Exclusive: Deonna Purrazzo on winning the championship on the same night as her husband, "I just burst out in tears"
At IMPACT Wrestling Rebellion, Deonna Purrazzo captured her third Knockouts World Championship in the main event. Just before that, her husband, Steve Maclin, achieved his lifelong dream of becoming a world champion by beating Kushida.
Maclin and Purrazzo's moments at Rebellion changed due to injury, as both IMPACT World Champion Josh Alexander and Knockout Women's Champion Mickie James were forced to relinquish their gold due to injuries. At the pay-per-view, we were guaranteed two new champions, and the gold fell into the lap of IMPACT Wrestling's power couple.
WORLD CHAMPIONS
@IMPACTWRESTLING https://t.co/J0qIW3RmKn
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Kevin Kellum, Deonna Purrazzo opened up about winning the Knockouts World title the same day her husband became the IMPACT World Champion.
"Yeah, it was a really cool moment, and I don't think it hit me all day at Rebellion last week until he [Steve Maclin] was kind of in the ring. Lance Storm said, 'Alright we're getting ready to go out there. Steve should be wrapping up.' And I just burst out in tears because I was like, 'Oh God, this is the moment!' Moreso than just myself, because obviously I've won the Knockouts World Championship before and, while this had added layers to it, I think I was most excited for him," said Purrazzo. [From 10:04 to 10:32]
It was a special night to have both of them crowned champions mere minutes apart from each other. Still, for Deonna Purrazzo, what she cared most about was seeing her husband finally reach the top of the mountain and prove himself after grinding for two years in IMPACT.
"This was real validation for him [Maclin] and I know how that moment felt for me at Slammiversary 2020 when I had first won the Knockouts World Championship. It was my breakout moment, it was me saying, 'I am who I thought I was. Look what I just did!' I had a chip on my shoulder and I wanted to prove to all of my doubters that I was worth something. And I think that Steve has done that consistently over the last two years he's been with IMPACT. But to win the championship and hold it in your hands for the first time is that real true validation. To do it together was really special, but to see him do it, I think, was the best thing for me that night," she added. [From 10:35 to 11:15]
At Rebellion, the New Age of the Virtuosa began, and for the rest of the roster, it's "Mayhem for All." The new power couple of IMPACT Wrestling is on top of the world, and nobody should expect to see them lose those spots anytime soon.
What did Rebellion originally look like for Deonna Purrazzo and Steve Maclin?
Leading into Rebellion, Deonna Purrazzo and Steve Maclin both had different plans. Maclin was originally set to face the longest reigning IMPACT Wrestling World Champion Josh Alexander in a two-year climb to glory. Unfortunately, Alexander suffered a triceps tear and needed surgery, forcing him to relinquish the gold weeks before Maclin's crowning moment.
Luckily for Steve, there was a strong replacement in the always impressive Kushida, leading to an exciting technical yet hard-hitting war at Rebellion, where Maclin came out on top. It wasn't exactly the moment he wanted, but Steve Maclin still walked away as IMPACT Wrestling World Champion.
As far as Deonna Purrazzo goes, she was going to be squaring off with Jordynne Grace in either scenario. The key difference is the lack of then-champion Mickie James, who was in the middle of a phenomenal "Last Rodeo" run where she vowed to retire if she lost a match before regaining the Knockouts World Championship.
James accomplished her goal and was on the path to face two of IMPACT's brightest stars: Purrazzo and Jordynne Grace. While Maclin wanted to prove himself against Alexander, Deonna Purrazzo had a lot to prove in the test against Mickie James, as the future Hall of Famer was the one to end her second reign back in 2021.
#NewProfilePic https://t.co/NVAjrdCzke
Due to mounting injuries, James was not cleared to compete and was forced to drop the title mere days before Rebellion. Deonna Purrazzo would go on to defeat her longtime rival, Jordynne Grace, in the main event.
Interestingly enough, James' husband Nick Aldis joined IMPACT Wrestling the same night Maclin and Purrazzo won their titles. Could we see a battle between the couples once James is healthy?
If any quotes are used from this article, please embed the YouTube link and credit Sportskeeda Wrestling.