By Jerry Del Priore
On the heels of recent signings of independent wrestler stars, including Keith Lee, the WWE has inked Deonna Purrazzo to a promotional contract with the company at the end of May. She’ll be heading to NXT’s Performance Center in the next couple of weeks to begin her training, according to several media reports.
The New Jersey native has been carving out a path of success on the indie scene and in other bigger promotions, having wrestled for the likes of New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW-Japan’s largest wrestling outfit), Ring of Honor (ROH), TNA (Total Non-Stop Action), and Stardom.
Nicknamed “The Virtuosa,” Purrazzo has competed in the ROH Women of Honor’s tournament, winning her first bout over Holidead before losing to Mayu Iwatani in the second round.
I first saw the five-foot-two-inch. 120-pound 23-year-old wrestle for New Jersey-based Create A Pro Wrestling in Brooklyn a year and a half ago. Purrazzo proved to me that she has the in-ring abilities, crowd relatability factor and good looks to do well in WWE.
Of course, with some refinement of her overall skill set—plus her Jersey brash attitude—she possesses the potential to go far in the company.
