Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Deonna Purrazzo on her Impact debut, WWE release, issues in NXT, The Virtuosa, dream opponents

Episode Date: June 25, 2020

Deonna Purrazzo chats with Chris Van Vliet from her home in Orlando, FL. She talks about making her debut for Impact Wrestling and taking out Jordynne Grace, being released from WWE, her frustrations with WWE creative, how she came up with The Virtuosa nickname and what it means, debuting on Raw with her best friend Chelsea Green, why she decided to go back to school to study history and much more! Thanks to Bet Online for their support on this episode! Use the code BLUEWIRE for a new welcome bonus on your first deposit at http://BetOnline.ag Please take a minute to fill out this BlueWire survey for your chance to win a pair of Apple AirPods! http://bluewirepods.com/survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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That's a great question. Look at you, man. What's the powerful questions. Woo! This is the Chris Van Bleet Show. Chris Van Bleet Show. Ladies and gentlemen, Chris Van Fleet!

Well, here we're. We go. Welcome back to the Chris Van Fleet Show. I'm your host, Chris Van Clean Shaven. This episode's brought to you by Bet Online. And if you've been watching my YouTube videos over the last three months, or if you saw any of my posts on social media, hint, hint, you can follow me at Chris Van Fleet. You've seen that I had a beard that got progressively bigger and bigger as this quarantine went on. Some even said that I look like a short-haired Seth Rollins. Yeah, I suppose I could see that. Although someone did make a side-by-side of me and Rollins.

And yeah, yeah, I feel like we could be like brothers of some sort. But all of this, all of this is to say the beard is no more. And we had a good run. And it really started to grow on me. See what I did there? Grow on me? Because it's a beard. But it is no more.

Of course, I couldn't shave it off, though. without taking photos along the way of a pretty terrible goate and a very creepy mustache. Who knows what I'll actually do with these photos? But I want to thank my friend Mark Morrison who took some amazing photos, which are also posted on my social media, hint-hint, at Chris Van Fleet. So you can check him out there. But who knows? Chris Van Beard could return at any point in time.

And if you watch this interview with Deanna Parazzo, by the way, You will see that I was Chris Van Beard when we recorded this interview. And it's a really interesting chat, finding out what Deanna is all about, especially after making that huge statement with her impact wrestling debut. And thank you for the statement that you guys have been making with these reviews on Apple podcasts. Also, I know you're listening right now, but if you could take a second to subscribe on whatever platform it is that you might be listening on, that would be great. because this episode right here officially marks our one-year podcast anniversary. Yeah, the show officially turned one-year-old yesterday, June 24th. Now, the YouTube channel is a little over nine years old,

but this right here, the audio version, is a year old. Oh, it's like a little baby podcast. Oh, don't kill. But I can't wait to see what's in store for this next. year. And thank you for being on this journey with us. My goal for this year, because as you know, vague goals get vague results, my goal for this year for the next year of the podcast, for year two of the Chris Van Fleet Show is to consistently be in the Apple top 200 weekend, week out. Because right now we're on it like half the time, which blows my mind, by the way, to be on there

with Colin Coward and Dan Patrick and shows from ESPN and NFL Network and MLB, the The list goes on, Barstville Sports, talk as Jericho, Jim Ross. You know, you know what I'm talking about here. To be on that same list, just sports in general is mind-blowing. So that is the goal. And I know that together we can do this thing. And I think it's reviews like this one from Tim in Cleveland that really help out. And it really summed this up best.

He titles this, I'd subscribe if I were you. Hands down a five-star review. I'd give you six if I could. Good. Been a follower for a few years now, and it only gets better. Thank you, Chris, for helping me to get through extremely long hours at work. You're the best. Tim in Cleveland, Ohio. Well, thank you, Tim. Wow. I was actually just in Cleveland last week, actually. I should have said, should have let you know, Tim. Could have said hi. Could have grabbed a Great Lakes brew. Hmm, you know what I'm talking about. Great Lakes Brewery. I was being interviewed by Andrea Vecchio for her show called Driving Cleveland. A lot of people ask me about getting interviewed. And I actually do quite a few podcasts as a guest every single week.

But I'm thinking maybe I'll put the odd one here if you want to like find it. So maybe this one with Andrea when it comes out a few weeks, we'll put the audio version here. If you like it, cool. If you don't, skip that episode and you can listen to the episodes with the real stars like this one with Deanna Parazzo. And when she debuted on Impact Wrestling, I think for a lot of people, that might have been the first time that they really got to see what she was all about. I mean, sure, you might have seen her in NXT, but I think we can all agree. Deanna included that she was extremely underutilized there. So we talk about her journey from her debut in wrestling to being on TNA just 10 matches after that.

and then working with all these other companies, Ring of Honor, WWE, and now Impact Wrestling. And a lot of people thought that we might have seen her in AEW after she got released from NXT. She talks about why Impact was the right place for her and what her goals are now that she's there. She also discusses why she calls herself the virtuosa and why it perfectly describes the work that she's doing with her character.

And if you don't know what a virtuosa is, is don't worry. Don't worry. We get to that in this. She also talks about why she decided to go back to school and what her plans are after wrestling. She's stunning history right now. This is so good. So let's get right into it. Please give it up for the virtuosa. It's Deanna Parazo. Well, thank you so much for joining me, Deanna. Yeah, thanks for having me. How is life in your world? honestly like quarantine hasn't been bad in florida at all um we're like the gym is open now and restaurants are open and stuff so it's been really like just back to normal kind of well happy belated birthday your birthday as we record this right now is just two days ago yeah yeah thank you so how was the 26th birthday

um it was fun like really what i wanted was all of my friends together in one place so chelsea and matt and Bray and Austin and all of us just like got together and had a really nice dinner and that is what I wanted for everyone to be in one place for once. So it was really, really nice. I mean, and look, I think we're hitting the tail end of this whole quarantine thing. And the best part about this is you're wrestling again. Yeah. So congrats on that. You just, I mean, what a week for you.

