Deonna Purrazzo Recalls Changing Her Mind About an AJ Styles vs. CM Punk Tribute for ROH Final Battle Bout

During a recent interview with Fightful’s Kate Hallstead, ROH Women’s Pure Champion Deonna Purrazzo spoke about her match in the finals of the tournament for the finals against Billie Starkz last December at ROH Final Battle 2025. Purrazzo originally wanted the match to pay tribute to AJ Styles vs. CM Punk in the finals for the original Pure Title back in 2004, but she later changed her mind.

Purrazzo explained to Hallstead that she later changed her mind after re-watching the finish. She explained, “It’s actually funny you bring that up because I was talking to the girls about this yesterday. When I went into the finals with Billie, I was like, ‘Let me go back and like watch Punk and AJ for the Men’s Pure Championship when the tournament culminated.'”

She continued on the match’s finish, “The finish was like a Styles Clash off the second [inaudible] or that was like a big false finish in the match? It’s been the popular thing in wrestling to go back in your matches and reference other people in other matches. I was like, ‘That might be a really fun idea.’ Then I saw that, and I was like, ‘That’s not a fun idea.’”

On the latest edition of ROH on HonorClub TV, Deonna Purrazzo defeated Viva Van in a Proving Ground matchup.