30-year-old star almost sent a resignation email to WWE; she changed her mind after arriving on RAW
WWE has parted ways with many names over the years. Talent releases and resignations are an unfortunate but necessary part of the pro wrestling business. One fan-favorite wrestler has just revealed how close she came to leaving the company on her own.
Deonna Purrazzo had been wrestling for less than two years when WWE hired her in June 2014 to work as one of Adam Rose's Rosebuds. After 1.5 years of working as an extra, she had a handful of NXT matches and then worked SmackDown in December 2016. The current AEW star was an alternate in the inaugural Mae Young Classic in 2017 and eventually accepted a WWE contract in April 2018, while signed to ROH.
The Virtuosa worked the 2018 MYC, NXT, and NXT UK. After a RAW loss to Asuka in 2019 and a back-and-forth with Valhalla on Main Event, she was squashed by Nia Jax in April 2020. Purrazzo and others were released one week later due to COVID-19 budget cuts. The 30-year-old has said that WWE's creative team didn't think she was ready for TV, and that's why she had just 16 televised matches in two years as a contracted talent.
Purrazzo recently appeared on the Irish Wrestling Podcast and revealed that she had a resignation e-mail ready to send to WWE. Amid uncertainty over her WWE future, the three-time TNA Knockouts World Champion decided against sending the e-mail when she got the unexpected call to come to RAW in December 2019 for the four-minute loss to Asuka.
"I had an e-mail in my drafts to send, to say like, 'This isn’t working out for anyone. I think it would be best for me to move on and be released.' ... I got that e-mail to go to RAW, and I was like, 'I guess I shouldn't quit,'" Deonna Purrazzo said. [H/T to RSN]
Purrazzo's longtime friend, Chelsea Green, made her main roster debut at the same RAW taping, losing to Charlotte Flair in four minutes. Purrazzo said being with Green made the experience very cool and one of the best days of her career.
Deonna Purrazzo fails to advance in tournament to honor WWE Legend Owen Hart
The Owen Hart Foundation Tournament is currently underway. The finals for the men's and women's tournaments will take place at Dynamite in Owen's hometown of Calgary, Alberta, Canada on July 10.
Saturday's AEW Collision episode saw Hikaru Shida defeat Deonna Purrazzo to advance to the semifinals. Mariah May vs. Saraya will take place at Forbidden Door tonight to wrap up the opening round. Kris Statlander vs. Willow Nightingale will take place on Dynamite this week, along with Shida vs. May or Saraya.
Tonight's Forbidden Door PPV will also feature Bryan Danielson vs. Shingo Takagi, with the winner facing PAC on Dynamite. Jeff Jarrett vs. a Wild Card entrant will also take place on Dynamite, with the winner facing Jay White on next week's Collision.