Deonna Purrazzo Credits ROH With Providing Opportunities For Women

Deonna Purrazzo thinks ROH deserves a bit more credit for what it’s doing for women’s wrestling in terms of opportunities. Purrazzo is the current ROH Women’s Pure Champion and has a long legacy in the ROH women’s division.

Purrazzo is set to defend the Women’s Pure Title against Diamante at ROH Supercard of Honor, and she spoke with Fox News Digital ahead of the fight. She also spoke about giving back to veterans with her husband Steve Maclin with their Battle for the Brave event on June 6th, which benefits the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. You can see highlights below:

On ROH Providing Opportunities For Women’s Wrestling:

“I think what’s so great about Ring of Honor is that it kinda flies under the radar a little bit. So, you get to really develop and tell stories and show personality and maybe try something different than you would if you were on Dynamite every single week. I think that there is really great women’s wrestling within Ring of Honor. Most weeks there’s four, five, six women’s matches and so I think that it doesn’t get enough credit online that it deserves for what it’s doing and the purpose it’s serving for women’s wrestling, which is, again, really important to me, starting in Ring of Honor, starting the women’s division 11 years ago.

“To get to see multiple women every single week grow and develop, I think it’s really important and I think that if more people saw it as a landing spot, we can maybe grow that perception in the public’s eyes.”

On Her and Steve Mclin’s Battle for the Brave Charity Event:

“Growing up in New Jersey as well, 9/11 was such a big deal. For me, I was in second grade. I didn’t understand what was going on but in the days after, I felt a sense of unity in that everyone came together, everyone was proud to be an American, and we were going to fight back and stand together and be one, united country. And I think that, that feeling has always stuck with me but being a veteran’s wife, it’s taken on a completely different role.

“Steve opening up about his service and things he’s seen and experienced with me has given me a new passion to let veterans know that, yes, war will always come home with you but it doesn’t have to define you. Steve was so lucky that he was able to find wrestling right after he got out of the Marine Corps and it saved him, in a way, from falling down the unknown path of ‘What am I? Who am I next?’

“And I think that’s something that our veterans deal with unbeknownst to the rest of the public. It’s not talked about enough. They say 22 veterans but right now the math is leading toward 44 veterans a day lose their lives to that battle – an identity crisis of who am I after service. So, that’s what it means to be American for me now, is showing that support for our veterans, showing that our country is here for them and we’re here to support them and we’re here to give them the resources that they need to live healthy and successful lives after service.”