AEW star Willow Nightingale stood up for her fellow wrestler Deonna Purrazzo after Purrazzo faced hateful body-shaming comments on social media following her recent match. After Purrazzo competed against Jonathan Gresham for Game Changer Wrestling on Saturday, she was attacked by online trolls focusing on her appearance. Nightingale, who has also faced similar criticism, praised Purrazzo’s performance and took to social media to challenge the negative focus of the online conversation.
“Why is there such negativity when you’re out there doing your job as a professional and succeeding?” Nightingale wrote. “I’m not naive to the lack of kindness out there, but do you think I still hope we can improve things for one another?”
Purrazzo initially acknowledged those who said they had given up on her. After receiving support from fans and fellow wrestlers like Nightingale, she expressed her appreciation. “When people in this community show up with love and support when it matters most, that’s why I stay,” Purrazzo tweeted. “Love always trumps hate.” Purrazzo had previously shared on a podcast how past experiences with body-shaming contributed to her fears in the ring.
Both Nightingale and Purrazzo are key figures in the women’s divisions of AEW and ROH. Nightingale recently participated in an all-women casino gauntlet match at a pay-per-view event in Texas. Although Purrazzo has been off TV due to creative changes caused by other injuries in the ROH women’s division, she remains under a long-term contract with the company.
Fan Take: This shows the importance of solidarity among wrestlers, especially in combating body-shaming and negativity that can impact mental health and performance. For AEW fans, seeing stars like Nightingale and Purrazzo support each other highlights the growing strength and unity of women’s wrestling, signaling a positive future for the sport’s evolution.
