Trinity Talks IMPACT Knockouts Title Match Against Deonna Purrazzo Ahead Of Slammiversary PPV

After everything that happened with her over the past year, she finds herself with a chance to become a world champion for the first time since 2017 when she faces 3x IMPACT Knockouts World Champion, Deonna Purrazzo for her title this Saturday at Slammiversary, emanating from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. (8 p.m. FITE).

During a conversation with Joseph Staszewski of New York Post Sports, Trinity talked about many topics.

“[Winning] would be very surreal because I never even thought of competing anywhere outside WWE, ever, ever, ever,” Fatu said in a Zoom interview. “But I also know that if I do win it is because of everything that brought me to the moment. I will know that I worked very hard to get here. It will be an honor to hold up that championship. I think I will carry it well.”

The Knockouts division – headlined by Deonna Purrazzo, Mickie James, KiLynn King, Masha Slamovich, Killer Kelly, Gisele Shaw, and others – is as deep as any in pro wrestling.

“Just being in a space where I can be heard, where my ideas can be heard, where I feel seen and valued, that is everything to me at this point in my career,” Fatu said. “Impact has definitely helped me in every way to help me regain my confidence and giving me the platform and becoming a new home for me and just the leeway to create and trust in my ideas and trust in myself.”   

Fatu said she is enjoying getting longer match times and more promo opportunities. She even had her first intergender match last month against Jai Vidal — something she wants to do again potentially with “Speedball” Mike Bailey. She feels herself already becoming more comfortable and natural on the mic.

“I’ve always been a little timid [with promos],” she said. “I’d rather have an hour-long match than a 10-second promo. I think that in matches there are ways to cover it up and correct and fix if something doesn’t go well.  But in promos, it’s very hard to hide the nerves and the shakiness in my voice at times. I’m really enjoying it now.”

It’s been everything she hoped for after her very public and polarizing exit from WWE — which she called a “very unfortunate situation.”  

Fatu reaffirmed the decision she made was because of how she was treated that day by WWE.

“There was a lot that happened,” she said. ”There was a lot that was said that ultimately led to me being put in a position and feeling like that was the best for me and what I needed to do. I still believe that. I still stand on that and that’s just what it is.”

“I just hope that through all of the drama and the rumors and the messiness that the one thing people do know about us is how much we care about women’s wrestling,” Fatu said. 

The experience only strengthened her and Mone’s friendship.

They were always close behind the scene but their departure left them just having each other and few close friends to lean on as the industry went on without them for a while. Her “whole family” was gone in a way.

“Me and her, we just had each other it felt like,” Fatu said. “Other than Tamina, Bayley checking in on us regularly, that was it. We just had each other going through that.”

All of those experiences have brought her to this opportunity with IMPACT.

“I was very unsure going through that,” she said. “I’m just extremely thankful for IMPACT giving me a new home to express my creativity and do what I love to do and continue to glow.”

Fatu, with a few tweaks, chose to stick with the “Feel the Glow” persona she used in WWE instead of trying to reinvent herself right away. 

In her mind, this is how fans knew her and they were still connecting with it. The persona is an extension of herself and there were still areas of it for her to take a look at.

“I just feel that it’s special and that I haven’t reached the peak of it yet and I still feel there are things to explore with the glow that I haven’t done yet,” Trinity said. “I’m looking forward to it evolving. I think as time goes on in Impact we‘ll get to see that. Maybe, get to see a bad side to the glow? It’s just cool, I love it. Until I naturally feel it’s time to move from it, I will.”

“Now that we’re there, what it comes down to is that championship,” she said. “By any means necessary, I’m gonna do whatever I have to do to obtain it.”

By doing so, it would reaffirm to herself after some trying times that she belongs with the top women in the industry.  

“Especially after the year that I had and just seeing the things that have been said about me [online], to me that is what I need to prove to myself — not anyone else — but just to myself,” she said. “I desire to compete against the best and that I am as good as I feel that I am and I know that I am inside.”

H/T Joseph Staszewski for New York Post. Full article here.

Trinity debuted with IMPACT Wrestling on their weekly 5/4 episode with a live microphone where she addressed the fans and live crowd for the first time in over a year. She put the whole Knockouts division over as some of the best ever, but also put them and the Knockouts World Champion – Deonna Purrazzo – on notice as well. Trinity made it crystal clear that her main objective is the Knockouts World Title. 

Two weeks later on the 5/18 episode, Trinity took on and defeated KiLynn King for her in-ring debut with IMPACT. Trinity has been undefeated since that point, having also defeated Gisele Shaw & Savannah Evans, both in singles matches and as a team with Deonna Purrazzo.

Trinity will finally get her “shot at the title” as she it set to take on Deonna Purrazzo for her IMPACT Knockouts Title this Saturday at Slammiversary.

Get your Slammiversary tickets here.

Order SLAMMIVERSARY on FITE here.

Matches announced for Slammiversary Ppv on 7/15:

***Countdown To Slammiversary***

IMPACT DIGITAL MEDIA TITLE
-Joe Hendry (c) vs Kenny King (w/Sheldon Jean)

6 Woman Tag Team Match
-Death Dolls (Courtney Rush/Jessicka) + Jody Threat vs Gisele Shaw, Savannah Evans, & Jai Vidal

***Main Card***

IMPACT WORLD TITLE
-Alex Shelley (c) vs Nick Aldis

IMPACT KNOCKOUTS WORLD TITLE
-Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Trinity

IMPACT TAG TEAM TITLES
-ABC (c) vs Moose/Brian Myers vs Sami Callihan/Rich Swann vs Subculture

IMPACT X DIVISION TITLE
-Chris Sabin (c) vs Lio Rush

Tag Team Match – Special Enforcer: Darren McCarty
??? & Scott D’Amore vs Bully Ray & Deaner

Ultimate X Match
“Speedball” Mike Bailey vs Jonathan Gresham vs Alan Angels vs Kushida vs Kevin Knight

IMPACT KNOCKOUTS TAG TEAM TITLES
-The Coven (Taylor Wilde & KiLynn King) (c) vs Killer Kelly & Masha Slamovich

Follow Gerard at @BearDown316 on Twitter

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