AEW’s Deonna Purrazzo Reveals Lifelong Battle With Scoliosis, Dealing With Bulging Discs
AEW star “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo recently opened up about the physical toll of professional wrestling, revealing she has dealt with scoliosis and bulging discs since childhood. Speaking on the Lightweights Podcast with Joe Vulpis, Purrazzo also identified some of the in-ring moves she finds most painful.
When asked about difficult bumps, Purrazzo stated, “Body slam… Number one, two and three… I just don’t like it. I think it’s the worst bump to take. Spinebuster. My neck doesn’t have the strength. My neck always slams back and it hurts. I hate it and a fallaway slam is coming to mind of it’s just uncomfortable.”
She then explained her pre-existing conditions: “So I have scoliosis. My neck has a slight curve to it and I just, from childhood, have bulging discs and stuff that I’ve just had to work through my whole life.” Purrazzo noted traditional wrestler neck training methods like bridges or hanging her neck off the ring apron “doesn’t feel good to me” or are “very uncomfortable.”
Instead, she relies on “chiropractic work, I do a lot of range of motion stuff with him, and that helps manage scoliosis and potential injuries.”
She added, “Knock on wood, I’m so blessed that the scoliosis hasn’t ever played an issue into my wrestling but, there’s so much room for error… it can be very scary.”
