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WOMEN'S WRESTLING SPOTLIGHT: DEONNA PURRAZZO

Wrestling History with Miss Purrazzo

by Paul Crockett

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

While many believe our current Presidential candidates are guilty of not heeding that quote, the same cannot be said for Deonna Purrazzo, 21, who has a deep appreciation for the past.

"I'm kind of a history nerd," she laughed.  "I actually go to college and I'm a history education major, so history is something that always fascinates me."

Instead of books about Alexander The Great, Napoleon, FDR and Ho Chi Minh, Purrazzo gravitated toward delving deep into the history of the squared circle.

"I had all the books the superstars made," Purrazzo recalled.  "From Andre the Giant, to Ted Dibiase, to Chris Jericho, I sat and read them all.  I never had an interest in reading the normal school books that were on our list to read.  I just wanted to read about wrestling."

Her love for the past is organic, with visits to the JFK Memorial and the spot of the former Sportatorium in Dallas this past weekend.  But it has been refined by her relationship with legendary wrestler and current Ohio Valley Wrestling trainer Rip Rogers.  After initially being trained by Damian Adams in New Jersey, Rogers was brought into Adams' school on a few occasions for seminars where the two instantly clicked.

"His mentality and how he views things really resonates with me because he's been everywhere that I've been and he's done everything that I want to say that I've been able to do when I look back," she said.  "So I think his advice is really the best you're going to get."

One bit of advice she received was to study as much as she could of the business.  Amongst those she listed as her influences were Eddie Guerrero (whose book she has read five times) and Chris Jericho.  She said she gravitated toward them not only for their technical ability, but because they were clearly being themselves in the ring.  Which lead to the question: who is Deonna Purrazzo?

"I really am just me," she said with a big laugh.

When she started in the business, she went through a phase of trying to figure out "what character am I going to be?"  This including thinking about trying to incorporate her fluency in American Sign Language in some way in the ring.  In the end, everything fell flat.

"And I'm not a very good actor," she added.  "So I'm just going to be me, and I'm going to be Italian, and I'm going to do what I do and just make that ten times bigger."

While she may have not logged many years in wrestling, she has logged a lot of miles and has already worked for all of the biggest companies in the United States.  She has the distinction of working for NXT, Ring of Honor and TNA within a span of four weeks.  It has been her time in NXT which has given her the most notoriety, however, and much like it does in wrestling, her first appearance on television with them came together quickly.  It also came together because she put her own foot forward.

"I had worked as a Rosebud upwards of twenty times," she recalled.  "So when they started to use extra talent in NXT, I kind of just shot them an e-mail and said, 'hey, if you ever need anything, I'm available.'  

After putting herself out there, she received an e-mail from WWE asking if she could be in Orlando the following day.  She said yes without hesitation and was on a plane twelve hours later.  It was then she faced Asuka in a memorable match on NXT television, and while she knew that Japanese wrestlers have a reputation for being stiff, due to her training and mentoring from Rogers, she was able to roll with the punches (and kicks).

"Yeah her shots hurt," she remembered about Asuka.  "But as long as I'm giving it back to her it gets more of a little respect because you're willing to work at that level with her."

Speaking of respect, her reputation as a hard worker who can adapt to any style, has earned Purrazzo the main event spot at the debut show of Women's Wrestling Revolution at Fete Music in Providence, RI this Sunday against Santana Garrett, who has also made appearances on NXT television.  While they have wrestled in the same circles, the two have never faced off before.  She had nothing but praise for Garrett and her experience wrestling all around the world, and she has no fears about wrestling in a main event.

"I'm not that familiar with it (wrestling in a main event)," she said.  "But if you just go back to the basics of wrestling, it's an amazing spot to be in.  It just means you're the most highly thought of person on that card.  So to be put in that position is just an honor for me."

Her match with Garrett is a highly anticipated one within the ranks of women's wrestling, but if she could go back in time and have a dream match with anyone, it would have to be a highly anticipated one within the ranks of intergender wrestling.

"Owen Hart," she said with a laugh.  "I always wanted to be a Hart.  To me, that is where wrestling started, that is where it originated up in Calgary.  I always wish I could have went to the Dungeon and trained there.  And one of my dreams is to go to Calgary and walk the grounds of the Hart House and go and see Owen's grave."

She listed his match against his brother Bret at WrestleMania X as one of her favorite matches and she watches it "once a week."  She says he was "so technical" and he was underrated in the ranks of wrestling at the time.

Like Bret and Owen have proven, you never know where you will be in your life and your career at any given moment.  That is why Purrazzo, knowing her history, does not like to make lock-tight predicitions or plans in regards to her future in wrestling.  As long as it includes graduating college 

"Hopefully I'm contracted somewhere," she mused.  "And I hope I'm as happy and as healthy as I am now.  That's truly all that I can say."

To hear the full interview, go to the audio in the Elite section HERE.

Follow Deonna @DeonnaPurrazzo on Twitter

 

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