You debuted on Impact. Then it was your birthday. Let's just let's break this down bit by. bit here. Obviously, you recorded the debut on Impact, I guess, a little while ago, but it just aired this week. So how are you feeling after the debut? So we did tapings in Nashville like two weeks ago. So I was really, like I hadn't seen any of the footage that we recorded for the debut and then thereafter. So I saw this for the first time while everyone else did. And honestly, like, I loved it. And not to be like, that's how you make.

an impact, no pun intended, what it is. Like, I think for me, I was so nervous because I think I put a target on my back with everything that I did there after once, you know, I was released and I was kind of like, screw NXT. So anything that I did, you know, two weeks ago when we filmed was really important to me because I wanted it to be right. I really wanted to make it means something. And everything I do, I wanted to do it well. Because if I didn't, then it was me. like shooting myself with the foot. So honestly, there's been tons of positive reviews and everyone seems really happy with what they did.

And I'm super happy. I'm so excited for everyone to see kind of what we did moving forward and the character development that I was able to do an impact. So I'm just really, really happy with how it came off. And you're, I mean, you're gunning right for the top here. You go in, you take out Jordan Grace, and you're basically saying, I want that knockout's championship. Yeah.

And I'm excited. for you guys to see like the story up until, you know, Slammercy and the next set of tapings. Like we do a lot of character development for both of us and really, you know, kind of like get into a story. So it's really, really exciting for me because I haven't been able to do that before. Well, this is exciting to see how this ends up, you know, paying off. When you started having these conversations with impact,

did you say, look, here's the character that I want to be. Take it or leave it. This is how it's going to be for me. So kind of, but not really. I had just said, like, listen, I'm totally cool coming in as like Deanna Prasso, just, you know, a wrestler, and we kind of can go from there. But here's also what I've pitched elsewhere. And I really do believe in this character. I believe if you guys understand it, we could make it something and kind of go from there.

And, you know, I just kind of put it on them. Like, you tell me what you want me to do because I just want to do something. And they totally understand who the virtuosa is. they totally were like, this is cool. We love it. And, you know, they let me present it in the way I saw fit. It's, I mean, it's great that you're able to wrestle in June. It's great that we're seeing wrestling happening in June with everything going on in the world.

But is there a small piece of you that goes, man, I really wish I could have made that debut in front of a packed house at impact? I think so. Yeah. I think, like, that is going to be like in the back of everyone's mind. like, oh, how would the fans have reacted? But that's not like the reality we're in right now, you know? So it's kind of like, I haven't really thought about it unless I'm asked about it because that's just not, it wasn't possible.

It wasn't feasible. So I think hopefully it would have gotten a really good reaction with fans, but I'm totally happy with the reaction on the internet. Well, and the reaction on the internet's been like almost 100% positive. Like people are excited for you to show off what you are truly capable of doing. but they're also jacked up about seeing the people you can work with an impact because the knockout's division is stacked oh yeah and that was like one of the biggest things that I like you know I was watching over the month I couldn't really do anything and just kind of like

try I don't want to say I was like ignorant to what was going on in the rest of the world while I was with nxti but like you see less of it because you see more of what you're doing right and just to kind of see like nevea came and then tasha steals came and and the emphasis that impact put on their women up until this point has just been like game-changing. And I don't know that really, you know, in the last year or two, any other company has put so much emphasis on their women. So to kind of come in and be a part of that and revisit matches I've had with some of these people before NXT and on the Indies and kind of came up with them on the Indies is really exciting because like I've had some of my greatest matches with Jordan Grace. And I've trained

with Topshah Steels. And, you know, Madison Rain is one of my best friends. but I worked with her so much at impact prior, but then it rang them on her too. So it's going to be really exciting, like, now that I can be a fixture there to see what else I can do with this mix of girls. Who haven't you worked with that now when you look at the roster, you go, oh, man, a match with so-and-so is going to be incredible. Yeah, I never worked with Taya. So that is really exciting. And that was one of the first matches I said, like, I'd love to be in the ring with this person. So definitely Taya.

but then I've never wrestled Nebea and I've never really wrestled havoc. So there's like the girls that like came before me that I never really got to interact with anywhere. Those are the ones I'm most excited about. I think I was really surprised when I heard that you had debuted because I thought there was this 90-day thing, which some people seem to be adhering to and some people don't.

So did you have to like ask for permission from WWE to work for impact? So I think most of them, the NXT people, but I can only speak for myself, honestly, but I only had a 30-day clause. Oh, okay. 30-day non-compete and that I was paid for. And then after that, I was free to do whatever I want. So I made sure that was said to me the day that I was released of like, it's 30 days and then whatever. But once I started to talk to impact and kind of knew that there was interest from them, I made sure of like, what is this date, like a definite date that I

can work elsewhere. And then we kind of went for there. And luckily, the timing worked out perfect. We're like, you know, the, I think it was the 22nd. That was like the last day of mine on compete. And then we could film the 26th. So it worked out great. Right. Well, I feel like a lot of people just assume someone's going to leave from WW or leave from NXT and start having conversations with AEW. Was that ever a possibility? Some people had reached out and, but it was all kind of like fleeting. There was nothing. There was no like, you're going to have a meeting or we're going to sit down and do this. So luckily, like I had been to impact before. I know the people there and it was like right away like we'd love to have you. Let's talk about it when we can.

And it was just more of a secure thing. But I think also too for me, I don't want to, and it's funny now that we've seen my debut. So this is kind of like contradictory to what I've done. But I want to get back to the rest of I was before NXT. And I want to find myself again and find happiness and all the things that as a performer I lacked when I was competing in NXT. I want to like do that before I go somewhere. That's as mainstream as AW that has the critics of AEW. Like I don't want to go there and be exploring myself and kind of fall into the same role that I fell in in NXT. And luckily, like, impact is a place that understands who I am, is totally on board with what they think I can do.

and are willing to give me the time for the character development I need. So I think like all things considering, it just really worked out well there. But who knows? You know, like I would love to go to AW. There's so many girls that I haven't gotten to work with friends that are there.

