Ring of Honor champ Deonna Purrazzo bringing wrestling to NJ town to raise awareness about major issue

Purrazzo’s JTown SmackDown will take place at Jefferson Township High School in Oak Ridge on Friday night.The event means more than just teaming up with her husband, fellow pro wrestling star Steve Maclin.

She is looking to put the spotlight on a serious issue that is near to her heart."I've worked with the athletic director, Bill Koch, for the past few months, since earlier this year, really, when we were reconnected over the Highlands Impact Aid Now rally at Jefferson, where we're trying to draw attention to the fact that the funding formula for schools in New Jersey, the S-2 funding formula is not fair," Purrazzo told OutKick Dropkick."It's not equitable to the students of the Highlands and the Pinelands.CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK PRO WRESTLING COVERAGEFormer Jefferson High School cheerleader turned pro wrestler Deonna Purrazzo speaks at a rally at Jefferson Township High School to urge Trenton to grant impact aid to a school system facing a $4.8 million deficit, which school officials blame on the state funding formula and development restrictions in the Highlands Region.

(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)"And so that kind of was the precipice to JTown SmackDown.We were raising money for the athletic department and for the JTEF, the Jefferson Township Educational Fund, which is all going to the students."New Jersey’s S-2 funding formula was enacted as part of a revision to the 2008 School Funding Reform Act, which was meant to take aim at funding inadequacies across the state.

But Purrazzo and other local officials have said it’s created a bigger issue for the township.Part of the issue, Purrazzo has said, is the Highlands Act.The piece of legislation protects hundreds of thousands acres of land in the Highlands, which is the main source of drinking water for millions of residents in New Jersey.

The act comes with development restrictions, which critics have said hampers growth in places like Jefferson Township."The S-2 funding formula and how it...