Thunder Rosa, Athena light it up at Warrior Wrestling 19
(thumbnail photo above courtesy Nick Consalvo/@cameraguygimmick)
By Mike Pankow
February 16, 2022
Thunder Rosa has cemented herself as one of the hottest names in women’s professional wrestling over the last couple of years with her emergence in the NWA and AEW. Adding the Warrior Wrestling Women’s Championship to her accolades has also elevated the Chicago-area-based Warrior Wrestling brand.
Rosa main evented the latest dynamite show for the company at Warrior 19 in Cicero, just outside Chicago, last Saturday night (Feb. 12), as she retained the Warrior Women’s Championship in a 30-minute time-limit draw against Athena, who was making her first appearance on the independent scene since her release from WWE/NXT.
Both women have been beloved on the national scene over the last few years as Athena wrestled as Ember Moon in WWE and NXT. The Booker T trainee was a former NXT Women’s Champion and NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion with Shotzi Blackheart. Her time on the main roster was limited after a serious Achilles’ tendon injury.
Thunder Rosa tries to get Athena to submit during their main event match at Warrior Wrestling 19 at Cicero Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 12. (Photo by Nick Consalvo/@cameraguygimmick)
In addition to her success in the NWA and AEW, Rosa feuded with Busted Open Radio host Dave LaGreca that culminated in a match at Rosa’s Mission Pro Wrestling in Texas. Mission Pro brings in a lot of quality women from the independent scene.
The match itself told an incredible story with two amazing athletes consistent with the style and quality with which Warrior fans are accustomed. It rocked Cicero Stadium with its thrilling, rush-against-the-clock finish. With the time ticking down, Athena finally hit her finisher, The Eclipse, but there wasn’t enough time to score the pinfall and Rosa escaped with the belt, which she has now held since August 2021 when she defeated Chicago favorite Kylie Rae, another wrestler who trained with Booker T.
During the match, Athena turned the crowd against her when she appeared to get injured. Athena writhed on the campus, screaming, “my ankle!” The fans were duped hook, line and sinker as many didn’t believe Athena wouldn’t fake an injury due to her prior history with her Achilles’ and her babyface run in WWE and NXT.
After the final bell rang, both wrestlers were spent, and the fans were appreciative. Athena thanked the crowd for their support and was happy with the freedom of being able to tell a longer story in the ring with the constrictions of WWE booking.
However, Rosa got a little agitated when Val Capone interviewed her. Rosa lashed out at one fan who took it upon himself to yell out a derogatory comment toward Athena. While the comment didn’t interfere with the actual match, it definitely had an impact on the competitors.
“Have some respect for these women putting their lives in danger,” Rosa said. “To the idiot that was saying bad stuff about us, you have no right to talk to us like that. We’re just like the boys in the back. So, if you come to a show and you’re being disrespectful to the athletes, you have no right to be here.”
The women’s main event was far from the only scorching hot action.
After winning the four-way match, “All Heart” Blake Christian makes the challenge to Warrior Wrestling Champion Will Ospreay. (Photo by Nick Consalvo/@cameraguygimmick)
“All Heart” Blake Christian put himself in line for a one-on-one match with Warrior Wrestling Champion Will Ospreay with an impressive victory in a high-energy four-way match with the returning Alex Zayne, Chicago legend Gringo Loco and the dazzling Myron Reed.
Reed pulled off the two most amazing maneuvers in the match, including executing a Spanish Fly out of a four-man tower of doom and hitting a cutter as he flew threw the ropes.
Christian ended up pinning his longtime friend and rival Zayne, then asked for a microphone and laid out the challenge for Ospreay, who wasn’t in Cicero and doesn’t appear likely to be booked at Warrior 20 in Indianapolis next month. A target date could be Warrior 21 on April 23 in a yet-to-be announced city and venue.
Sam Adonis retained his Warrior Wrestling Lucha Championship in his first defense, defeating former WWE Superstar Lince Dorado by countout. Dorado was making his indie return to the Chicago area, where he competed for promotions such as GALLI Lucha Libre and Dreamwave. Over the course of a few months, Adonis has turned into one of Warrior’s most popular wrestlers, a gradual, yet dramatic turn from just a year ago when he rivaled Frank the Clown for the most hated personality in the company.
