Upon arriving on the All Elite Wrestling scene, Deonna Purrazzo expressed her desire to receive more opportunities from the top management of the company. But it’s been a long time since they could offer something productive to her, causing a lengthy hiatus for the bright talent who’s still on a hiatus from AEW TV programming.
After experiencing initial failure in the WWE, Deonna Purrazzo proved her potential by becoming a cornerstone figure in the TNA Impact locker room for a long time. She’s essentially turned out to be one of the most technically gifted wrestlers in the game, but there’s a long story on how she adopts her body in this physical sport of pro wrestling considering that she doesn’t possess a normal neck.
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During a new interview on The Lightweights Podcast with Joe Vulpis, Deonna Purrazzo opened up about digesting moves inside the squared circle. She was asked to name some of the most painful bumps to take in the ring, which turned out to be a bodyslam. Related to the topic, the top AEW star then shared her ongoing struggle with scoliosis and how she had to adjust to moves in her wrestling career.
“I have scoliosis, so my neck has like a slight curve to it and I just from childhood have like bulging discs and stuff like that—just had to work through my whole life. Those Jersey school textbooks carrying on my back,” noted Deonna Purrazzo.
Deonna Purrazzo remains cautious in training sessions for her neck condition
Back in the day, former WWE Superstar Paige AKA AEW’s Saraya was diagnosed with the same vertebrae condition that forced her to retire from in-ring competition. However, it was AEW who again allowed the pioneer to make her way back to wrestling. Deonna Purrazzo is well aware of the sensitivity of the situation and hence, she avoids standard neck-strengthening drills that many wrestlers might regularly go through,
“I just have to be aware of those potential injuries. So a lot of people like to do neck bridges and stuff like that… that doesn’t feel good for me. A couple training schools want you to hang your neck over the edge of the ring and pick it up—that’s very uncomfortable for me.” (quotes courtesy Fightful)
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Being cautious with her body helped Deonna Purrazzo in a good way as she didn’t suffer any noteworthy injury, causing a lengthy hiatus. She admittedly mostly relies on “chiropractic work” on her neck that keeps the scoliosis situation under control. As such, she guessed herself to be blessed enough not to suffer any halt in her career due to this.
After signing up with the AEW, Deonna Purrazzo always wanted to feature more on Dynamite show more than anything else. However, the stacked AEW women’s division has led to a change in her positioning, leading her to be in the “waiting game.” However, she still hopes to reach the top of the female roster, someday.