FINALLY, An Update On Thunder Rosa's AEW Return

Thunder Rosa is edging closer and closer towards an in-ring return in AEW, with company doctor Michael J. Sampson indicating that the former Women's World Champion is due to be evaluated within the next four-to-six weeks.

Sampson appeared in Thunder Rosa's vlog series on Thursday, speaking with the AEW star after looking at her latest set of MRI scans. He said that Rosa is "progressing well", having put the absent star on a week-to-week programme allowing them to take steps backwards where necessary.

Said Dr. Sampson (h/t Figure Four Online/Wrestling Observer):-

"Looking at the most recent MRIs and all the conservative stuff we've done in the past, you're progressing well right now. You do still have all the pathology in your lower back, L4, L5. I think that with our progression, pushing it to the limit but taking it sequentially, so going week to week to week, we push a little bit more. If we hit a roadblock, we back it up a step. But I think over the next four to six weeks, we'll see how it's going."

Continuing, Sampson stated that the "pain-free" Rosa will keep getting stronger if she progresses down her current path, though her injured back still requires a degree of protection:-

"You've been progressing very well, pain free. I think if we continued to do that, we know where we stand, gets you stronger, gets you more ring ready. As long as you don't have that pain, we're good. We still have to protect your back, the pathology has not gone away. It's just a matter of, we're treating it so that it helps you improve yet also protects you from not worsening. So, that's where we're at with it."

Thunder Rosa hasn't wrestled for AEW since August, when she was forced to drop the AEW Women's World Championship as her back injury had rendered her unable to compete. In May, she appeared on Dynamite ahead of Collision's June launch, walking into Tony Khan's office in a backstage skit.