Deonna Purrazzo is one of the greatest wrestlers on the planet these days, and her AEW in-ring debut - well, second debut, for she previously appeared on Dynamite to drop the ROH Women's Title to Mercedes Martinez back in May 2022 - against Red Velvet was exactly what it needed to be.
Usually, they'll be plentiful complaints that AEW needs to allow their ladies more bell time across the promotion's weekly programming, but a fairly dominant six-minute bout was ideal in this setting. In Red Velvet, Purrazzo got a swift win over someone who has some name value with the AEW audience, and the way she did so put over how technically proficient the Virtuosa is.
For those who'd not seen Purrazzo work before, this short match made you well aware that she's a submission specialist, as shown by her Fujiwara Armbar - one of which she transitioned into beautifully - and her match-ending Venus de Milo.
In Deonna, AEW have landed one of the best in the game and someone who can be a genuine anchor for the women's division. And with her in-ring debut, Tony Khan's promotion introduced Purrazzo in a solid, steady way.
Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics.
As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic.
Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.
