Deonna Purrazzo Breaks Silence On Strange AEW Treatment
Deonna Purrazzo has opened up about her frustrations in AEW.
The ROH Women's Pure Champion recently made some headlines with a social media post. She took to X to invite bookings, noting that she's only had one match in 2026. This attracted a lot of criticism for AEW, with people questioning the company over their treatment of the female stars.
In a new interview with BCP+, the former TNA Knockouts Champion detailed her frustrations. Deonna Purrazzo mentioned that she is constantly racking her brain to figure out what more she can do to get booked. Her efforts not being reciprocated by the management, however, is really defeating for her:
"I think a lot of my self-worth comes from my work, and my body of work, and being able to participate actively, and feel like I am making a difference in women’s wrestling.
And I think that it’s been a really rough, I wouldn’t even say just 2026. I’d say it was a really rough year, 2025 into right now, that I’ve not really been able to do that at the level I’ve previously done it at. And I don’t know what else I can do to change that."
Deonna Purrazzo became the inaugural ROH Women's Pure Champion by defeating Billie Starkz at the Final Battle event this past December. Though as mentioned in her tweet, she has had only one match in 2026 after her title victory and the reigning champion is yet to be booked in a title defence.
Explaining why she made the post for bookings going against the AEW management, The Virtuosa said that she needs to stay ready for when an opportunity does come her way. Purrazzo explained that she is just trying to control what she can even if it hurts her relationship with her current employers:
"So for me it was saying, okay if I’m not going to get these opportunities here, I need to stay ready. I need to stay crisp for when they do come. So I’m gonna put out a tweet, and I’m gonna take independent bookings, and I’m gonna try to stay ahead of that ring rust that I might get, if this year continues on this path.
And that way, I’m trying to control everything I can control. Like I said, it’s really defeating. It’s really upsetting. But at the end of the day, this is business, and I have to continue to run my own, at whatever stakes that costs."
Deonna Purrazzo is not the only female star facing this kind of treatment in AEW. Names such as Britt Baker and Kamille have also been missing from the company for a long time, without any explanation. Most recently, Mercedes Martinez opened up about similar struggles during her time in the company.
