Boots to Boots is hosted by husband and wife duo Deonna Purrazzo — professional wrestler & multi-time Women’s World Champion — and Steve Maclin — Marine Corps veteran & TNA International Champion.
From combat boots to wrestling boots, work boots and every pair in between — everyone faces a moment where identity shifts and the question becomes: What’s next for me? 🎙️ From veterans to athletes to everyday people — when your boots change, your journey begins.
Ep 1 drops September 15 everywhere you listen to podcasts.

In our debut episode of Boots to Boots, Steve Maclin takes it back to where Steve’s journey began — lacing up his USMC combat boots. From joining the Marines, to facing the challenges of coming home, to finding purpose in pro wrestling… this is the story of how one pair of boots shaped the next.

After hanging up up his combat boots, Steve Maclin found a new identity in professional wrestling. In this episode, Steve opens up about the challenges of transitioning from military life to chasing a dream in the ring — from early opportunities and setbacks to the discipline and resilience that carried him through.
This is the story of how one pair of boots came off, and another took their place.
🎙️ Boots to Boots — every boot has a story.

Welcome to the season finale of Boots to Boots — the podcast where military veterans, pro wrestlers, and athletes share real stories about transition, identity, purpose, and life after service.
In this episode, Deonna Purrazzo and Steve Maclin answer YOUR questions about:
• Life after the military & veteran transition
• Mental health, identity, and finding purpose
• Wrestling vs. hockey culture
• Heroes Cup and veteran community sports
• Marriage, career changes, and navigating chaos
• Behind-the-scenes of AEW, TNA, and pro wrestling
• What’s next for Boots to Boots in 2025
Whether you’ve listened since Day 1 or you’re just finding us now, we can’t thank you enough for being part of this community.
Season 2 is coming early 2025 — with new guests, new stories, and new missions to chase.
Watch, listen, and join the conversation. 🥾🇺🇸
Subscribe on YouTube, rate us on Apple & Spotify, and stay tuned for what’s next.

From the US Navy to becoming one of hockey’s most positive and recognizable voices online — Stephen Dobbs joins us to share how the game shaped him long before his service and supported him long after. 🏒🇺🇸

Stephen opens up about how hockey helped him transition out of the military, the role community plays in healing, and the moment he realized his platform wasn’t just content — it was impact.

If you’ve ever relied on a sport, a community, or a purpose to keep you grounded, this episode hits home.

Streaming now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

🌟 From the battlefield to building one of America’s most patriotic brands. 🇺🇸
Join Tim Jensen, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Co-Founder of Grunt Style, as he sits down with Deonna and Steve to share his powerful story of service, addiction, and recovery — and how his time in Iraq shaped his purpose long after leaving the uniform behind.
Through honesty, faith, and discipline, Tim reveals how he turned struggle into strength and built a company rooted in pride, patriotism, and perseverance. 🎙️
💬 What does Pride in Self, Pride in Country, Pride in Military mean to you? Comment below and let us know! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell 🔔 for more inspiring stories every week.
🌐 Connect with us:
Subscribe to Boots to Boots:
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Follow us on Instagram: @bootstobootspod
#BootsToBoots #GruntStyle #TimJensen #USMC #MarineCorps #IraqVeteran #AddictionRecovery #VeteranStories #MilitaryPodcast #Entrepreneurship #EveryBootHasAStory

From São Paulo to WWE to building a thriving personal training business — Cezar Bononi has walked a road defined by resilience, faith, and family. In this episode, Cezar sits down with Deonna and Steve to talk about leaving everything behind to chase a dream, building a new life in America, and how wrestling taught him the true meaning of perseverance.
This is a story about identity, sacrifice, and what it takes to keep believing — even when the odds are against you. 🎙️

From the battlefield to the wrestling ring — The Infantry are proving that brotherhood never fades. 🇺🇸👊This week, Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo join Deonna and Steve to talk about their journey from the U.S. military to AEW, how they joined forces as a tag team, and what it means to carry discipline, resilience, and respect from service into the spotlight.From their first training sessions to becoming AEW mainstays, The Infantry open up about teamwork, identity after service, and the real meaning of having someone’s back — in and out of the ring. 🎙️

Getting released from WWE changed everything. In this episode, Deonna and Steve open up about the day they were let go, how each of them processed it differently, and the unexpected paths that followed. From heartbreak to healing, the people who helped them fall back in love with wrestling, and the new life they built together in TNA and now AEW— this is a story about resilience, reinvention, and refusing to quit when one chapter ends.