And I love what they're doing with their women's division. It was just like a timing thing. And I think what I need more as a person and a wrestler right now. I mean, well, look, in the world right now where outside of wrestling, a lot of people don't have jobs, or are losing their jobs. It must feel pretty good that in the middle of all this,

you're getting a job offer and now you're able to really show off what you can do. Yeah, that honestly, like the most important thing, obviously, is like we have rent and boosts you pay. And, you know, luckily, like the fan support merch-wise has been amazing. But I think just having security and knowing I'm wanted at a place and they're ready to use me to the best of my ability, again, meant more than anything else to me.

Just like feeling wanted was like the most fulfilling feeling for me. It was like, okay, they want to use me. So yeah, I need to have a job in the middle of quarantine. And, you know, I was fired 30 days ago. It feels good. It might be a little bit early to be talking about this since you literally just debuted on TV this week for Impact. But Tessa has the world championship right now. That means it's a possibility that you could hold the world championship

in Impact Wrestling one day. Is that something you'd be interested in? Like, intergender is something that I've stayed away from for the majority of my career. And I did a few things when I was, like, new and still training and whatever. But, like, I've only had one intergender match at, like, a wrestling meeting weekend with Beyond and It's Not Riddle. And it was fun.

It was special because that was, like, an all intergender show. And I kind of then made fleeting comments about, like, this is probably the only time I'll do this. I just don't think I can do it realistically. I don't know. It's not something I've explored. So it would be interesting to try, but I don't know that it's for me. Is this match with Matt Riddle online?

Can we all go look this up? We can. I'm beyond wrestling's YouTube. Okay. Then we will go look this up and we can see for ourselves what we think of this match. But look, I think that if you're working for a company and you say, that's not something I'm comfortable with. It's not like you have a shortage of women

that you can rattle there. Exactly. And I think like with Tess of becoming the world champion earlier, this year, the end of last year, whatever it was, was barrier breaking for women. And to know that impact is doing that and is allowing women to break those barriers and make history in that ways

is the way is heavy for anyone that wants to join their division because it's like, okay, I'm not just in one, I can be in this whole bubble with this whole company. And I do think working men open so many other doors. But again, it's just like a comfortability thing. And great for her for being comfortable doing that. Before she was with impact, it was something she did on the Indies with Brian Cage and Pentagon.

And she made a name for herself in intergender indie wrestling. But I think a lot of women are like, I don't know if that's for me. And it'll be interesting to see, you know, the match was just announced for something. anniversary, you know, who comes out on top and, you know, what that kind of five-way looks like. Yeah. I mean, your career very much started out very quickly in TNA. So how different is the TNA that you worked in to the impact wrestling you are now working in?

Yeah, completely different. But in very many ways the same. And I haven't been shy in other interviews about like my first few times there. You know, my first time in impact, that was my eighth match ever in front of a crowd. That's insane. I was like this 19-year-old shy girl that didn't have wrestling gear and was wearing hair extensions for the first time and got her makeup done professionally for the first time. Like, I had no idea who I was or what like this world would do for me and how I could, you know, give myself to it. I had no idea.

And they were very much like character base then. So that's why there's some similarities because they were like, okay, well, just you're shy. so be shy and be shy times a thousand. I was like, okay, I don't know. No, like watching that match with Brooke Tesfalker, I couldn't even do a body slam properly. I was so freaking nervous. And then going back a few times after it was still, you know,

like I was more secure in who I was a wrestler, but I didn't have a character and I didn't have anything else to give, but like, I could have good matches, hire me. And that wasn't enough at the time. So it's been interesting now, to kind of be able to, again, give them a character synopsis and be like, this is how I see myself. And maybe we could do this way to incorporate the character. And maybe these promos could be, you know, in this kind of genre.

And that'll help development. So I think this time is like a 360 for me or 180, whatever it is for me, because I'm like a completely different person than I was the first few times that I got to go in terms of my wrestling and then character. When you're starting your career and your eight matches in and TNA wrestling wants to feature you on TV, you must be going, oh, my God, I've made it. Yeah, it was like, oh, shit, this is happening. I had done a seminar with Pat Kenney, Simon Diamond, who was the producer and an agent then at Impact. And Robbie E was still at Impact, Rob Strauss now. Robert Stone. Yeah, Robert Stone, whatever his name is now.

He helped me a little bit. So when they needed an extra person, and I don't know if like, you know, a top Indian name fell through and they were like, who could we get last minute? It was very much a last minute thing. Christy Heming called me like, you know, 36 hours before we were taping and was like,

if we could fly out of Florida, like that'd be great. And it was just kind of like, this is happening. You know, I wasn't ready. Like, I was not ready at all. But to kind of like get that experience right away, made my three or then after like 10 times easier because I never had a problem getting bookings. I never had a problem charging a little bit more money than, you know, what my experience was worth. And it really helped like jumpstart me right away.

Do you have a certain match or a certain event that allowed you to get to that next level where you went, oh, I do feel comfortable right now. Maybe it wasn't comfortable eight matches in at TNA, but now I've, you know, I got this now. not off the top of my head but I guess like I think that first match at ring of honor that Mandy Leon and I did really helped like jumpstart not only the the women of honor division but like me too where people were like okay she's not just like a one hit wonder at at impact she's doing other things and making moves in other places you know yeah yeah I mean and that match was like you said not just important for you, but that match is like the match that people pinpoint and go,

women of honor restarted because of this. Yeah. And that's crazy in itself because like I had just been friends with Mandy for maybe like a year or so through doing extra work with WWE. And we had met. We had some like before Smackdown tryout matches. And she was like, okay, like I like working with you. This is what my goal is with the company that I train with. She was like a student of the dojo.

