Jersey Girl Deonna Purrazzo Heads Back Home for AEW Atlantic City Show

AEW's Collision show hits Atlantic City's Adrian Phillips Theater at Boardwalk Hall on May 3. The event marks a homecoming for Livingston-born star Deonna Purrazzo.

"I'm so proud of my roots, but I didn't want my parents to only experience that part of professional wrestling," said Purrazzo to APP.com.

Ten years have passed since she changed women's wrestling forever. The former Jefferson High track star and cheerleader made history on July 25, 2015. That night, she stepped into the ring for Ring of Honor's first Women of Honor match in Baltimore.

Local fans can watch "the Virtuosa" when doors open at 7 p.m. TNT broadcasts the action live starting at 8 p.m.

With AEW now owning Ring of Honor, talent moves freely between shows. This opens up fresh matchups and new possibilities in the ring.

"It's been so fun, there's so many great women in our locker room, Collision or ROH that I've never wrestled," Purrazzo said. "Every time I step in the ring, we're giving the fans something new."

Behind the scenes, Madison Rayne guides the women's division as coach. She brings her years of experience to match planning and talent development.

Back in 2014, Purrazzo pushed hard to boost women's visibility in Ring of Honor. She tracked match statistics and viewer counts, proving fans wanted more women's matches.

Now based in Florida, she still craves her hometown food. "I could go for a really good pizza. One thing Florida doesn't have is good pizza, bagels, and bread," she said.

Her dad turned into an unexpected fan after seeing her perform. "When I made my entrance and twirled around, I saw him immediately. When he came back, he said, 'I think I'm a wrestling fan.'"

Ready to see the May 3 show? Get tickets at All Elite Wrestling's website.