In Episode 3 of Boots to Boots, Deonna laces up Her Wrestling Boots and shares her journey into the wrestling world — from chasing her dream, to her family’s reactions, to the highs and lows of proving herself in the industry. Alongside Steve, she reflects on how the path shaped her identity and how wrestling opened doors to advocacy and purpose beyond the ring.

The founders of HEROES CUP join us! 🏒🔥

Josh & Mike Lentin break down how the Heroes Cup became a massive force for good — raising money, building community, and giving veterans and first responders a place to belong again.

Episode is live now. 🇺🇸

On this episode of Boots to Boots, Steve and Deonna sit down with one of hockey’s most fascinating modern enforcers — Daniel “Diamond Hands” Amesbury. From Ice Wars to pro lacrosse, from suiting up in the rink to working on tugboats in Vancouver, Daniel still isn’t done fighting to accomplish his goals.

Daniel opens up about the evolution of his identity as an enforcer — and whether taking that role “too far” can impact the team you’re supposed to protect. He shares how stepping away from the game, and eventually coming back, reshaped his growth, perspective, and purpose. And yes… we talk about what a future in pro wrestling might look like.

Raw, honest, and full of stories only someone who’s lived on both sides of the line can tell.

New episodes every week— listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. 🥾

Deonna and Steve talk with Scott Parker, former NHL enforcer turned passionate supporter of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.This conversation focuses on life after the NHL — and the mission Parker has taken on to honor and uplift veterans and first responders with his own foundation, Parker’s Platoon. This is an honest, emotional discussion about finding a new mission, honoring those who sacrifice, and building a life defined not by the fights he had on the ice, but by the ones he chooses to fight now.Parker’s story isn’t just about toughness — it’s about purpose, and finding a new way to serve when one chapter ends.A powerful episode for anyone connected to the veteran community or the T2T mission.

This week, 4x Stanley Cup Champion Darren McCarty joins Boots to Boots for a conversation that crosses the worlds of hockey, wrestling, recovery, and storytelling.
We talk about:
🏒 Life in the NHL and the mindset of an enforcer
⚔️ Winning four Cups with the Red Wings
💚 McCarty’s sobriety journey and CBD advocacy
🤼‍♂️ His love for wrestling and how it compares to hockey
🎙️ Why storytelling matters — in sports and in life
Raw, real, and absolutely unforgettable.
New episodes every Monday & Wednesday.

In Episode 11 of Boots to Boots, we sit down with Tiki Tikhonov — the only female coach at Heroes Cup and a proud representative of a legendary hockey family.
Tiki opens up about what it means to carry the Tikhonov legacy, step behind the bench for the Washington Capital Warriors, and help give veterans the one thing so many miss after service: the locker room family.
From growing up in a hockey household to finding her purpose in coaching disabled veterans, Tiki shares the heart, humor, and heritage behind her journey — and why the Warriors community is changing lives far beyond the ice.
New episodes every Monday & Wednesday.
🎙️ Boots to Boots — where stories of service, sacrifice, and second chapters come to life.