So she was like, I really want to present a match that might change their mind about women's wrestling. And I'd love to do that with you. So I went and I trained with Delirious and her and everyone else at the dojo for a few times. And then he was like, okay, let's try this. So again, I just feel like every time I get an opportunity, it's like, I'm not ready. I have no idea what I'm getting myself into. And it just works out. Well, it works out because you guys.

all in on it. You dive in and you go, this is what I'm doing. There's no turning back. Yeah. And like, there's that where me, I'm just like, okay, we're all in. Cool. I'll get this my all. But then to like my just being like, you know, a good wrestler and just having a real good

grasp at like basic wrestling and how to get anyone for a match and then how to like dumb it down and not do the hardcore, you know, Ring of Honor hybrid style really comes in handy in some of these cases where it's just like I can have a solid eight minute match and not do anything crazy, you know. And that's all like for my training and my

trainer and, you know, things like that. I mean, we, we both accidentally said all in here, but, you know, the plan was for you to work at all in. What was the match plan there before, you know, you ended up going to WWE? I think that then, like, I don't know if it would have stayed a four way had I been in it and maybe one of the other girls wouldn't or it would have become a five way. Like I don't, I don't really know because when we announced me it was I believe in April and then I kind of wasn't sure it wasn't sure what was happening with the WWE. I was still under my Ring of Mother contract so I couldn't really talk to NXT quite a bit with like logistics and stuff. And then it was I don't know when they did the press conference but I was in Chicago for the press conference

and I think I did my last match at Ring of Honor that weekend. It must have been in May. And it was, you know, Cody had just announced, like, you know, she's not in the press conference because she can't be at all in. And I had tried to, like, maneuver my way with WWE of, like, pushing back my start date so I could do all in because I really, really wanted to. But I just kind of had to pick and choose my battles at that point. And, you know, looking back, like, it's definitely, like, a regret of mine. But who would have known that things would have turned out the way they did? And I just kind of had to, like, pick and choose my battles, you know? Yeah.

Well, I think the last thing WWE would have wanted you to do was to go to all in. I tried to, like, put it under, like, the Ring of Honor umbrella and, like, oh, well, Ring of Otter's been really good to me. And these are the dates that I've, you know, set in stone already. And, you know, I'm required to be there. So this is the last one. And they were just like, no. So what was your official start date then with WWA?

So July 16th, 2018 was my official start day at the PC. So, I mean, that was only six weeks-ish prior to all-in. Like, I feel like you could have been like, oh, you know what, I can't sign till mid-September or something. So I tried, right? And obviously they knew that September 1st was all in, but it was actually put to me, like that six weeks of pay and TV time that you would be missing. So I think, like, if I can put myself in that situation again and

remember what I was thinking, it was like, oh, okay, well, if I'm going to be on TV for those six weeks, like, this could be more beneficial than all in could be, you know? It was, it was just weighing the pros and cons of the situation. And ultimately, I don't think that they would have let me push back. And was this, were you based in Orlando at the time? Yeah, I moved. It was crazy because like my Ring of Honor contract ended, I guess technically July 1st. And that was when NXT could like send me the contract. And I had like, you know, those 16 days or whatever it was to, you know, get the contract sign, have a drug test, have a background check, get my, you know, get everything together.

So I had moved to Orlando, I think the weekend of July 4th. And I had a few Indies like the next weekends. the next two weekends, my last stuff. And then I think my last match might have been on like a Saturday. And then Monday I started at the PC. Wow. That's what a whirlwind. Yeah.

It was like, you know, just the way that one contract ended in the way the next one could start in all logistics. And, you know, so there was no tampering and things like that. Yeah. It was just like, you have to get this done. You have X amount of days to do it. And somehow I got it all done. And so now you've been in Orlando for almost exactly two years. Yeah.

And I mean, I guess a lot has happened during that time. Yes. Yeah, it's, I imagine, I imagine when you signed with NXT, when you signed with WWE, you thought, this is it. I'm probably going to be here for five, 10, 15, maybe the rest of my career. Yeah. I mean, that was like always the goal was like, I grew up wanting to be a WWE. superstar. I grew up wanting to be on

Raw or on SmackDown. So when I finally got the like, we want you, it was like, finally, because I had done so much with WWE up until that point and I had been told no, no, no, no, no, 10,000 times. So it was definitely like, if this is it,

like, I need to try. I need to take this opportunity and hope it works out because I don't know if I deny it, they'll ever come back and want me again. And I did think, like, like, okay, well, this might be it. This is great. I love to, you know, work here for 10 years and be done with wrestling. But I also think, like, you know, in the back of my mind, it was like,

if it doesn't work out, I'll be okay too. Just because at that point, you know, I was with Ringelan for so long. I was traveling so much and doing so much on the Indies that it was like, if I don't like this, I've taken the chance. I did it. I can never think what if. And hopefully, if I don't like it, I believe. Right. I just feel like you were so underutilized in NXT. Are you able to, are you able to put your finger on when things started heading south?

