Former WWE Wrestler Pitched Axiom Gimmick 4 Years Ago

New NXT 2.0 gimmick the product of a four-year-old pitch?

Deonna Purrazzo Axiom
WWE

A-Kid's new Axiom character may have been the product of a four-year-old pitch from IMPACT Wrestling standout Deonna Purrazzo.

The gimmick debuted on last night's NXT 2.0. Clad in a new mask and hitting the ring to a flashy, CGI-boosted entrance, Axiom defeated Dante Chen in a high-flying performance for his first match under his new guise, doing so via superkick. WWE had spent time building to this occasion through vignettes presenting its latest NXT character as a comics-obsessed mathematician seeking to apply equations to the ring.

IMPACT's Chelsea Green has now claimed that her roster-mate, Purrazzo, pitched this to WWE during their shared time in the promotion:-

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Deonna was quick to back this up:-

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Though she had made several freelance appearances prior to this, Purrazzo signed with WWE in May 2018. Her two-year run concluded after just 16 televised matches in April 2020, with the talented technician falling victim to the promotion's first round of pandemic-attributed "budget cuts." She has since become a standout in IMPACT, holding the Knockouts Championship twice and the Wrestler of the Year award in 2020.

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Green, meanwhile, signed for WWE five months after Purrazzo and was released exactly one year after her. She too has since returned to IMPACT.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.