She was the ONLY woman on the ice at Heroes Cup — and she owned every second of it. 🏒🇺🇸In Episode 10, we sit down with Libby Barbato, an active-duty Coast Guard member who made history at this year’s Heroes Cup. From representing her branch with pride to stepping into an all-male tournament, Libby shares what it means to break barriers, find belonging, and carry the confidence to compete at the highest level.We talk about:🥾 What it’s like being the only woman on the ice🇺🇸 How serving in the U.S. Coast Guard shaped her resilience🏒 Why the Heroes Cup has grown into a massive force for good🔥 The importance of representation in sports & service🤍 The power of community for veterans and first respondersThis conversation is all heart, all courage, and all purpose.Libby’s story is one you don’t want to miss.👇 Drop a comment:Would YOU have the confidence to step onto the ice like she did?#HeroesCup #CoastGuard #BootsToBoots #VeteranStories #WomenInSports #Hockey #TunnelToTowers #LibbyBarbato

On November 10th — the United States Marine Corps Birthday — we said “I do.” ❤️🇺🇸
In this episode, we look back on that day and what it meant to have every part of Steve’s life — military brothers, wrestling family, and loved ones — all in one room. From the chaos of the Corps to the calm of commitment, this is our story of love and service.
We also recap our journey since then — running the Marine Corps Half Marathon at Camp Lejeune, walking in the Tunnel to Towers 5K in NYC, and skating alongside heroes at the Heroes Cup.
🎙️ It’s not just about where our boots have been — it’s about where they’ve walked together.

From teaching high school to performing on stage, Damien Fagiolino, frontman of Orlando-based rock band Felicity, has lived two worlds — and learned that your calling can find you anywhere. 🎸
In this episode of Boots to Boots, Damien joins Deonna and Steve to talk about his journey from the classroom to the concert stage, the viral teaching moment that changed his life, and how balancing two passions taught him what purpose really looks like.
Through faith, family, and music, Damien’s story is about never giving up on the dream that still keeps you up at night — and proving that every version of success starts with knowing who you are. 👢For Spotify & Apple:
From the classroom to the stage — Damien Fagiolino, frontman of Orlando-based rock band Felicity, shares how a viral teaching moment changed his life.
He opens up about balancing faith, music, and purpose while chasing a dream that refuses to fade. This is a story about identity, passion, and finding your calling in unexpected places. 👢
#BootsToBoots #Felicity #DamienFagiolino #EveryBootHasAStory

Season Two of Boots to Boots kicks off with a major announcement.In this comeback episode, Deonna Purrazzo and Steve Maclin reveal their upcoming T2T wrestling show and take listeners behind the curtain with stories they’ve never shared publicly before. From navigating the IMPACT x AXS TV era they both lived through, to the lessons, frustrations, and moments that shaped them, this is an honest look at a pivotal chapter in their careers.Deonna also reflects on winning the ROH Pure Women’s Championship, what that moment meant after everything she’s been through, and why it felt different this time.This episode is about momentum, perspective, and the stories that don’t get told when the cameras are rolling.Lace up your boots and join the conversation.

In this episode of Boots to Boots, we take you behind the scenes of building Battle for the Brave — the first professional wrestling event we’ve ever promoted ourselves.
We talk about the reality of becoming promoters for the first time: the stress, the challenges, the unexpected problems, and everything we’ve learned while trying to bring this event to life. From booking talent and organizing the card to balancing the business side of wrestling, this process has given us a completely new perspective on the industry we’ve spent our lives in.
We also break down the matches we’re most excited for, why certain moments on the card mean so much to us personally, and why we believe this event supporting veterans and first responders will make every challenge worth it in the end.
Battle for the Brave takes place June 6 in Rahway, New Jersey, benefiting the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
🎙️ Watch or listen now on Boots to Boots.

In this episode of Boots to Boots, we sit down with professional wrestler Rich Swann to talk about his journey through sobriety, resilience, and rebuilding his life both inside and outside the ring.
Rich opens up about the challenges he faced early in his career, the moment he realized something had to change, and how choosing sobriety transformed the way he approaches wrestling, family, and his future. We also discuss his passion for music, staying grounded in a demanding industry, and what it means to step into the ring with a renewed sense of purpose.
We also look ahead to June 6 in Rahway, New Jersey, where Rich will be part of the Battle for the Brave event supporting veterans and first responders.
This conversation is about accountability, growth, and proving that your story doesn’t end when life gets hard — sometimes that’s where the comeback begins.
🎙️ Watch or listen to the full episode now on Boots to Boots.