I don't know. Like, so obviously coming in, like I was put on TV right away. I had a match with Bianca. And then the next week I did like a tag match. And then it was also the May Young. So like the first few months, it was like, okay, this is great. Like, well, I'm on the May Young. I went to, you know, the semi-quarter finals, whatever it was. Like, now I'm on two weeks of TV between that. And then kind of nothing

happened. And the more I would ask questions, the more I got backlash for it. And, you know, there's like road loops that, you know, like the TV talent gets to be on. And sometimes, like, one or two people that aren't TV talent get to go. And I was never asked to do those. I was, you know, working one live event a weekend or two live events a weekend. weekend. And I just kept being like, I want to go to the next level. I need the critique that'll get me to be a TV star. And if I'm not getting that, like, what, what is the point of me being here? And the more I ask questions, the more I think I was like pushed to the back of the line. Like, she's a problem. She's a problem. She's a problem. That, yeah, it was like, I felt like I

couldn't do anything right. And everything then was taken out on like, on the longer I was held off TV. And then you're seeing other people who sign after you getting to the front of the line while you're still standing there at the back. Yeah. And it's hard because I think like the women in NXT, like we all come from similar backgrounds now. Everyone that's on TV right now was an indie star. And it's, you know, I get that like there's demographics and there's, um, rules to fill and things like that. But it was like, I kept being told like you're not TV. ready. You're not to be ready. We don't understand your character. So then it was like, okay, well,

here is what I think this character is. And it was never received well. I had vignettes filmed. And it was like, we just don't understand what the virtuosa is. And I got to a point of like, virtuosa is literally in the dictionary. And you're dumb if you don't understand what it is. It's not that you don't, you're choosing not to. And so I just kept pushing of like, okay, what can I control? I can get new gear. I can get new entrance attire. I can, um, ask for new music choices. I can, you know, pitch new ideas for tag teams or for trios. And I can work on my move set.

And I think, like, those are all positives that came from MS. Yeah. Because I really did understand the virtuosa and understand, like, her move set and how she would react to things. But I think, like, there was just a preconceived notion about me then that I can do anything to change their minds. But you say something and what you said there. you said something very powerful.

Actually, something John Cena said to me during the interview we had, control the controllable. You know, you have no control over anything else other than what you actually have control over. So the fact that you were able to go, I can control this, this, this, and this. I'll control them to the best of my ability. I think that, you know, that's a great step in the right direction. Yeah. And I think I always said to, like, to the people closest to me was like, I can only do as much as I can do. And if I do all of those things, and at the end of the day, this still doesn't

work out, I can turn around and say, well, I tried my best, and it could never be my fault. And that's kind of how I felt like that. You know, I put some vignettes on YouTube when I first was released, and those were all things that were pitched. You know, like the gear that I had at the May Young compared to the gear I have now is completely different. And French jackets. And like I said, like, you know, unfortunately we didn't get to see like much of the move set that I have created, you know, over the last two years, but like things that I've added and, you know, like, those were the controllable. And that's why I can walk away saying like maybe 25% of this in my loud mouth and my refusal

to just like give into a system is my fault. But I didn't not try. Let's hit pause on this chat with Deanna to thank our sponsor for this episode, BetOnline. And there's no shortage of action going on. our exclusive partners, betonline.ag. Sports are slowly making their way back, and bet online is leading the way with the best odds and lines for all UFC, NASCAR boxing, and soccer matches. If you need even more, well, they have simulated NFL, MBA, and UFC simulations all day, every day, live on their website. Looking for something else other than sports, while Bet Online

has hundreds of casino games, poker tournaments, and prop bets for you to check out. So visit betonline.ag and use the promo code Bluewire for a free welcome bonus. It's one word, Blue Wire, B-L-U-E-W-I-R-E. Bet Online, your online wagering experts. Is it frustrating to you that you have to explain what a virtuos is? You might not understand at first glance what it is, because it's an Italian word that, you know, Americans maybe don't use.

Like, I didn't know what it was until I was literally looking for moniker names. And I went through, like, a process of, I want something that is like the technician or the mechanic or whatever to explain how I see my wrestling style, but isn't as, as like, the common as that. And, you know, a virtuosa, by definition, is an individual with outstanding technical ability. So it might take some people, like, Googling it to understand. but I had push back from them not understanding because I was like on the Indies like I never had to explain it. People just kind of understood of like, you know what I mean?

It's this grand word and she's a good wrestler. And you know, I never had to explain it. So I was very reluctant to try to like go into the actual definition. How many times can you give someone a legit definition and they say like, I don't understand. Well, I don't know what else to tell you. So that's why it was like it was constantly like a battle between like, okay, you might not understand, but everything I do goes back to submission. My finisher is a submission. Like, you know, like in the beginning, I out wrestle people and I'm cocky and it comes back to bite me in the ass.

Like I just tried so hard to like appease what they wanted for me and I could never do it well enough. And I don't know. Like I think again, it was just because I constantly had questions and I constantly, gave them pushback for like, why is this? And why am I not doing that? And what about this? And what about that? And people just get labeled as a problem when you're not just grateful.

I think that everyone has heard the term virtuosa, whether they know it or not. Like we often hear like a violin virtuosa or a piano virtuosa. Like you are the pinnacle. You are the best of the best of the best when you're a virtuosa. Yeah. And I think too, like people at NXU maybe struggle with like characters. development because everyone has to have a character. So you're in the ring with like the EST of NXT, there's there's things that the EST would do to counteract the virtuosa. And there's things that,

you know, the HBIC would do that counteract the virtuosa. So it's hard because you're in a constant like how do you maximize everyone's character? What were some of the other monikers that were on the list and maybe, you know, in your mind didn't make the cut? I mean, like there's technician or mechanic or those were really too, like, once I found virtuosa, it was kind of like, I like that, but I'm not sure about it. Let's think on it. Let's think on it. I can't find anything else, and I really like that. So, like, there wasn't really anything else on the table when I was, you know, that was maybe 2016 that I came up with it. And that was kind of like, that's it. Because it explains who I am as a wrestler in a way, but it also brings in like, you know, I'm Italian.

like my family heritage and and now I've tried to incorporate like with my theme music like my culture and kind of like tie it all into one but then for me also too it's like if you look back to that first impact match and and you look back to those first NXT enhancement talent matches like the journey of becoming a virtuosa and becoming the most skilled wrestler in the world is like I came from being told you're not good enough or you're not coming I'm not if you're not this. And now I'm like, F you, I'm the freaking best. I think a lot of the WWE nicknames, though, are super like, they're simple, you know,

the architect. He builds things. The hitman. He kills people. The evil assassin. He assassinations your brain, you know, like. And I think that when they go, oh, that's a word that we just, you know, it's not used that commonly.

