Deonna Purrazzo Opens Up About AEW Struggles

Deonna Purrazzo has pinpointed the moment she began to struggle in AEW.

It’s become something of an open secret that Deonna Purrazzo has been frustrated with how her AEW career has panned out thus far.

After signing with the company, Purrazzo was quickly thrust into a high-profile role and challenged for the Women’s World Championship. However, she’s wrestled on AEW television just three times in 2025, with her most recent match coming back in February.

Since then, the star has become somewhat lost in the shuffle, something she now admits has been frustrating.

Deonna Purrazzo Reflects On Difficult AEW Debut

During a new interview with MuscleManMalcom, Purrazzo explained why she felt her problems started right after her AEW debut. The star explained that the audience wasn’t given an explanation about what “Virtuosa” meant, and this immediately created a disconnect.

“I think after that is when it got difficult, because we didn’t explain to the AEW audience right away what the word ‘virtuosa’ meant. And I think that’s something I’ve struggled with my entire career.”

Purrazzo added that she was concerned that AEW fans might have seen her TNA, which also played into the problems around her debut.

“I didn’t want to neglect that fact that the casual AEW fan might not know who I am and what I’ve done and what I’m about. And unfortunately, there just like wasn’t time for it, and we never got to explaining what it meant to be the Virtuosa.”

In an effort to try and give her character some context and more of a foundation, Purrazzo revealed that she produced a series of vignettes herself, but there was no follow-up.

“I went and I had a series of three vignettes made on my own, and I produced them… and I gave them to AEW. And I said, ‘I still don’t think we’ve explained to the audience why they don’t like me’… But then that was almost a year ago, and we’ve not had, like, consistent follow up yet…

The key with any kind of TV company, televised product right now is just consistency. I want them to get to know the Virtuosa. Because I feel like, even though I’m a year and a half in, they still don’t necessarily understand all that I’m about.”

Deonna Purrazzo was most recently in action at the June 21 Ring of Honor TV taping, but the match has yet to be broadcast.

H/t to WrestlingNews.Co