Referee Jake Clemons raises the hands of Jay Briscoe (left) and Mark Briscoe (right) after The Briscoes defended their ROH Tag Team Championships against Anthony Greene and JD Drake. (Photo by Nick Consalvo/@cameraguygimmick)
In the semi-main event, The Briscoe Brothers defeated The Workhorsemen (Anthony Greene & JD Drake) in the first defense of their 12th Ring of Honor Tag Team Championship reign. Jay and Mark, making their Warrior debuts, were very popular with the fanbase, drawing chants of “Man Up” and “Dem Boys.” It was a gritty, hard-hitting affair, won by the Briscoes as Jay hit a Jay Driller and Mark executed a flying elbow to secure the pin on Greene.
The 20-year-old phenom Dante Martin continued his rise as the burgeoning AEW star scored one of the biggest victories of his career by defeating former Ring of Honor Champion Bandido in a match that was delayed two months due to Bandido having to miss Warrior 17 due to a positive COVID-19 test. Martin could be positioning himself for a run at championship gold for either the Warrior Championship or Lucha title.
The sleeper match of the night was Santana’s victory over “Speedball” Mike Bailey in a match that nearly went to a 20-minute draw. Santana, known for being one-half of “Proud and Powerful” with Ortiz and part of “The Inner Circle” faction in AEW, finally subdued the gutsy Bailey with a piledriver and pinfall in the final minute of the match. Bailey was recently signed to IMPACT Wrestling after starting to get noticed on the indie scene.
Bandido (right) congratulates Dante Martin after their match. (Photo by Mike Pankow)
In another thrilling tag team match, The Acclaimed from AEW (Platinum Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) pulled off a huge victory over former Warrior Wrestling Champion and fellow AEW star Brian Cage and Warrior Medallion holder KC Navarro. Before the match, Caster came out with his usual freestyle spiel, mentioning Cage’s lack of TV time in AEW and expiring contract. Cage countered with a little rap of his own against The Acclaimed.
The finish came after a ref bump, leading to Navarro accidentally hitting Cage with his medallion. Bowens then hit Navarro with a chain and Caster hit the elbow of the top rope on Navarro to score the pin. Cage and Navarro are potential championship contenders, and this loss could end up putting them at odds down the line.
Former ROH World Champion Dalton Castle bested Midwestern fan favorite WARHORSE by pinfall in an entertaining match. During Castle’s flamboyant entrance, four people dressed up as “The Boys,” including local tag team, The Bang Bros (Davey Bang & August Matthews). Bailey also was reportedly one of the Boys.
In the other women’s match, local favorite, occasional AEW competitor and current AAW Women’s Champion Skye Blue defeated “Lucha Baddie” Miranda Alize in Alize’s Warrior debut. The 22-year-old Skye Blue is beginning to become a regular at Warrior after debuting late last year.
Warrior Wrestling returns to action on March 12 with Warrior 20 at McGowan Hall in Indianapolis. Former NXT Champion Killer Kross is slated to make his return to the company while Jonah (fka Bronson Reed in NXT) and Mexican legend Psycho Clown will debut for the promotion. Adonis, Rosa, former Warrior Champions Cage, Brian Pillman Jr. and Trey Miguel, Navarro, Reed, former Lucha Champion Aramis, Lance Archer and Skye Blue are among those who will return.
Selected photos courtesy of Nick Consalvo. Check out Nick’s work at http://www.cameraguygimmick.com and follow him on social media @cameraguygimmick.
Catch coverage of Warrior Wrestling and Zelo Pro events from this past weekend on this week’s Windy City Slam Podcast: https://bit.ly/3LABBx4.
Catch Windy City Slam editor Mike Pankow talking local and national pro wrestling every week with Chicago-area wrestling guests on Windy City Slam Podcast, part of the Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network. Episodes drop early Tuesday morning wherever you download podcasts or at https://windycityslam.podbean.com/.
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