Deonna Purrazzo recently reflected on the wrestlers who influenced her career, naming several trailblazing women who set the foundation for today’s generation. In an interview on WrestlingNews.co’s “The Velvet Ropes,” she also made a strong case for why her former rival, Mickie James, deserves to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Speaking of her own memorable feud with Mickie James, Purrazzo called it one of her all-time favorites. “I think Mickie is genuinely a trailblazer for women in this industry, and to be able to work with her is like you are learning so much,” she stated. The natural crowd dynamic, where fans overwhelmingly favored James, made her own role as the antagonist effortless and effective, leading to a storyline still discussed years later.
Purrazzo first pointed to Trish Stratus as a formative inspiration. “Trish Stratus was my end all be all growing up,” she said, specifically citing Stratus’s iconic feud with Mickie James. “Their feud was so influential in really wanting to become a professional wrestler.” Beyond Stratus, Purrazzo named Jazz and Victoria (Lisa Marie Varon) as women she looked up to and has had the honor of working with, calling them “strong women who were doing the wrestling that they didn’t want women to do back then.”
When asked which female wrestler not yet in the WWE Hall of Fame deserves the honor, Purrazzo’s answer was immediate. “Gosh, we’ve talked about Mickie. It’s gotta be her time, right?” she said. “I would just say Mickie, off the top of my head.”
Purrazzo elaborated on her reasoning, pointing to the Hall of Fame inductions of many of James’s contemporaries. “I feel like her era and all the women she’s feuded with that were like main storylines have all gotten that honor, and so in my head, naturally, she would be next,” she concluded. Scroll down to watch the full interview.
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— The Virtuosa (@DeonnaPurrazzo) August 22, 2025
This interview is exclusive to WrestlingNews.co. If you use these quotes, please include a link back to this page.
