Deonna Purrazzo calls ROH inactivity ‘really upsetting’
Deonna Purrazzo says she is disappointed to not have defended her ROH Women’s Pure Championship yet.
Purrazzo defeated Billie Starkz to become the inaugural champion at ROH Final Battle 2025 on December 5, but has yet to defend the title. Her only match so far in 2026 has been a six-person tag at the January 31 Ring of Honor tapings at the Esports Stadium in Arlington.
During an interview with BCP+, Purrazzo was asked about her title reign thus far and responded:
“I think I’m a little disappointed to not have defended my championship yet. I am constantly trying to rack my brain of like what else can I do and what more can I do and how much more of myself can I give? And for that not to be reciprocated in any environment, not just in Ring of Honor, is really defeating for me.
A lot of my self-worth comes from my work and my body of work and being able to participate actively and feel like I’m making a difference in women’s wrestling.”
“I don’t know what else I can do to change that. So for me it was saying, okay, if I’m not going to get these opportunities here, I need to stay ready. I need to stay crisp for when they do come.”
On the January 22nd edition of ROH on HonorClub, a backstage segment with Purrazzo issuing an open challenge for her title aired. However, the segment has not been followed up on.
On February 10, Purrazzo posted to social media that she is accepting independent bookings.
Purrazzo continued:
“It’s really defeating. It’s really upsetting. But at the end of the day, this is a business and I have to continue to run my own, at whatever stakes that costs. For me and Steve, it’s being able to give back and doing all this advocacy work through Tunnel to Towers and through the New Jersey education systems. And now I need to do that in my wrestling life, and that’s taking independent bookings and staying busy and staying active.”
Purrazzo’s full interview is available below. The video is cued to her comments about her title reign thus far.
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.