Kobra Moon Over Japan — UC Berkeley graduate and SWC alumna Mel Cervantes in character as the fierce wrestler Thunder Rosa Kobra Moon. Courtesy Photo
When the bell rings, Thunder Rosa Kobra Moon is a badass professional wrestler who causes mayhem in the ring and has fans on three continents.
Outside the ropes SWC alumna Mel Cervantes is still the kind young woman who served in the Associated Student Organization and earned a SODA award for service to the community.
Berkeley educated and bilingual, Cervantes is a big-time professional wrestler currently under contract with Lucha Underground Company and the Stardom Wrestling Company, one of the biggest female wrestling companies in Japan.
Cervantes was raised in Tijuana until her father received a visa and the family dropped everything to enter the United States.
“There was a struggle to transition into the U.S,” she said. “Although Tijuana is close, people don’t always understand how different the culture is. Everything is different.”
Cervantes said fitting in at high school in the U.S was almost overwhelming due to her language and cultural barriers. She said she had to fight for herself because of the racism and hatred she experienced.
“It is crazy,” she said. “(Other students) would gang up and want to jump me.”
SWC was a much better experience, she said. Cervantes participated in college clubs and the ASO, which helped her to see how her voice made a difference for her community.
“I wanted people to know how to speak up for what’s right,” she said. “I was helping in any way I could. I liked the rush of helping people.”
EOPS counselor Arlie Ricasa nominated Cervantes for the college’s highest honor, the Student of Distinction Award, in 2008.
“It was not an easy road for her,” Ricasa said. “She got involved with student leadership and student government and that’s where I saw her flourish.”
Cervantes transferred to UC Berkeley and earned a degree in sociology. Following graduation she said she was ready for a new challenge, so her husband, Brian Cervantes, convinced her to attend a wrestling match. He said he knew she would be a great wrestler, if she wanted to be.
“She’s a very passionate person and has always been a hard worker,” he said. “I love that she follows her dreams.”
Because her parents were not huge sports fans, Cervantes said wrestling was something she was not allowed to do. She said she was hooked after watching her first match. She began volunteering for wresting companies by selling tickets and setting up the rings.
In 2014 Cervantes took part in her first wrestling match, working with the Professional Championship Wrestling Company in Chico.
“My friends pushed me to go for it,” she said. “ I guess they just saw I had potential. I was horrible, but I really enjoyed it. It is another language. I had to learn a new body language.”
Cervantes began professional wrestling at 27. During the early years of her career, she said her work was really hard and involved doing a lot of free shows and training.
“A lot of my training time was learning techniques from wresting veterans like Matt Carlos, Dylan Drake and Rik Luxury,” she said. “It’s really important to always practice your craft.”
As a 5’4”, 127-pound woman, Cervantes said, she is often underestimated.
“People tell you you’re not good enough,” she said. “There’s always someone doubting you and it was even harder being a woman because when I started there were not many of us.”
Cervantes said her wrestling name is Thunder Rosa Kobra Moon because every part of a stage name should have meaning. Thunder was created because when Cervantes first started training she was working at a rehabilitation center called Thunder Road. Rosa (“rose”) is a significant flower in her Mexican-Azteca culture and a popular symbol in the Latino community. Cervantes said the name Kobra Moon is a character created to be the queen of a snake tribe.
Cervantes said wrestling is tough due to wear and tear on the body and constant traveling. Her wrestling has led her to the Stardom Competition in Japan, where she is competing in the High Speed Championships of Stardom and Goddesses of Stardom Tag Team Competition.
“You can’t be afraid to make a change,” she said. “Sometimes we focus on success and titles. My success comes with the fact that my fans see my hard work and that I have never stopped helping people.”