Deonna Purrazzo reveals former 5-time Knockouts Champion brought her to IMPACT Wresting
Deonna Purrazzo is considered by many to be one of the greatest wrestlers in the country at the moment. Though she was underutilized in WWE, five-time IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne knew what she could bring to the table. Purrazzo recently revealed that Rayne helped get her through the door with the company.
In April 2020, Deonna Purrazzo was part of the several dozen wrestlers, personalities, and backstage personnel released on Black Wednesday. In no time, IMPACT Wrestling picked her up, and she hasn't looked back ever since. She became a two-time Knockouts Champion in less than a year, and she has quickly become one of the top wrestlers on the roster.
Speaking with Lucha Libre Online, two-time IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo revealed that The Queen Bee connected her with her new home.
"Madison Rayne is responsible for getting me in touch with everyone on IMPACT. She is one of my best friends in real life and she kind of knew everything that was going on and how I felt about it. I just wanted to give more to my former employer. When I was released she was the first person to be like, 'You're going to be fine. When you're ready, I'll put you in touch with Scott [D'Amore] and we're going to get you here to IMPACT.' So it was Madison Rayne who really was responsible for getting me into IMPACT and then once I was able to talk to Scott and some of the people on our creative team."
Accompanied by Susan and Kimber Lee, she seems to be unstoppable in IMPACT Wrestling. Based on her comments, Purrazzo somewhat owes this success to Rayne.
Deonna Purrazzo describes the origins of The Virtuosa character
During the interview, Deonna Purrazzo also delved into The Virtuosa persona, and how the character was originally supposed to make a serious impact in WWE. But she recalled how the company rejected the idea. But when she signed with IMPACT Wrestling, her new employer loved her idea and decided to go all in on The Virtuosa character.
"I thought it had everything laid out. I had already pitched a lot of the things that I wanted to do and it got shut down (in WWE). So I was able to send Scott the vignettes that I had filmed or promos that I had wanted to get filmed with a lot of character traits, and how I envisioned The Virtuosa to come to life. Scott loved it and we were able to bring myself to life on TV from day one because I had already had that work done and that basis done. It was just a collaboration of me, with who I wanted The Virtuosa to be, and then IMPACT really understanding that, and then being able to bring her to life.
To check out more of this interview with Deonna Purrazzo, click on the video above. Be sure to follow Lucha Libre Online's official YouTube channel to watch more interviews with renowned wrestlers.
At IMPACT Wrestling Sacrifice, Deonna Purrazzo will defend her Knockouts Championship against another legendary Knockout, four-time champion ODB. This bout marks her latest match against an acclaimed women's wrestler, as she continues to face some of the most popular names in the business.