Toni Storm: Thunder Rosa should be stripped of AEW Women’s title if injury lingers too long

We haven’t heard much about it lately, but with it being three-and-a-half months since Thunder Rosa’s last defense of her AEW Women’s championship and Toni Storm prepares to make her fourth defense of the interim belt she won at All Out two-and-a-half months ago, the status of Rosa and her title has come up again.

Earlier this week, Rosa gave an update on the progress she’s making with her injury during an appearance on the Wrestling Perspective Podcast:

“I’m doing really well. This week, we did some good progress. I started running for the first time in ... three months. So, the physical activities is getting a little bit bigger and I’m allowed to do a lot more stuff than before. I’m not allowed to lift yet, I’m not allowed to do a lot of stuff. I’m not allowed to wrestle still, but we’re making progress. Just the fact that I can actually jog for seven minutes on and off, for me, is huge because I have not been able to do that.”

But there are other members of the AEW women’s roster who’ve indirectly questioned the severity of the champ’s injury... including the interim titleholder, and Rosa’s former tag partner. Storm commented on it during an interview with The Ringer’s Cameron Hawkins:

“Personally, I think she should just come to work and defend her championship like she’s supposed to, like a champion should. But if the injury lingers too long, I believe she should probably be stripped.

“And then I should be the AEW undisputed Women’s World Champion like I was supposed to be at All Out. That’s verbatim. I think she should defend her title. I think all champions should defend that championship. That doesn’t just go for Thunder Rosa. That goes for everybody.”

During his conference call with the media today ahead of Saturday’s Full Gear PPV, where Storm defends the interim Women’s belt against Jamie Hayter, AEW head honcho Tony Khan said he wants to give Rosa the opportunity to come back, but admits he’s considered removing the “interim” tag from Storm’s reign.

Thoughts?