Rosa Mendes retired from WWE competition in 2017 a year after the birth of her daughter. Now she’s training for a comeback to the ring – with her first match in three years taking place on May 19 for MCW Pro Wrestling at a high school in Hampstead, Md.
In an interview with Sporting News, Mendes explains her training regimen and what brought her back to the squared circle as she prepares to step back into the ring.
She spends four-plus hours participating in drills and taking bumps inside a wrestling ring along with 20 other students at MCW Pro Wrestling Training Center.
After the training session concludes, Mendes does her part in helping the students clean the facility, including mopping the floor.
“I want to make history as a woman that was known as just a pretty face and garnish to a fierce in-ring competitor, and I won’t stop until I make that happen,” said Mendes.
Her goal is to gain enough experience to be booked on the independent scene every weekend and eventually make it mainstream again. She doesn’t see her age (38) as an issue.
“I feel like I look younger than I did five years ago,” she said. “People are shocked when I tell them my age, and I’m very proud of looking and feeling this good at 38. I’ve never been this strong and healthy, so I feel as though I should take advantage of this time in my life to fulfill my dream of becoming a strong competitor.”
Despite criticism from fans she says she’s training so that one day she’ll be able to have the greatest match of her career.
“I love the business so much, and I’m extremely passionate about it, but some of the fans don’t see that because they really haven’t seen me in the ring very much,” Mendes said. “But the real reason I’m doing this is for myself. I want to be proud of my in-ring ability. I want to know what it feels like to have an amazing match.”
“Wrestling and the business is a huge part of what has molded me into the strong woman and mother I am today,” she says.