The Texas Rattlesnake, he is a snake. And he's from Texas, you know. I think that it's go ahead no I'm sorry no no I agree and I think it was just outside the box and it took some like you know um outside of the box thinking to to to really understand and I think like it sucks to say because it makes me sound bitter and like I'm not at all but like there's just people that are chosen to understand and then there's people who aren't and you know I just fell into the category of like um you know maybe I wasn't ready when I first walked in. So we'll put her in the back. And if she becomes ready, she becomes ready. And then I didn't change who I was because I believe in who I am and I believe in what the virtuosa is capable of doing. So it just kept being like this and this and this. And that's okay because now I'm in a place like we talked about that, understand who I am is really pushing the envelope to develop who I am. And hopefully with the weeks that go on, we all understand.

I know there's a point towards the end of last year where you wrote, out an email basically asking for your release. Yeah. Didn't send it and then ended up getting called up to Rod like a few days later. So did this, was the plan was to leave at the end of 2019? Yeah. I just kept in my head again being like, this isn't working out. I'm not benefiting from this.

Like, what is the point? Right. And it came to a point the end of last year that I had sat down with some people and I said, look like I was offered a contract renewal and I turned it down because I was like I'm not doing anything creatively here. I'm just like killing myself day and day out training like I now have injuries I didn't have before here like what is the point I'm not going to resign for three years or for five years or I didn't even look at the contract so I don't know what it was when you're just benefiting from my body and I'm not benefiting financially or

or on TV, like anything. And I sat down with some people after that meeting and I said, look, I need to know what is in store for me creatively. And if there's nothing, then that's fine, but I just need someone to be honest with me about it because all I want to do is work. And all I have wanted my entire life is to work for this company. So if I'm going to be invested in,

then I'm going to invest 110% in whatever I'm doing. But if that's not in the cards for me, then someone just needs to say it. so I can explore elsewhere. And, you know, it went down the line, and I talked to this person and this person and this person, and it came back to me that, like, we have nothing for you, nothing in the future. So keep working hard. And at that point, I was like, okay, but I've worked hard for almost eight years up until this point.

And for me, like I said, I had done all of these things. I was supposed to be debuting an attack team. And then I wasn't ready. And it was just like so many things had come to a head that it's like, I'm not accepting this anymore. And at what point does like dignity and self-respect overcome, you know, like your dream job? So I had wrote the email. And I was like, okay, well, I'll send it on Monday because it's new week. We're going on Christmas break.

Whatever. We'll see what happens. And that maybe was like Monday. So I was going to send it the next Monday. And then Friday it was like, you and Chelsea going to wrong. And I was like, oh, well, I guess I'm not going to send this while I'm not raw. And then did you go, well, then it wasn't all for not. Like, I'm going to raw.

Like, this is it. Like, this is that next step I've been looking for. Yeah. It was like, okay, well, let's see what happens. And we had no idea what we were going to raw to do or anything. But it was like, okay, well, if I can just bypass all this crap at NXT, I can be on rock, which is what everyone works at NXT to move up to the next level.

So we went and like, I got to wrestle Oscar, Chelsk got to wrestle Charlotte. We got like great reviews. You know, everyone loved what we both had done and it was like, okay, well now we're asked back the next week. Okay, now we're asked back the next week. Okay, now Chelsea's in the

Rumble. Okay, now I'm going back the next week. The next week. So this could be really good if I'm going to be on raw. And unfortunately, neither of us got just, you know, then be on the main roster, but, you know, she was brought down to to do stuff with Robert Stone. And then, you know, I was told I was going to be involved in some kind of storylines and stuff. And that's why we weren't going back. And then it just became the same

cycle of like, well, I'm not in the storyline. Well, now I've lost four times this month on TV. Like, what is the, it became the same monotonous. Like, what is the point of this? Oh, it doesn't seem to matter now, though. Like, everything seemed to work out. And that's why, too, I've said, like, when everyone was getting released, I kind of felt like I'm going to get released today. It's just a matter of time. And when it happened, it was just kind of like, okay, well, what's the next steps? Because anything that I'm going to face now, I've already conquered to get to annexed. So let's get back on the horse.

Let's get back into the hustle and figure it out. And, you know, it was just kind of like, I think everyone around me can just feel the sense of like, relief and like who I was two and a half years ago, you know, like happy and confident and feeling like I can conquer anything when I was very much down and out and not caring and was questioning whether I wanted to be a wrestler or not anymore. Yeah, well, I mean, your PIN tweet is from April 15th and you said you were struggling with wanting this for the better part of the last year. So like this is something that it sounds like it's the best case scenario for you. Yeah, honestly it is.

And like, you know, I said before, like, I want, all I've ever wanted to do is be a wrestler. And I've done it at WWE now. I've done it at Ring of Honor. I've done it around the world. So it's like, I've done all of this before. And I'm really happy to do it again because I saw how unhappy I was somewhere else and what your dream job can do to you when it doesn't work out the way you hope it does. And I don't want to be the person that I was for the last two years and just not caring about wrestling

and out of shape. And, you know, like, I went through such a transformation personally in the last year and I half that I've gotten that negativity out of the way and I'm just ready to start a brand new page, write a new chapter at impact, anywhere else it might be, and just be happy with the person I am and the work that I'm doing. 26 sounds like a pretty great year to start that out. Yes. Do you have, like, as you look ahead, do you have plans for the, you know,

this next year? Are there goals that you want to accomplish? Yeah. So once quarantine started, I was like, well, now it's the perfect time to go back to school. So I actually am enrolled in a college now to get a history degree. And I don't have a bachelor's degree or anything like that. So 26 is working towards my future after wrestling. And what are you going to do with a history degree? So ultimately, I think I'd like one day to maybe be like a high school history teacher. And so I get the bachelor's degree. I have about a year and a half to two years before I can graduate.

