Thunder Rosa was recently a guest on the Battleground Podcast, where she spoke about wanting to defend the AEW Women's World Championship against Athena (formerly Ember Moon):

"[I want to defend against] Athena. We had a 30-minute match on the independent scene to defend the Warrior Wrestling Championship when I was champion there. We went at it. It was really fun.”

Rosa continued.

"I think she has a humongous chip on her shoulder. When was the last time, besides the NWA, that she's been champion in a major company? She's been wrestling for 17 years. If I was her, I would be in the same position because you see me, right? I've always been an outsider and even now, people still see me as an outsider. There's still some people questioning me as a champion, right? So she's like, ‘Thunder Rosa. She can say whatever she wants, but I have been wrestling for 17 years, I've been doing this, I had all this crap and I deserve respect.’ Just as much as she deserves respect, I deserve respect.

“I have worked my ass off for the last eight years, from bottom to top. Now that I'm on top, I'm working even harder to stay on top and to show everybody why am I the face of AEW. They can question that all they want, but when it comes down to me getting in the ring, they already know I put my face paint on and it’s a wrap, baby. It's a freakin’ wrap, and we're doing it in the fighting capital of the world, Last Vegas. There is no place better, man. No place better.”