Deonna Purrazzo Pitched Axiom-Like Gimmick In NXT Years Ago

Written by Sondra Ruth • Published 20th July 2022
Deonna Purrazzo Axiom Virtuosa

Deonna Purrazzo claims to have pitched a gimmick very similar to Axiom during a stint in NXT four years ago!

During the Great American Bash, a vignette aired for a new character named Axiom, who appeared to be a mathematical genius. The next week, a new vignette for the character revealed that he’d be wrestling under a mask, saying that he preferred to be anonymous and also that he was inspired by heroes in comic books.

On the July 19th episode of NXT 2.0, Axiom sped onto the scene, debuting a character that’s part math whiz and part superhero who uses calculations as part of his powerset. With an impressive entrance and stellar lucha libre offense, the former A-Kid shone in his victory over Dante Chen.

However, not everyone was impressed by the new character’s debut. In a reply to Denise Salcedo on Twitter, Chelsea Green – who is close friends with Deonna Purrazzo – revealed that the gimmick is eerily similar to one pitched by The Virtuosa during their time in NXT.

“I am dead. This is everything @DeonnaPurrazzo pitched!!!!”

Purrazzo chimed in, responding that it only took them four years to understand what she’d been pitching to them.

“It only took them 4 years to understand”

Chelsea Green responded with a simple “OOP” when a fan replied to Purrazzo’s tweet with a gif of one of her IMPACT vignettes that shows The Virtuosa’s face along with mathematical equations.

After making a series of sporadic appearances and tryouts for WWE and NXT between 2014 and 2017, Deonna Purrazzo officially signed with WWE in April of 2018 and competed in the second Mae Young Classic the following June. Despite being in the company for two years prior to her April 2020 release, she only competed in 16 televised matches across all of WWE’s brands.

Purrazzo has spoken in the past about whether or not she’d ever return to WWE despite always “being put on the back burner.”

Following her WWE release, The Virtuosa returned to IMPACT Wrestling, where she has gone on to win multiple championships and reign as a force in the Knockouts division. She also recently made her AEW debut, competing against Mercedes Martinez for the ROH Women’s Championship.