We recap the last two episodes and talk about intentionally bringing more female voices into Boots to Boots.We also turn the conversation inward, diving into our own relationship—the hardest moments, the seasons we didn’t show, and the parts we didn’t even fully share with each other at the time.Along the way, we reflect on the advice from our recent guests that hit home the hardest—and how those lessons shape not only our marriage, but the way Deonna and Steve approach their professional lives as well.This episode is about growth, vulnerability, and what it really takes to move forward—together.

In this episode of Boots to Boots, we sit down with Gabby LaSpisa for an honest conversation about learning as you go — even when you don’t feel qualified, prepared, or certain.
Gabby opens up about stepping into the world of professional wrestling without a background in it, teaching herself everything she could to earn her place at Busted Open, and how losing that job left her heartbroken and unsure of what came next.
We talk about the grief that comes with starting over, the importance of peer support, and how rebuilding from the ground up led Gabby to create something entirely her own. What began as uncertainty turned into growth — and a journey that continues to surprise her at every turn.
This episode is about resilience, reinvention, and discovering that sometimes the boots you’re meant to wear are the ones you learn in real time.
🎙️ Boots to Boots — new episodes every Monday.

In this episode of Boots to Boots, hosts Deonna Purrazzo and Steve Maclin sit down with AEW Women’s Coach Madison Rayne for an honest conversation about evolution in professional wrestling and life beyond the ring.
From World Champion to mother and mentor, Madison shares how her role in wrestling has changed, what leadership looks like when the spotlight shifts, and how she approaches coaching the next generation of women in AEW. She opens up about longevity in the wrestling industry, balancing motherhood with a demanding career, and learning when to transition from performer to leader.
We discuss the realities of women’s wrestling, the responsibility that comes with experience, and how reinvention is often the key to staying fulfilled — both personally and professionally.
This episode is about growth, perspective, and purpose — and what it means to keep moving forward when your boots take you down a new path.
🎙️ Boots to Boots — new episodes every Monday.

From the rebirth of Women of Honor to being the voice of of Ring of Honor — this is ROH’s story through the eyes of the voice who lived it.
For more than two decades, he has been the voice that welcomed fans to the ring — and one of the few people who has witnessed every era of Ring of Honor from the inside.
In this episode of Boots to Boots, Bobby Cruise takes us through the evolution of ROH — from the early days of independent wrestling, to the rise of the Pure wrestling style, to the uncertainty that came when the company closed its doors in 2021.
We also reflect on the creation and growth of Women of Honor, and what it took to bring that division to life — from the first opportunities given to women in ROH to the foundation that helped shape today’s women’s wrestling landscape. Bobby shares his perspective on watching that movement grow, and the role so many women — including Deonna — played in building something that would last.
Finally, we talk about the emotional moment when ROH found new life, what it means to see the brand continue to evolve, and why its legacy still matters to wrestlers and fans alike.
This conversation is about history, perseverance, and the people who helped build Ring of Honor — era by era.
🎙️ Watch the full episode now on Boots to Boots.

Former Knockouts Champion Taryn Terrell is back in professional wrestling — and this time, her story is about more than just the ring.After stepping away from TNA in 2017 to focus on motherhood and her growing family, Taryn built a new life outside of wrestling — pursuing acting, running marathons, and navigating the challenges of living with Hashimoto’s disease. She returned briefly in 2021 with the NWA, but now she’s back in TNA with a renewed perspective and a new purpose.In this episode of Boots to Boots, Taryn shares what it felt like to walk back through the curtain in her hometown of New Orleans, how motherhood changed her priorities, and what she learned about herself during the years she spent away from wrestling.She also opens up about managing her health, balancing family and career, and what this next chapter means as she prepares for the future in the Knockouts division.This conversation is about resilience, reinvention, and the courage to come back stronger.

