Deonna Purrazzo has identified her time in TNA Wrestling and IMPACT Wrestling as the most defining period of her career, saying that the promotion gave her the confidence to lead a women’s division while remaining true to herself.
Purrazzo has built an extensive résumé across several major promotions and wrestling scenes, including WWE, Lucha Libre AAA, TNA, AEW, and ROH. Yet when asked which stage of her career most shaped the performer fans see today, she pointed directly to her TNA/IMPACT experience.
“My time in TNA/IMPACT shaped me the most,” Purrazzo said. “In April/May 2020, I didn’t even know if I wanted to continue to wrestle so when TNA called, I was hesitant. From the moment I walked in the doors on my first day, I felt like I was home.”
That answer speaks to the significance of Purrazzo’s return to the company in 2020. She had previously worked with TNA from 2014 through 2017, then returned for a far more prominent run from 2020 until 2023. The second stint became a central part of her development, transforming her into one of the defining figures of the Knockouts division during that era.
For more background on this topic, read Amazing Red Reflects on Full-Circle TNA Bound For Glory Night After Hall of Fame Induction and X-Division Title Win.
Purrazzo’s recollection of uncertainty in the spring of 2020 adds important context to the impact that return had on her. Rather than presenting TNA merely as another stop on a growing international career, she described the opportunity as arriving at a moment when she was unsure whether she wanted to remain in professional wrestling at all. Her initial hesitation gave way to a feeling that she belonged from the first day.
A championship run that established “The Virtuosa”
Purrazzo entered TNA’s Knockouts division with a polished in-ring identity and the self-assured presentation that has become associated with “The Virtuosa.” Her work in the company quickly placed her in the championship picture, and she went on to win the Knockouts World Title three times across her tenure.
She also held the Knockouts World Tag Team Championship alongside Chelsea Green. Those accomplishments made Purrazzo one of the company’s most decorated Knockouts of her generation, but her reflection emphasized more than titles and results. In her view, the defining element was the belief placed in her by the people around her.
“Besides winning 5 World Championships, main eventing countless PPVs and TV shows, for the first time in my career, I had a team of people who wanted to see me succeed and were willing to work alongside me to see me do so,” Purrazzo said.
The distinction is an important one for a performer whose TNA work was frequently built around high-stakes singles matches, long-form championship rivalries, and major-event positioning. Purrazzo was not simply featured as a contender; she became one of the wrestlers trusted to carry marquee programs and represent the division at the top of the card.
Her comments also underline the collaborative side of that success. In-ring ability, character development, creative direction, opponents, producers, and promotion-wide support can all influence whether a wrestler is able to fully establish themselves. Purrazzo said that TNA was the first place in her career where she felt she had a team actively trying to help her succeed and willing to work with her toward that goal.
Leadership without changing her identity
For Purrazzo, the lasting value of the run was the confidence it produced. She said TNA showed her that she could be a leader within a division without sacrificing the qualities that made her distinct as a performer.
“My time in TNA gave me the confidence to know I could lead a division AND do it without compromising who I am and what I stood for,” Purrazzo said.
That statement captures why her TNA legacy reaches beyond the championship statistics. Being positioned as a division leader requires more than holding a title. It means being relied upon in prominent matches, setting a standard through performances, helping define the tone of the championship scene, and maintaining a recognizable identity under pressure.
Purrazzo’s approach has long been rooted in technical wrestling, precision, and a character presentation that treats the ring as a showcase for mastery. Her success in TNA allowed that approach to remain central rather than forcing a reinvention of the traits she believed in. In her own assessment, that was the period where she learned she could reach the highest level of a division on her terms.
It is also notable that Purrazzo framed the experience in personal terms instead of limiting it to professional milestones. Championships and main events are easily measured, but her comments focus on confidence, belonging, and the ability to protect her identity. Those are the qualities she believes changed her most as a wrestler.
Two distinct TNA chapters
Purrazzo’s connection to TNA spans two different periods: 2014 to 2017 and 2020 to 2023. The first established a relationship with the company, while the second gave her the platform for the achievements she highlighted in looking back on her career.
The gap between those runs matters because it reflects how much can change for a wrestler over time. A performer can work for the same promotion in separate eras and have dramatically different responsibilities, confidence levels, opportunities, and expectations. Purrazzo’s comments make clear that the latter chapter was the one that most influenced the version of herself that audiences know today.
During that later period, her three Knockouts World Title reigns and Knockouts World Tag Team Title reign with Green placed her prominently in the history of the division. Her repeated appearances in main events on pay-per-view and television further reinforced the trust she described. Those opportunities provided the setting for Purrazzo to develop not only as a champion, but also as a central voice and presence in the Knockouts landscape.
Purrazzo now competes under the AEW and ROH umbrella, but her comments show that her TNA tenure remains a foundational reference point. The confidence she says she gained there continues to inform how she sees herself and her place in professional wrestling.
Looking ahead to potential major opponents
Elsewhere in the discussion, Purrazzo addressed what a potential match with Athena would mean to her. No further comments about that prospective bout were detailed, but the possibility naturally stands out given the respective reputations both wrestlers have built.
Purrazzo’s reflections on TNA provide useful context for any future high-profile challenge. She is not discussing her career from the perspective of someone still looking for proof that she can thrive in major programs. She has already experienced the responsibility of carrying championship-level stories, headlining major shows, and being positioned as a leading figure in a women’s division.
That does not make every potential match inevitable, nor does it settle where or when Purrazzo’s biggest future encounters may happen. It does, however, explain the perspective she brings into the current stage of her AEW and ROH career. Her TNA years, by her own account, supplied the assurance that she can meet those opportunities without abandoning the identity that got her there.
For Purrazzo, the most meaningful legacy of that run is therefore not limited to the three Knockouts World Title reigns, the tag team championship success with Chelsea Green, or the many major-event appearances. It is the conviction that she can lead, perform at the highest level, and remain uncompromisingly herself while doing it.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.