Something interesting happened on this past Dec. 4 episode of SmackDown Live. The show opened with Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose taking on an odd couple of sorts in future TLC opponents Asuka and Charlotte Flair. After getting in a tiff with The Queen, The Empress of Tomorrow felt compelled to shatter Charlotte’s jaw with a Shining Wizard. Deville was savvy enough to pin Flair after the fact, and get the huge win.
Tainted as the win may have been, Deville still has a pinfall victory over a seven-time Women’s Champion. That’s a big deal, and could be a sign of things to come for Sonya Deville’s future in WWE.
A week prior to this potentially career defining win, Deville stood out during last week’s no. 1 Contender’s Battle Royal as the MVP of the match and the runner-up of the contest. In between that and the past couple months teasing a split between her and Mandy Rose, WWE seems to be preparing Deville for a big push. If that’s truly the case, then WWE might have its sights on the company’s next breakout star.
It was a little over a year ago that Sonya Deville was called up from NXT to the main roster alongside fellow Tough Enough contestant, Mandy Rose, under the onscreen tutelage of Paige. Both women have improved tremendously over the span of one year. While Rose has improved best in her Superstar presentation, Deville has improved best through her in-ring acumen.
Deville is quietly becoming one of SmackDown‘s standout athletes as her promo ability and wrestling ability are both miles ahead of where she was last year. Her MMA background accompanied by the presentation of her fighter character helps mold Deville into a formidable adversary for anyone she steps in the ring with.
Despite her inexperience, it’s believable to imagine Deville picking up a win over, say, a Charlotte Flair; with or without shenanigans. When it came down between her and Asuka during last week’s Battle Royal, it wasn’t hard to imagine Deville picking up a surprise win. Truth be told, some of us watching wanted to see Deville pull off an upset.
While Deville isn’t ready for the main event picture quite yet, she’ll be primed and ready in no time if WWE keeps allowing Deville to test the waters with opportunities in the spotlight like she’s had these last few weeks. It might be a little too early to make this next presumption, but Deville has what it takes to fit right in among the top faces of WWE.
With the way the potential breakup storyline between Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose is shaping up, it’s looking more and more likely that Rose will emerge from their partnership as a heel while Deville will be the babyface. Considering Deville’s real life background, the face route is the best route to go with her.
With Sonya Deville being WWE’s very first openly out lesbian on the roster, she could serve as an excellent role model and representative to the LGBTQ community. In that regard, Deville would be easy to get behind as a babyface, perhaps more than most current babyfaces on the roster.
It also helps that Deville seems to have a genuinely likable personality outside of the ring. That same personality won over audiences around the world during her run on Tough Enough. There’s no doubt she could do the same as an onscreen babyface, and as an offscreen ambassador of the WWE during press runs.
For those doubting Deville’s potential as a single star, let’s not forget that she had a short singles run when she was in NXT, albeit a heel one. She pulled off an impressive winning streak and was showcased in impressive outings against the likes of Ember Moon and Ruby Riott.
We never did get a chance to see Deville produce similar singles success on the main roster – yet – but there is definitely potential for her to do so sooner rather than later. WWE obviously must see that potential judging by how she’s been booked as of late.
We fully believe that if WWE ever decides to give Deville the ball, she’ll run with it and take her career to whole new heights.
