Wrestler Deonna Purrazzo faced a daunting career challenge when she experienced an unexpected severance from WWE. Purrazzo, who at the time was a competitive contender in WWE’s NXT, was surprisingly shown the exit door in April 2020 after just under 100 matches for the industry titan.
In a recent episode of the “SHAK Wrestling” podcast, Purrazzo, now an AEW combatant, looked back on her transformative journey post-WWE. She shared:
“My introduction to AEW differed entirely from my initiation with Impact Wrestling. I was dealing with the aftermath of my abrupt departure from NXT, feeling a tad directionless. Candidly, I was wrestling within myself, questioning whether I still harbored a passion for wrestling. I was at odds with myself, having lost the fervor for the one thing I had always loved. It was a unique amalgamation of feelings as if I had lost my identity. I had a heartfelt conversation with [Impact executive] Scott D’Amore in April 2020, who fully grasped my headspace at the time. The agreement was to navigate my journey with an open mind and a wait-and-see approach, reevaluating the course later down the road if the collaboration demonstrated longevity.”
By June 2020, Purrazzo found herself in Impact Wrestling, setting her sights on the reigning and current Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace. Purrazzo, recognized as “The Virtuosa,” boasts an impressive wrestling record with three Knockouts World Champion titles and one Knockouts World Tag Champion credit. In January this year, she made her move to AEW.