Deonna Purrazzo has had a complicated relationship with Mickie James.
Last year, “The Virtuosa” and the “Hardcore Country” legend saddled up for one of the most heated feuds in professional wrestling. After dominating the IMPACT Knockouts Division for well over a year, James finally unseated Purrazzo as the Knockouts Champion at Bound For Glory. The two later clashed at Hard To Kill in January 2022. Main-eventing the pay-per-view in a Texas Death Match, James outdid Purrazzo once again.
Following their historical bout, tensions cooled down between the two, as they each turned to other storylines, before meeting one-on-one once again a couple weeks ago. This time, though, Mickie James’ career was at stake. Yet again, the duo delivered a hard-fought contest, but yet again, Purrazzo fell short. Therefore, Mickie James continues her “Last Rodeo” retirement tour, for now.
On January 13, James will turn her focus to reclaiming the Knockouts Championship at IMPACT Wrestling’s 2023 Hard To Kill pay-per-view. There, she faces Jordynne Grace, with her career, and the title, on the line. Speaking on Counted Out With Mike & Tyler, Deonna Purrazzo discussed the upcoming match, with an emphasis on the game-changing opportunity for Jordynne Grace.
“I think that would be career-defining [to end Mickie’s career],” she said. “Tasha Steelz says ‘I’m the greatest to beat the greatest.’ She beat Mickie James for the Knockouts World Championship [in March], but I think that’s been game-changing for Tasha. It kind of leveled her up a little bit. The person who gets to say, ‘I retired Mickie James,’ I mean, what else could you do? What bigger thing is there to do besides win the Knockouts World Championship? Which, after Hard To Kill, you might have the opportunity to do.
“But you’re going to retire her [if you beat her], that in itself is just an amazing feat. So I think that it’s made our entire division work harder and level up. What more can I bring to the table? I want to be the one.”
Though Purrazzo and James haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, “The Virtuosa” finds her insight very valuable. “She’s been wrestling 20 plus years. She’s done it all,” Purrazzo said. “I was actually talking to her the other day and I said, ‘if you give someone advice or you say, I like this better, or what about this? If we tweak this, how could I ever argue that you’re wrong?’ The experience is there and is proof itself that it works.”
Purrazzo continued, acknowledging James’ presence in the locker room as “game-changing” for her. “I think for everyone in our knockouts locker room can learn something when they’re in the ring with Mickie sitting in the back. We’re all gaining valuable, professional and life experience from being around someone like Mickie James.”
When asked what she’s specifically learned from James, Purrazzo revealed that its the focus on “the important little details of the storytelling” that James has instilled into her. “I’ve really learned how to hone in on the storytelling and not necessarily think of what big moves can I do and what is going to get people talking. The story is going to get people talking. The story is what got us to be the first-ever Knockouts World Championship pay-per-view main event.”
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