Deonna Purrazzo Recalls Odd Reason For WWE Not Having Her Team With Chelsea Green
Deonna Purrazzo signed with NXT back in May of 2018. Purrazzo was not featured on TV very much during her time with the company. On the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast, Purrazzo noted that she was very local about her feelings and the reputation it ended up getting her.
"I was definitely labeled as a problem, I was definitely labeled as someone who has a loudmouth. But, I wanted, for a long time, I wanted to check every box. I wanted to say, and I think I went in with that mindset of, 'if that doesn't work out, I'll be okay because I've already conquered what I would go back to,' Purrazzo stated, referring to the independent scene. "Me and Chelsea (Green) pitched being a tag team. Me, Chelsea, and Rachel Ellering pitched being kind of like a female Undisputed Era, Shield type thing."
Purrazzo referenced a possible partnership with Green and Ellering when she was frustrated with her lack of importance on TV. Purrazzo explained why the idea of her and Green's pairing on TV was shut down.
"Me and Chelsea were told like, 'we just don't know why best friends would be a tag team, like being best friends doesn't mean you're a tag team'," Purrazzo said, sounding confused. "And I was like, 'um, we have pictures together, we traveled the world together, she's legitimately been my best friend for like seven years, I think that we work together.'"
Deonna Purrazzo was released on April 15, 2020 by WWE. Purrazzo discussed how the release of herself and others can be a blessing in disguise and how it can create a success story.
"The grass is always greener and another persons trash is another persons treasure, right? So, you didn't like us, but look what we're doing now, and I think that, as much as that's been my success story, of you didn't see anything, but look at all the other really cool things that other people see in me. I very much love when other people get to do that, and Mickie (James) has gotten to do that. Chelsea Green has gotten to do that, the IIconics have gotten to do that right now," Purrazzo proclaimed proudly. "Taya Valkyrie is going to do that, Mia Yim is going to do that, Tegan Nox, Nixon, is going to do that."
Purrazzo admitted that she agreed that NXT and WWE as a whole were hoarding talent. Purrazzo discussed how the talent hoarding affected her and her placement in the company.
"You just saw so many people come into NXT. I was signed with you know, Keith Lee and Io Shirai and there was a ton of people in my class. And there just came a point where okay, people also just aren't being called up. So people are staying in NXT for three years, four years, five years, and at no point are new spots opening up," Purrazzo said. "So there was someone like me, who, and I think people thought I deserved to be the champion or whatever, and I never thought that, I just thought I deserve to be something in some capacity."
When Purrazzo arrived to NXT, she was not featured very much minus a few quick matches in which she lost. Purrazzo explained what helped her fall back in love with wrestling when she was starting to question her love for it.
"I definitely had these moments of like, 'is this really what I've wanted, like, did I really sacrifice all this to be treated like this?' Or like, to not have my things that I'm most proud of about me count? Or like, you know, just question whether or I loved it or not anymore," Purrazzo explained. "Impact not only restored my confidence in wrestling, but as Deonna the human being. I've just been able to become healthier all around, believe in myself and have confidence and fall back in love with wrestling."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.