At TNA Sacrifice, just three minutes into the main event, Steve Maclin was knocked out after a hard shot from Mike Santana — and the referee made the call to stop the match.In this episode of Boots to Boots, Stephen and Deonna sit down to talk honestly about what happened that night, how he’s feeling now, and the moments behind the scenes that fans didn’t see — from the referee stopping the match, to the people who helped get him to the hospital, to what Deonna was experiencing while it all unfolded.This conversation is about recovery, resilience, and the reality of life in professional wrestling — when the unexpected happens.We also share important updates on our upcoming Battle for the Brave show supporting veterans and first responders.If you’ve ever faced a setback, an injury, or a moment that forced you to slow down, this episode is for you.

This week on Boots to Boots, we sit down with Bradley Walden, lead singer of the band Emarosa and a United States Air Force veteran who deployed to Iraq.Bradley shares his journey from growing up in a military family, to serving his country, to finding a new purpose through music.In 2013, Bradley joined Emarosa following the departure of vocalist Jonny Craig — stepping into a challenging role and helping guide the band through a major evolution in sound. From post-hardcore roots to soulful R&B influences and eventually synth-pop and pop rock on albums like Peach Club and Sting, his story is one of reinvention, resilience, and creativity.We also explore a unique connection between music and wrestling. Bradley talks about how professional wrestling influenced his love of performance — and shares the story of his uncle, who wrestled in the territories during the 1980s.Bradley and Emarosa are preparing for the release of their new album, High Horse Heaven, dropping April 24, 2026, and will be hitting the road for a summer tour in support of the record.This episode is about transition, identity, and what it means to build a new life after service — lessons that resonate far beyond music.

This week on Boots to Boots, we sit down with former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal to talk about resilience, reinvention, and what it really takes to build a career that lasts beyond the spotlight.From deep wrestling roots to becoming the first Indian WWE Champion, Jinder’s journey has been anything but ordinary. He opens up about the pressure of legacy, navigating releases, and how he continues to redefine himself both inside and outside the ring.We also discuss what success really means in the wrestling business, the lessons he’s learned through setbacks and second chances, and why treating your career like a business is critical for longevity.This episode is about discipline, perseverance, and finding purpose through change — something every athlete, veteran, and professional can relate to.

Steve and I are back behind the microphones after a short break — and this episode is about what life looked like while we were away.Over the past few weeks, we experienced both joy and loss. We helped welcome a new baby into the world, said goodbye to someone who helped shape Steve’s love for wrestling, and stepped into opportunities to serve our communities in meaningful ways.From speaking at a Tunnel to Towers event, to feeding the homeless in Virginia, to sharing my voice at my hometown Highlands Act event — we were reminded that Boots to Boots isn’t just a podcast. It’s a mission.We also reflect on a powerful church message about the villains in the Bible and how we can look inward to become better people — and better servants of God.This episode is about grief, service, faith, and the realization that sometimes the way we serve God isn’t by asking for opportunities — it’s by saying yes when He puts them in front of us.We’re grateful to be back. And we’re excited to keep walking this journey with you.

In this episode of Boots to Boots, Deonna Purrazzo and Steve Maclin sit down with Martin Foster, a newly retired Air Force veteran after 23 years of service and the host of the Passing the Torch podcast.
Martin is actively walking through the transition we so often talk about—stepping away from the uniform, redefining identity, and intentionally searching for the next mission while honoring the one that came before. Together, they discuss leadership, accountability, and what it really means to pass the torch while still finding your footing in a new chapter.
This conversation is for anyone navigating change in real time, carrying their values forward, and building purpose beyond service.
🎧 Listen now, and follow, subscribe, and share with someone who’s in the middle of their own transition.

In Season 2, Episode 5, Deonna Purrazzo and Steve Maclin sit down with Dr. Pamela Hall for an honest conversation about PTSD and what healing really looks like beyond the surface.
Dr. Hall draws from decades of experience working with veterans, breaking down common misconceptions about PTSD and challenging the idea that healing is linear or one-size-fits-all. As the voice behind PTSD Unplugged, she offers insight into accountability, resilience, and the hard work required to truly move forward.
This episode is about truth, understanding, and giving veterans the tools—and language—they need to reclaim their lives.
🎧 Listen now, and if this conversation resonates, follow, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.