IMPACT Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo recently appeared on the In The Weeds podcast to discuss a wide range of topics, most notably her thoughts on fellow Knockout, Gisele Shaw.
The Virtuosa begins by saying Shaw had a rough beginning in IMPACT as she didn’t have anything concrete to sink her feet into.
I had a conversation with someone [at IMPACT Rebellion] before I wrestled, just feeling, ‘I’m a little lost, character-work maybe isn’t my biggest thing. I’m trying to work to my size.’ I just said, ‘You have to trust.’ You have to trust people putting you in these situations. Whoever is doing the creative is putting you in these situations because you can handle them. Specifically with Gisele, who over the last almost two years, has gone through a lot of ebbs and flows. She debuted as a singles star, did some stuff with Lady Frost, then was thrown in the mix with all these different tag teams, people left, she didn’t have her tag team. I think she had a really rough start in terms of getting her feet into something and really digging in.
Shaw has since began to flourish on the roster and become one of the division’s standouts. Purrazzo recognizes that, and praises Shaw for her attitude.
To see her flourish, we’ve all followed her story, she has an amazing diary put out to show the world, ‘this is who I am.’ I really feel that coming out, having her story out there has exemplified what she does in the ring. She is confident, she goes out there and knows exactly who she is and she oozes this aura, this larger than life star. It’s all come together over the last six months. The in-ring ability, which she’s always had, and now that, ‘I am who I am and I’m living my best life and my most authentic life. Take it or leave it,’ is the attitude she brings in life and in the ring. That, to me, is what was missing, and now that she has it, the possibilities are endless for Gisele.
Elsewhere in the interview, Purrazzo spoke about her desire to wrestle Mercedes Moné. You can read about that here.
(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)