Deonna Purrazzo Talks Her Debut In TNA, Her Favorite Impact Match

Impact star Deonna Purrazzo was on the Pro and Bro Wrestling Podcast with Fred Rosser (formerly Darren Young in WWE) and Arnold Telegaarta to talk about her wrestling journey so far in Ring of Honor, WWE and Impact.

Purrazzo made her return to Impact Wrestling after being released from WWE, and she talked about the first time she was at Impact and the struggles she went through.

"I think just because going back to 'Virtuosa' and kinda developing this sense of character and personality, I struggled working in Impact those first few times because they wanted characters, and I think that's something that they've always been really big on, like promos and vignettes and things like that and I didn't have any of that to offer," Purrazzo admitted. "So the first few times I would go, it was like, 'okay, you're an 18-year-old girl so just play that up and be shy' and I was like, 'okay, I'll do whatever you want.' And then the second time I went back, still like, 'I don't have a character, but I'm a better wrestler this time,' and it was like 'okay, well you're a good wrestler, be an obnoxious, crazy good wrestler, do crazy rolls and tell Brooke Tessmacher moms can't wrestle.'

"I didn't have anything to offer them so they kinda give me things that I didn't particularly like, but it was like, 'okay, I'm going to prove you that I can do whatever and do something good with whatever you give me.' So it was really a struggle those first few times I worked there because they didn't know what I was getting myself into and I just wasn't ready for what they needed from me."

Purrazzo also talked about her favorite match on Impact. She talked about a line she blurted out from The Lego Movie and how influential Madison Rayne has been for her career.

"So for Knockouts Knockdown, maybe it was like 2016? I'm not sure, but I wrestled Madison Rayne in that first round of that tournament that they did, and I kind of play a really super fan like, 'I was here and I wasn't me, now I'm me and I'm so happy to be back,'" Purrazzo explained. "And I'm shaking her hand, and we're exchanging pins. And then there was one moment in the match where she rolled me up once or twice and I popped up, and I was like, 'this is awesome! Everything is awesome!' And it was actually from The Lego Movie, and I was a teacher still and my kids at school loved that movie.

"So I don't know why that just came to me like, 'Everything is awesome!' And then a minute later, I turn on her and go full heel. I just love that moment and Madison is just such a good friend of mine. She just throughout the years been someone who's been there for me. So to get to work with her in that capacity at that time was really, really fun and that's one of my favorite moments."

Himanshu D contributed to this article.