In August, Sonya Deville’s ire for former best friend Mandy Rose had reached a fever pitch of enmity. Following Deville’s attack on Mandy’s hair, the two faced each other in a Loser Leaves the WWE match at Summer Slam 2020. Rose was victorious,and Deville, as per the stipulation, left SmackDown. It seemed to be an ignominious end to the run of the game-changing, first openly gay female athlete in WWE history. However, the gimmicky exit was actually granted so that Deville could recover from the distress of a real-life home invasion. As Deville strode backstage, looking confident as her Blue Brand comrades looked on in surprise, viewers at home were surely just as surprised to see her back at the ThunderDome.
However, with friend/rival/frienemy Mandy Rose drafted to RAW, what role will Sonya Deville play on SmackDown? Her return is yet another additive to the punch bowl that is the SmackDown women’s division, in which rivalries and alliances are just beginning to take amorphous shape. Who could Sonya pair up or face off with?
That's no illusion! @SonyaDevilleWWE is back on #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/26sgEDPL0H
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) January 2, 2021
Natalya – The two have mixed it up as adversaries on RAW in the past, but there is no reason why they couldn’t be allies on SmackDown. The B.O.A.T. has been in search of a partner after ditching Lana, teaming up with Bayley and Billie Kaye, respectively. Sonya Deville needs a new kayfabe bestie.
Bayley – Before she returned to the screen, Sonya Deville used social media to signal some signs of life to fans and fellow Superstars, with a sexy selfie. Was Bayley’s comment about Sonya’s “fake abs” just joshing between fellow athletes and brandmates, or an obnoxious dig meant to signify some heat when Sonya returned? It remains to be seen, of course, if the two of them will be rivals. However, a feud with the seasoned Sonya would be double the fun for Bayley, currently the heel to Bianca Belair’s babyface.
Carmella – Speaking of Bianca, in recent weeks she seems to have found an ally in current SmackDown women’s champion Sasha Banks. The two have great chemistry as an occasional tag team. As Banks’s feud with Carmella intensifies, Sonya and Carmella could plausibly team up to face off against Belair and Banks.
Billie Kay – Then there is Billie Kay, who, like Deville, is adjusting to life after her tag team disbanded. Kay has been comedic gold since the IIconics disbanded, flashing her resume and teaming up with unlikely partners. Though it seems she’ll inevitably end up behind the announce desk, Kay might have one more tag team run in her, with Sonya by her side. As the women’s division of SmackDown welcomes Sonya back, her return shakes up the picture and creates a host of promising possibilities for 2021.
Daddy’s Home ☠️ pic.twitter.com/uHSNRZ65Dk
— Daria/Sonya Deville (@SonyaDevilleWWE) January 2, 2021
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