Account
Best Booking Options for Sonya Deville to Reach Her Potential on WWE SmackDown
May 21, 2020
Perhaps no Superstar in all of WWE has taken a bigger step forward over the past several weeks than SmackDown's Sonya Deville.
Ever since she officially turned on former friend Mandy Rose after WrestleMania 36, she has been on an absolute roll. Her promo work, in particular, has been on another level in recent weeks, as she is finally getting the opportunity to step out of The Golden Goddess' shadow.
In addition to her promos, Deville has excelled in some areas that can be a struggle for many wrestlers. She managed to distract Rose during a Money in the Bank qualifying match in an entertaining way by cutting a promo, and she also talked trash quite impressively during a recent singles win over her former Fire & Desire teammate.
She has a ton of momentum on her side, but here are a few decisions WWE should make if it wants her to emerge as one of the biggest female Superstars in the company moving forward.
Win Friday's Mixed Tag Team Match vs. Mandy Rose and Otis
WWE can help Deville continue her ascent in the SmackDown women's division right away by having her and Dolph Ziggler defeat Rose and Otis in a mixed tag team match on Friday's episode of SmackDown.
The angle involving the four aforementioned Superstars is the longest-running storyline in WWE currently, and it is possible Friday's match could be the blow-off since Otis is now Mr. Money in the Bank and could be more focused on that in the coming weeks and months.
Regardless of whether the angle is going to continue, Deville and Ziggler should come out on the winning end. Otis and Rose can afford the loss since they are going to be relevant no matter what coming out of it, with the former holding the MITB contract.
Both Deville and Ziggler need a big win in order to gain some additional credibility as heels, and there is no reason why they shouldn't prevail Friday.
If the rivalry with Otis and Rose does continue, a win would give their rivals the upper hand and make things more interesting. If it doesn't, then Deville and The Showoff will have a big win under their belts that will give them momentum heading toward whatever they do next.
Friday's match won't necessarily make or break Deville's career, but if she is going to be a dominant force in the women's division, then it is a bout she should win.
Go on Long Winning Streak vs. SmackDown's Top Female Faces
Once her feud with Rose is officially over, Deville will have the opportunity to branch out and build up some equity against a deep and talented SmackDown women's roster.
There are several credible babyface female Superstars on the blue brand, including former SmackDown women's champions such as Naomi, Carmella and Alexa Bliss. Lacey Evans, Dana Brooke, Tamina and Nikki Cross all reside on the face side as well.
While they are all talented, none of them are being pushed in a big way right now, which makes it the perfect time for WWE to feed them to Deville one by one.
As a former MMA fighter, she has a great deal of in-ring credibility despite the fact that she has never been given the chance to have a lengthy singles run.
It is time for that to change by giving her a singles bout on an almost-weekly basis. One of the biggest thrills in UFC history was Ronda Rousey's run of dominance that saw her knock down everyone lined up in front of her for a long period of time, and that is something WWE can replicate with Deville.
By having her get ultra aggressive in the ring and win matches in fairly dominant fashion, her matches would become must-see television, and it would put her on another level compared to WWE's other female Superstars.
It can be argued that most fans don't fully realize what Deville brings to the table from an in-ring perspective because of a lack of opportunities, so she should be out there often having matches over the next several weeks.
Give Her Promo Time Every Single Week
Perhaps the biggest key to Deville eventually becoming SmackDown women's champion and a big star in WWE is giving her a platform to speak every week.
With Becky Lynch out of the fold because she's pregnant, there is a huge void in the WWE women's division in terms of someone the company can rely on to cut killer promos on a weekly basis. Based on what she has done the past few weeks, Deville may be able to fill that vacuum.
She hasn't wrestled much lately, so the main reason why many fans are now viewing her as a top star-in-waiting is the fact that she has been so good on the mic.
If WWE goes forward with the idea of Deville running through a long list of babyfaces on the blue brand, then it should take another page out of UFC's book by giving her a "post-fight" interview after every victory.
Blocking out around 10 minutes per show for Deville to wrestle and then talk isn't a massive commitment, but it is enough time for her to get herself over as a big-time star both as an in-ring and mic worker.
WWE may even want to consider giving her a weekly talk-show segment, which would allow her to not only elevate herself, but also elevate others who may need someone else to help guide them on the mic.
All signs point to the company having big-time money in Deville, but it will take meticulous planning on its part to ensure she reaches her lofty potential.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).