Exclusive: Deonna Purrazzo on changing women's wrestling for the better, "This is literally my life's work"
Deonna Purrazzo's third IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Championship win came at the main event of the Rebellion pay-per-view on April 16, with Purrazzo besting her longtime rival Jordynne Grace in an epic 17-minute match.
The Knockouts have always been at the forefront of the women's revolution going all the way back to the days of Gail Kim and Awesome Kong, and Purrazzo knows that there's more to come.
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In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Kevin Kellam, Deonna Purrazzo dove into the change she wanted to bring to women's wrestling, a dream she had as a child. She lives with the pressure of making that dream a reality and wants to see the Knockouts Division go even further.
"It's the position I have wanted since I was nine years old when I said I want to be a wrestler and I'm going to change women's wrestling. So there is that pressure from that nine-year-old inside of me that is like, 'live up to everything you've spent your life doing.' This is literally my life's work happening before my eyes. Every time I go out there, I want to look a little bit better. I want to push the envelope in terms of what I wear to the ring. I also want to stay true to myself and who I feel the Virtuosa is," said Purrazzo. [From 5:30 to 5:58]
Deonna Purrazzo remembers the era of bra and panties matches that just so happened to coincide with some of the greatest moments in women's wrestling. She got to see her heroes main event RAW and steal the show with some legendary feuds, only for the momentum to fall by the wayside.
"I grew up where there were bra and panties matches, there were playboy pillow fights, there were mud fights. Not that I knew any better but I was like, 'Women can do more than that. We're more athletic than that. We have more to offer than that.' I wanted to be a part of showing that women could have storylines and work more than just two minutes and that women could have merchandise." [From 7:05 to 7:36]
She continued:
"I was a huge fan of Trish Stratus, Mickie James, Lita. All of them are who I grew up watching, and they did have that. Mickie and Trish at WrestleMania, Trish and Lita for Trish's retirement and when they main evented RAW. But then it fizzled away and it was disappointing." [From 7:36 to 7:57]
Deonna Purrazzo continues to live her dream one day at a time at the top of the Knockouts Division.
Deonna Purrazzo wants even more out of IMPACT Wrestling's Knockouts Division
The lightning-fast moves of @DeonnaPurrazzo are too much for @RealTaylorWilde!
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IMPACT Wrestling has been spearheading change in women's wrestling for nearly two decades. While other promotions relegated their women's division to two-minute brawls or pillow fights, IMPACT brought fans Gail Kim, Awesome Kong, Taylor Wilde, and more, pushing the limits at the time of what women's wrestling could be in the United States.
Women's wrestling around the world has changed for the better, but that doesn't mean the fight is over. Deonna Purrazzo is excited to continue to lead the charge in IMPACT, and though they just had the third-ever main event for the Knockouts World Title, she believes there's more to look forward to on the horizon.
"I do think IMPACT pioneered that, and before it was cool we were having women break boundaries and women were top-rated and things like that. You feel that legacy when you're in the Knockouts locker room. We kind of were the first to do it and we're continuing to do it," said Purrazzo. [From 08:20 to 08:42]
Deonna Purrazzo believes that with the roster they have, it's time for others to step up and claim the spot at the top, much like she and her predecessors have done before her:
"There's only been three women in IMPACT Wrestling history that have main-evented a PPV for the Knockouts World Championship: myself, Jordynne Grace, and Mickie James. There's been three main events and three women to do it. While that's an amazing feat, it's time for other women to step up and say, "I'm gonna take that main event from Deonna, I'm gonna take that main event spot from Jordynne or Mickie." While we have made progress, there's still work to be done until all women can work in these positions. But to live through that and see that future is incredible" [From 08:45 to 09:17]
The New Age of the Virtuosa is upon us, and with a Knockouts Division as loaded as ever, including newcomer Trinity Fatu, it's clear there are more main events in store for Deonna Purrazzo.
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