In early 2025, Deonna Purrazzo participated in several major matches for All Elite Wrestling, including a singles bout against former AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm and a four-way contest in the TBS Championship Eliminator. By year’s end, she became a prominent figure in Ring of Honor, proudly wearing the newly established ROH Pure Women’s Championship. However, the journey was challenging, with Purrazzo facing difficulties that led her to question her role in wrestling and occasionally miss matches.
In an interview with Gabby AF, Purrazzo shared insights about the months leading up to her ROH title victory at Final Battle. She explained that returning to her indie roots helped her regain confidence and improve her performance. "I felt like I wasn’t getting enough reps, and when I was, I wasn’t bringing out the best version of The Virtuosa because of a lack of self-belief," she revealed. Purrazzo described 2025 as a tough year full of uncertainty about her place in the evolving wrestling scene, but said winning the Pure Women’s Championship, which suits her wrestling style perfectly, and leading the ROH women’s division made all the hardships worthwhile.
From March through August, Purrazzo’s appearances in AEW-ROH shows were rare or absent, but after resurfacing at ROH Death Before Dishonor in late August, she became a regular, ultimately winning the ROH Pure Women’s Championship tournament on December 5.
Purrazzo described her championship win as a "full circle" moment, especially since her semifinal opponent, Queen Aminata, who was heavily featured on AEW Dynamite and Collision, had to withdraw due to a neck injury, automatically advancing Purrazzo to the finals against Billy Starks. Despite this unexpected path, Purrazzo expressed gratitude for ending 2025 on a high note with a company she’s been connected to for over ten years. She reflected on her history with ROH, noting how she once doubted she’d compete there again after 2020, but now, as the first-ever Pure Women’s Champion, feels the title truly represents her wrestling style and journey.
So far, Purrazzo has yet to defend the title but recently secured a tag team win over Billy Starks and Diamante on ROH on Honor Club. She is reportedly signed with AEW-ROH through 2026.
Fan Take: This milestone for Deonna Purrazzo highlights the evolving landscape of women’s wrestling within AEW and ROH, shining a spotlight on the emerging Pure Women’s division as a platform for technical excellence. For AEW fans, it signifies fresh storytelling opportunities and underscores the importance of adaptability and perseverance in wrestling careers.
