Trinity Fatu Wanted to Quit Wrestling a Year Ago. Now She’s Impact’s Knockouts Champion.

‘I felt so broken down mentally that I didn’t want to come back to wrestling,’ the former WWE star says. But she’s thriving now with Impact Wrestling.

Impact Wrestling has a new champion.

Trinity defeated Deonna Purrazzo on Saturday in the co-main event of Slammiversary, crowning herself Impact Knockouts champion in a hard-hitting, technical, submission-based match.

“I’ve never had a match like that,” says Trinity Fatu, who debuted for Impact in April. “Deonna is incredible in the ring. I had to step up to match her intensity and energy, and matching her style was a challenge, too. She is the hardest opponent I’ve had to face in my career, and I feel so honored to have shared the ring with her.”

The match, which ran just over 14 minutes, reached its peak in its closing sequence. That saw Purrazzo hit her Queen’s Gambit on the apron, only for Trinity to kick out at two. Trinity recovered and hit a full nelson bomb before locking her aptly named Starstruck finisher in the middle of the ring for the victory.

Submitting a submission specialist was an integral part of the Trinity-Purrazzo story, adding even more significance to the finish.

“We put so much thought into every part of this match,” says Fatu. “I’m so happy we got it right. Deonna made me dig deep and fight through it. That’s my story. The struggle makes it real. It also makes it beautiful.”

Previously known as WWE superstar Naomi, the relationship with her former employer came to an impasse in the spring of 2022. Instead of the company making amends for past mistakes, Fatu left the following year and moved on to embrace new opportunities.

“This is only the beginning,” says Fatu. “I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity Impact is giving me to prove myself. I’m changing the narrative and rewriting my own story.”

The match was one of several highlights from Slammiversary. Longtime Impact staple Eric Young returned, Kushida won the Ultimate X match, new men’s and women’s tag-team champions were crowned and Alex Shelley was successful in his first pay-per-view main event world title defense, only to be welcomed after his hand was raised by former champ Josh Alexander.

Yet the brightest moment came in the co-main event. Fatu struggled in the months she was off camera, feeling the anguish of an artist prevented from creating what she is destined to accomplish.

“This is so much bigger than pro wrestling,” says Fatu. “It’s about life and overcoming challenges. I chose to keep pushing forward. It feels really good to come out on the other side.”

Fatu credits her fan base for the renewed strength, and she dedicated the title win to all those who support her.

“The support, it’s everything,” says Fatu. “That’s what made me continue. The negativity on social media got to me, and I felt so broken down mentally that I didn’t want to come back to wrestling, but the fans constantly brought me positivity. Their care gave me that confidence and belief in myself. That’s who I’m rocking with: them.”

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.