And then I just have to get like a teaching certification to work in a school district. So I'd like to do that. And like my favorite time period is like the American Revolution and then like Vietnam JFK era. So either of those two time periods, I'd love to teach one day. You would be the coolest history teacher. How cool would it be to know that your history teacher is either a wrestler or former wrestler? Well, I was a preschool teacher while I was wrestling. So they thought it was really cool.

So you're going to be the person backstage at Impact who's like studying it up or, you know, writing essays or whatever you happen to be doing. That was literally me two weeks ago. like a three page paper due to to get to my final paper. And I was like, I got to go back to, I don't think I hung out with anyone really. I did the one thing with Ethan Page on his Twitch stream. But I was like, I got a paper to write. I got a homework to do.

I was so antisocial because it's getting it in a new routine. And every week I have things that are due and papers to write and assignments that I haven't done in like five years since I've been out of school. So it's like getting in this new routine and trying. to figure out what my schedule is going to be like in, you know, those three days are super busy compared to me being home, having hours to do whatever. So it was literally me being like, I have to go back to the hotel. I have homework to do. This is incredibly proactive of you. I mean, there's so many people that are that I interview that are in their late 30s. And when we talk about life after wrestling,

they're like, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. You know, it'll figure it out. I think like, especially being a woman who's already wrestled, you know, the end of this year will be eight years that I've been wrestling, like, I want to be a mom one day. I want to have kids. I want to have a family. Like, I can't wrestle forever because that's my goal is to raise a family. So I need to think outside the box and like, okay, well, I know that I will get stir crazy if I just am a mom and doing nothing. So what else can I do to prepare myself for that chapter of my life? Because, I mean, I just turned 26, but like, I don't want to be a 40-year-old mom. You know what I mean? The next five years is going to happen fast. So I need to be prepared now. And with all the downtime we've had,

it was the perfect time to be like, okay, I have time to do this. Let's slowly get into it. It's just one class. It doesn't take too much of my day every day. And if I can just like check class after class off while I can, then it's one step closer to, you know, another goal of mine, which was to have a college degree. That's amazing. Did you have a, you have a decision? Did you have like a, you know, a fork in the road when you were 18 where you went, it's either wrestling or. Or, or or it's college? No, I, like, did it all. So I graduated high school 2012, and then I started training that December.

And I was also going to college full-time at just a accounting college that was like 20 minutes for me. And then I was also working. And my teaching jobs started out part-time. And then slowly I just worked my way up. And I had my own classroom. when I was working, you know, 40-some-od hours a week. And it was at that point that I was like, I'm stretching myself way too thin. What can I give up?

And it was like, well, I'm not ever going to give up wrestling. So that's not a possibility. And, well, if I want to wrestle, I need to support myself somehow. So teaching can't, you know, we can't check that off the list. And it was like, well, I can give this up. And it also was like, I'm not giving 100% of myself to like, you know, at the time I was going for exercise science. And you need to study and it's math. that I'm not good at naturally.

So school was kind of like, well, you can always go back to school, but you can't always wrestle and you need to make money. So, you know. And here you are now, eight years later, going, you can't come back to school and I'm back in now. Yeah, now it's kind of hard because I'm like, I don't understand like all of these computer applications that you need, like it's hard being all of them going back to school.

You know, I got an A in my class and we're doing well. and I'm excited. Thank you. I'm excited to, you know, eventually graduate and just say I went to college and I got a degree, you know. That's history always been a thing for you? Yeah. It's so exercise science was number one and then history was number two. And I kind of went back and forth. You know, when I was picking what my major would be, you know, when I was 18. And I like exercise science. I would love to have like been a trainer or something. But at the time, like it just, required so much of my time and I'm not naturally good at math and I'm not naturally good at chemistry and it just is something that requires so much of my time that I think now with why am I fighting the grain like just do something you're naturally good at that you love too and that's history and your dog is named after Fitzgerald yeah Fitzgerald that's right yeah I don't know if you're barking upstairs oh no you please welcome him into the interview he is um

Yeah, named after JFK. This is great. I learned this by watching your video on YouTube. Yeah. On your Q&A. And by the way, people that are watching this right now can subscribe to your YouTube channel. I'll put a link down below so they can subscribe. Are we going to be seeing a lot more content from you on there?

Honestly, I think during quarantine, that was like another thing that I wanted to do was like, okay, well, how it's going to keep relevant? And that is by interacting and engaging. So we're going to get Q&As up. Luckily, you know, I got some gear made, so we did our inboxings. But now it's kind of like, what else can I do? You know, so I definitely like to keep up with the Q&As, but just kind of spread them out. And, you know, I'd like to add more content.

But now that kind of like all the vignettes and stuff are through impact, it's like I can't really upload them to my own. So I just have to think of some more creative things and get back into that cycle, you know? Well, you could talk to Ethan Page. You can pay YouTube every single week. Yeah, it's crazy to me. Like that dedication he has because I want like two weeks without putting anything on YouTube. And I was like, oh, I should probably get on that. Yeah, you can't do that.

Yeah. YouTube is a fascinating beast that I don't know if anyone has really figured out how this thing works. Yeah, no. And God bless, like, the people that have because I don't know how they like edit stuff. And I'm, like I said to you, when we started so illiterate to like how applications worked on my phone and how to like, I just got a MacBook. I don't know how to use anything but the internet. People that like edit these videos really cool and graphic designers and stuff are like, God bless them because I don't know how they do it. So do you you really think 10 more years and that's it for wrestling or maybe less?

I think less. Really? I feel like you have so much to accomplish. That's why I say that. Yeah, but I think like, like I said, like, I mean, and there's so much possibility to like have a baby and come back to wrestling now. So there is, you know, maybe it is 10 years. But I think like, you know, in the next five years I'd like to have a kid. I don't know.

