Former AEW star comes out of retirement after 3 years; first match announced

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AEW logo! [Image from AEW YouTube]

After nearly three years away from the ring, a former WWE and AEW star is officially stepping back into the squared circle. The star in question is Angela Quentina Arnold, better known as A.Q.A. (FKA Zayda Ramier in WWE NXT), and her in-ring return is set for June 1st at New Texas Pro Wrestling’s Bat City event in Austin, Texas.

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This marks her first match since facing Athena in June 2022 at Warrior Wrestling 23. Since then, A.Q.A. had quietly stepped away from wrestling, citing personal and health reasons that had earlier affected her stint in WWE. Many even believed she was retired for good.

Now, returning to the ring in her home state, A.Q.A.’s comeback has fans buzzing. In a post on X, she said, “It’s been a while, a little too long,” and thanked New Texas Pro for welcoming her back. Moreover, the hometown star had trained at Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling in Texas before her breakout opportunities with WWE and later Tony Khan's promotion, where she debuted in February 2022.

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"Hey, y'all! But in all seriousness, it's been a while, a little too long. Thank you for all your support then, and thank you for your support now. Thank you, @NewTexasPW, for having me!" she wrote.

Look who just shut down all of Tony Khan's critics! More HERE.

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While the match is officially confirmed, fans will be curious to see whether A.Q.A. still has the wrestling bug in her.


From Texas to Jacksonville: A.Q.A.’s journey to becoming an AEW talent

Angela Quentina Arnold began her wrestling career under the guidance of Booker T at Reality of Wrestling in Texas. Her early squared circle successes included two reigns as the ROW Diamonds Division Champion. After a brief stint in WWE NXT as Zayda Ramier, where she notably defeated Toni Storm, A.Q.A. faced medical setbacks that led to her release in November 2021.

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A.Q.A. made her AEW debut in February 2022, challenging Jade Cargill for the TBS Championship, and despite losing that bout, her performance, especially her execution of the Shooting Star Press move, attracted many eyeballs. AEW President Tony Khan announced her signing shortly after, referring to her as a "shooting star!"

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However, six months later, the star decided to pause her professional wrestling career due to an injury. Although her time in AEW was brief, A.Q.A.'s journey from Texas to the global stage left a lasting impression on fans and colleagues, and the recent announcement of her return to the ring is bound to have the wrestling world anticipating with excitement.

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Edited by Yash Mittal
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