WWE should elevate Sonya Deville as a main-event performer

The Four Horsewomen rule the WWE women’s division. Regardless of which brand they are on, the top of the card women’s angles flow through one of those four ladies when they are on television. While Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Becky Lynch are clearly at the top, there’s a need for the WWE to build additional women that can rival them. One such individual is Sonya Deville and seeing her pushed to the top of the roster would be a step in the right direction.

Deville recently made a return of sorts when she teamed with Shayna Baszler for a two-on-one match against Naomi on WWE SmackDown. This was her first match since SummerSlam 2020 where she was defeated by Mandy Rose in a loser leaves WWE match. That stipulation was added because Deville was dealing with the home invasion where a man broke into her home.

The horror from that situation nearly forced Deville from the wrestling industry entirely. However, she would make a surprise return early in 2021. She’s done a strong job performing as an authority figure for both SmackDown and Raw alongside Adam Pearce, but there’s been a consistent question around whether she will return to the ring. Fightful Select reported that those plans were in the works around WWE Money in the Bank, but that did not occur.

As 2022 approaches, elevating Deville to the level of the Four Horsewomen should be in the cards. She’s currently in a back-and-forth “feud” with Naomi, one that has been stretched out longer than expected. Plus, the picture of what’s next for both women isn’t clear.

For Deville, playing the role of the manipulative authority figure is working. It’s a playing card that the WWE uses all too often, but rarely has it been done with an active female performer. Seeing Deville use this position to jockey for an event title shot and win over Flair or another top name can be an interesting storyline if done correctly.

SmackDown’s roster isn’t deep, but since Deville’s been out of action for more than a year, many of these matches would be “fresh” compared to the retreads that WWE has used recently. Even with Deville being on the main roster with Mandy Rose, she wasn’t featured much as a singles talent, even though fans wanted to see more of her as a character and solo performer.

WWE needs to begin better leveraging its entire roster. Dedicated more time to substantive angles with the talented women on the roster would help build back some of the interest in the product that has been lost over the years. That means featuring more than the Four Horsewomen and Sonya Deville is someone that can be placed in that position as a main event threat.