Like, I need to find a husband first. So there's that. Yeah, I think that's the order how it goes. But, you know, who knows? Yeah, I don't know. I guess it's just going to be like natural progression and we see how it goes. but I don't want to wrestle forever. And I want to, I already have some like nagging stuff that are going to be with me forever at this point.

So I don't want to be like, you know, the cripple that just keeps coming back to wrestling because there's something else. What hurts on you right now? Oh, my neck is banged up. I think I turned 26 and my ankles were like, you're done. When I get up in the morning, it's like a grandpa walking. You know, I had, I was diagnosed with Scully. when I was 11. So that is just something I've learned to like, I have to keep my back strong and I have to keep my core strong and things like that. But then it, you know, because of the way my spine is,

like slip discs are are natural for me and herniated discs and things like that. So it's just like a lot of nagging stuff. I have to keep up rehab on my own. But again, like I don't, I've never had surgery. I don't want surgery. Like, I just want to, you know, do the prevent. stuff as long as I can. I feel like neck issues and back issues aren't a good thing in the world of wrestling. Yeah. 100%. And like we've had some time off now to like get my body back to normal and like natural healing,

you know, and not being in the ring crazy like I was. So it's definitely been good for my body. But I just don't want to be like that that person that is like a cripple trying to wrestle still. I think there comes a point when everyone's like, okay, my body can't handle it anymore. Do I keep going or do I stop? And I would like to stop what a day before that happens. Are there like, is there a checklist of accomplishments or things do you want to do before you are done? Obviously, I would like to win a world championship, like the knockouts championship or, you know, whatever it is. I have it done now. So I would really like to be a

company's champion and be the forefront of the division. But I also say to everyone, like, I've said this to my parents a million times, like, my goal was to be a wrestler. To, like, have one match in a wrestling ring when I was young. That's all I wanted to do was be a wrestler. I've gotten to do that for so long now. And I've gotten to travel the world. I've, you know, lived in Japan. I've lived in England.

I've been to places that people only dream of. And I got to do all of that at the expense of wrestling. And it's something I love. I don't necessarily think of it. as a job. And I've just gotten to have some, I've met my best friends doing this. I've met people that will be with me like for the rest of my life. So I'm so grateful for the opportunities up until this point wrestling has given me that if I never wrestled another day in my life, I think I could walk away happy because I wanted to be a wrestler and I've gotten to be a

wrestler and I've done everything that me as a little kid wanted to do besides to be a champion. But I think like, you know, if that never happens, that's okay. Because I've done. done it all elsewhere. So I don't know. Like if I had, if I could be like, I'm going to be Jordan Grace and be the impact champion tomorrow. I would do that. But if that never happens, I think I could rest my head saying like, I gave this my

all and I was pretty successful at it. Well, I mean, it's great self-awareness to say that. Yeah. But you were also on the cusp of like your best wrestling years. Like now you handcuffs or off. Now you can go and be whatever the virtuosa wants to be. And you can go and be. that champion. So like, yes, you've accomplished these great things. But if we had this same

conversation five years from now, you'd go, oh my God, these last five years have been amazing. Right. And that's where the catch 22 is. And I think like we were saying, that's why people don't give it up. Because you don't know when the best can come out. And I'm so confident in how I feel with what I'm doing with impact right now that I can be the best version of myself. I'm in the right headspace, like, they're 100% behind me and want me to succeed. So there's, like, no downfalls with where I am right now, and there's no negatives to anything that I'm doing inside of wrestling or outside of it. So I think, like, the next five years or the next seven years or the next 10 years, whatever it is, like, I can only keep progressing as a wrestler and the human being as well.

That's great. I love that. And I think that's a great way to end this. It has been a, Great conversation. And I'm just so excited to see, you know, you turned up to 11 and being able to use 100% of your potential. Thank you so much. I honestly, like, the support that I've seen, especially since leaving NXT and now, like being a free agent and being with impact, like, and people feeling that way about me has, like, made me feel as confident in myself as I could be. because like no matter what I've been through, people have been like, we want to see what you can do. We want it to see what you can do. And now you're at a place where you can give us all of you.

Like, and people recognize that and don't forget who I was, you know, two years ago. Like has been the most fulfilling thing to me because it's like, okay, I can do this because people want me to do this. And that sometimes means more than physically being able to do it, you know? Everybody's going to know what a virtuosa is by the end of the year. By the end of this interview, if you don't get it, then, you know, I don't know what else to tell you. Yeah, yeah. I said by the end of this year, but by the end of this interview, even better. Yeah.

You should understand, right? Yeah. Well, thank you so much again. Happy belated birthday. 26 is going to be a huge year for you. Thank you for hanging out with Deanna and I for this chat. Please take a screenshot. Tag us both.

I'm at Chris Van Vleach. She's at Deanna Parrazo. And oh, man. Oh, she's just getting started in Impact Wrestling. So I am, I am pumped to see some of those matchups that she talked about in this interview. And it's going to be, it's going to be so great to see what she can really do without any restrictions. So I hope you like this chat. I know I did.

It's great. It's great hearing it. But you got to see this because she's so expressive when she talks. So if you have a minute at some point this week. Just take a look on YouTube and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. And whether this is your first time listening or whether you've been here for all 98 podcast episodes that we've had, thank you for being with us for one year of podcasts. And we are just getting started.

My friends, who! It's a lot going on in the world. But I heard this quote this week that really stuck with me. It's from John Churdy who says the day will happen, whether you. you get up or not. So why not take advantage of that day? Every single day. Hope you enjoyed this one.

So many more on the way. Hope you're healthy. Hope you're well. We'll talk to you soon. The Hammer Alley podcast, an 80s flashback mockumentary. Back in the 80s, there were a thousand bands trying to make it in the world of rock. But there was one band that had it all. Hammer Alley.

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