Deonna Purrazzo Says It Would Be “A Dream” To Work With AEW Star

Impact Knockout's Champion and new AAA Reina de Reinas Champion Deonna Purrazzo joined Busted Open Radio to talk about winning her latest title at TripleMania XXIX earlier this month. Host Dave LaGreca asked Purrazzo if she felt a responsibility to carry the banner for Impact while the promotion's top championship is held by an AEW star (first Kenny Omega and now Christian Cage) and if winning AAA gold was a part of that.

"I think I've felt that way for awhile now," Purrazzo said. "Especially not having a world champion that represents Impact. It was Kenny and now it's Christian, which obviously there's a lot of history between Impact and Christian. But I want to see the Impact World Championship come home. And since it hasn't yet, it's kind of put a little bit more pressure people like on me or our X Division Champion Josh Alexander to kind of wave that Impact banner with the most respect and dignity.

"We have to go out there and represent Impact in the best way possible, because we're the ring bearers now. Not our World Champion. So yeah, there's extra pressure to it but that's what makes it fun. To go to places like AAA and defend my Knockouts Championship but then also bring championships back to Impact too."

Purrazzo admitted that the win was an emotional moment for her, something that was notable on camera before and after the match. She attributed it to her love of wrestling, being trusted to work a big show like TripleMania and how much she's accomplished in her career following her release from WWE last year.

"I cried," Purrazzo admitted. "I cried before the match. I was just so worked up. Like I love wrestling, I love wrestling so much. And it means so much to me to be put in these positions and for people to trust me in these positions and to get to do these cool life things. I wanted to do this my whole life. Especially more now I'm so appreciate of these opportunities, because I came from a place where I wasn't getting those opportunities and didn't know if I wanted to wrestle anymore.

"And the last two years of my life, I've just really embraced the opportunities and the gratefulness to get them. I always like to go out and just sit in the crowd when there's no one, and just look around, look at the ring. I was crying all day because I was just like 'oh shoot, this is so frickin' cool.'"

In addition to AAA and Impact, Purrazzo will also be involved with the NWA, defending her Knockout's Championship against Melina at NWA Empowerrr this Saturday. Purrazzo is both excited for the match and for the show all together.

"I think that's what's so cool about wrestling right now," Purrazzo said. "You don't know who's going to pop up where and what shows are going to happen and who will be involved. I think that's the selling point to professional wrestling is right now. Now that it's an all women's show that kind of ups the ante. Who wouldn't want to be part of this historic event? To be considered to be a part of it is so meaningful to me, especially from a women's wrestling standpoint. I'm excited. I never thought I'd get to wrestle Melina so that's a whole other thing of itself. But I'm just excited for the event as a whole."

One place Purrazzo hasn't wrestled for yet is AEW, where the Women's Championship is held by her friend, Britt Baker. Purrazzo would love to wrestle with Baker, whether it be in singles action or as part of a tag team.

"I think that's a dream for Britt and I," Purrazzo said. "More so than it probably was for anyone else to begin with. We kind of pushed this narrative that 'we want to wrestle each other.' Whether it happens or not, I'm just so happy to see people I love succeed, people who deserve to succeed, succeeding. And I love everything she's doing. I love the confidence she has, she is the baddest b***h on the block for real. Whether I get to wrestle her or not, that's a dream come true.

"But it's also hard. I'm the Impact Knockouts Champion and now the AAA Reina de Reinas Champion and Britt's the AEW Women's Champion. So like, what's the outcome? I'd rather us just be a tag team and no one has to lose their belts. No one has to come out without a championship if we just be a tag team. And then Impact will allow us to be the Impact Knockouts Champions maybe. Maybe we get that opportunity."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Busted Open Radio and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription