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.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. 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.