While professional wrestling is a staple of Thunder Rosa’s life now, it was once almost nonexistent. Speaking on “REAL 92.3 LA,” the former AEW Women’s Champion noted that wrestling, aside from recognizing lucha legend Rey Mysterio, didn’t enter her life until her 20s. And it wasn’t until WWE WrestleMania 25 in 2009 that the industry truly hooked her.

“I didn’t start watching wrestling until I was in my 20s,” Rosa said.” I remember bringing people to my house to watch some of the pay-per-views. Then I watched TNA. The Knockouts division at the time was hot and I was like ‘These ladies can go!’ What I used to watch on WWE, it was not of my interest. I remember watching some of the bra and panties [matches] and my friend was like ‘[Thunder], don’t ever do that.’ We watched really bad women’s wrestling, but it was what it was at the time.

“… I wasn’t a fan, but life changes you and you start getting other tastes for things,” she continued. “So I went to WrestleMania 25 in Houston and that really changed a lot of things. There was a lot of people in that arena that became part of my life later on in life, so it’s a full circle.”

Emanating from Houston’s Reliant Stadium, WrestleMania 25 featured a main event title match between Randy Orton and then-WWE Champion Triple H. Elsewhere, John Cena claimed the World Heavyweight Championship by beating the Big Show and Adam “Edge” Copeland, while Chris Jericho overcome three WWE legends in a handicap elimination match. Big Show (aka Paul Wight), Copeland, and Jericho all currently reside in All Elite Wrestling alongside Rosa, as does John Morrison, who competed in a Lumberjack match to unify WWE and World Tag Team Championships at the 2009 pay-per-view event.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “REAL 92.3 LA” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.