we're trying to ingrain in the new generation. That's what's going to empower them," said Rosa.

"When they go to the big leagues they're not going to be eaten by the big companies. They're going to be like 'You know what? No, this is what I deserve. This is my contract; let me talk to my lawyer. You're not going to do me like that because I want to be branded WWE or AEW.' No! They're going to know what they're worth. That's the problem that we have; so many people are so unhappy working in the big companies because they're not making what they need to make. They're just sitting down there struggling with money. It shouldn't be that way."

The Women's Revolution was a progressive movement in pro wrestling, but there hasn't seemed to be much advancement, since then. Rosa talked about how women's wrestlers are still being treated as less than their male counterparts.

"There's still a lot of big promotions with only one women's match. Seriously, it's the year 2020. You can pay a guy $600 but you can't pay a girl just as talented as the guy $200 and a flight? She's probably sleeping on someone's floor. I've done it," revealed Rosa. "After Lucha Underground and sleeping in a 5-star hotel in downtown LA, I had to sleep on the floor of my Tia and Tio with Holidead and we had to sleep in Holidead's car. I wanted to make a name for myself, and when you're so hungry you do what you have to do."

Rosa wants women's wrestlers to get more opportunities in the big promotions. She didn't hesitate in calling them out.

"When is the next show for the Women's Evolution? Please can you tell me? It's been over two years. There are 60 or 70 women in NXT; I don't see an all-women's show. Why is nobody saying anything? AEW; where is the show where women are being highlighted? Come on! Can somebody please tell me? If I'm going to get heat for this, I don't care anymore," admitted Rosa. "It's 2020 and we're not going to be silent anymore. I'm not talking about being sexualized, I'm talking about being treated as professional wrestlers with the respect we deserve. We should be thankful Shimmer, Shine and Stardom are running WrestleCon? You should be ashamed of yourself. For many, many decades women's wrestling was put on the back burner. We need more spaces. There are so many girls who are sitting on the benches watching other girls work because there aren't enough spaces for us."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Duke Loves Rasslin' and give a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.