By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Insight With Chris Van Vliet with guest Sonya Deville
Host: Chris Van Vliet
Podcast available via Podcasts.Apple.com
On the major injury suffered on Smackdown: “I had no idea. I must be so naive to this. I’ve been an athlete, I was like, I’m fine. I tagged out. Alright, I’m lying. I knew something was wrong. It felt a little weird. I kind of like my knee buckled and I was like, Oh, that was weird. But like, I’m fine. I have eight minutes left in this match. We’re about to go to a commercial break. I need to get it together. And so I tagged out to Chelsea and I got on the apron. Luckily, we were in a commercial break. So I was like alright, let me suss out the situation. So I’m hopping on the apron and anyone in the live audience was probably like, What the heck is she doing? But I’m hopping up in down on the apron trying to gauge if I can trust my knee. And sure enough, it was sketchy at best.
“I was like, Oh God, well, I’m in a match with Bianca, Charlotte, Chelsea, it’s a tag match, no less. I’m not about to change the entire match right now on live TV. So I was getting the comeback run on me and I had another eight minutes to wrestle. So I was like, we just got to do this. So Chelsea tagged me in for the hot tag. I had two comebacks ran on me. We did some falsies, I think a superplex. And the whole time I was like, Oh my God, I hope I don’t fall flat on my face. And sure enough, we made it to the end and I limped back, I got my rental car, went to my hotel, tried to pretend like it didn’t happen, because in this business, no one wants to be injured and out of play. Because I just won my first title. I was so sad, I was like, It’s fine. It’s just a sprain, I’ll wrap it. Long story short, I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and I fell face-first into the wall. And I was like, Oh, I think something’s wrong.”
On having to relinquish the championship: “I was so devastated. I mean, I’d been with the company for nine years. And of course, part of being in the WWE is to one day grab that brass ring and get gold around your waist and that’s what I had been striving for, of course. So I finally got my first championship and I was so happy. I was so elated. I was ready to make those titles mean more than ever before. And the injury came, which is probably why I ran back to my hotel and hid in my room and didn’t tell anyone I was injured.”
On the Otis and Mandy Rose storyline that culminated with no fans: “Bittersweet, but life works in such mysterious ways. I always say everything happens for a reason and I’m a firm believer in that. But it was one of those moments where I was like, wow, I think I just had the run of a lifetime. And it was in front of nobody, except the millions, of course watching at home. There was so much interaction and love on socials and online and everything. But being a performer, being in the WWE, my favorite part is walking out there and hearing you guys. I want to hear the audience whether you’re booing me out of the building, whether you’re cheering, whatever it is, I just want to hear and feel the passion from that. So walking into the empty arena, when we know we’re having iconic moments like the Mandy Otis kiss, the Sonya/Mandy turn, all these moments, I’m like, oh my god, the crowd reaction would be so good. And, you know, at one point, it was like 20 NXT talent in the audience. And they’re booing and I’m like, This is crazy. This would be so iconic in front of in front of a crowd. But it was iconic nonetheless, to be a part of a cool story like that.”
FAQs
We're best friends, we're like sisters, we love like sisters, we fight like sisters. And so much of it was I had felt that Mandy had gotten opportunities in the ring because she had a certain look and I didn't have that, and so did I truly feel like that to my core?
Who was Sonya Deville's tag team partner? ›
Former WWE Superstar Mandy Rose, who is one of Deville's closest friends and spent years as her tag team partner in WWE, was among those in attendance. Other guests included current WWE stars Bayley, Bianca Belair, Montez Ford, Charlotte Flair, Andrade, Liv Morgan and Chelsea Green.
Did Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville date? ›
Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville never dated or were involved in a romantic relationship with each other, but they do share a close relationship. In the past, the latter even shared how they are like sisters. Sonya noted how Mandy's presence was important to her as she was mostly away from her family.
Did WWE let Mandy Rose go? ›
Not only was she one of the longest-reigning champions, but she was thriving on the developmental brand. However, the company decided to let her go after she started posting on a premium service for fans. In December 2022, Rose was released from her WWE contract due to the content she was making on FanTime.
Are Liv Morgan and Sonya Deville friends in real life? ›
In an interview with New York Post, Liv shared the details of her conversation with Sonya, “I have a very close friendship with Sonya Deville, so I spoke to her, and the details of those conversations I'm politely not going to share with you. But everything's fine.
How did Sonya Deville tear ACL? ›
Long story short, [I] woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and I fell face-first into the wall. And I was like 'Oh I think something's wrong. '" Deville hasn't wrestled since suffering her ACL injury.
Will Sonya Deville come back to WWE? ›
Sonya Deville made her return to WWE on Monday Night Raw after a nine-month hiatus. Her return marked her first appearance since suffering a torn ACL in July of 2023. Deville's unexpected return occurred backstage where she approached Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark, seemingly attempting to recruit them.
Has Sonya Deville ever won a match? ›
Now that Deville is no longer a WWE official, she may be more dangerous than ever. In early 2023, Deville aligned with new Raw Superstar Chelsea Green. This alliance allowed Deville to earn her first gold in WWE, as they defeated Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez to become the new WWE Women's Tag Team Champions.
Who is Mandy Rose's husband? ›
| Tino Sabbatelli |
|---|
| Partner(s) | Mandy Rose (2018-present; engaged) |
| Professional wrestling career |
| Ring name(s) | Anthony Sabbatelli Sabatino Piscitelli Sabby Tino Piscitelli Tino Sabbatelli |
| Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
29 more rowsThe most recent WWE Superstar to tie the knot is Sonya Deville. The former Women's Tag Team Champion got married to her partner, Toni Cassano, on February 10, 2024, after being engaged to her for a year.
Deville married her now-wife Toni Cassano earlier this year at The Legacy Castle in New Jersey. The happy couple was surrounded by friends, family, and WWE Superstars. Charlotte Flair, Andrade, Bayley, Montez Ford, Liv Morgan, Matt Cardona, Chelsea Green, Mandy Rose, Vic Joseph, and McKenzie Mitchell all attended.
Why did Mandy Rose lose her title? ›
On the December 13, 2022, episode of NXT, Rose lost her title to Perez. The next day, Rose was released from WWE due to explicit content posted on her FanTime page (a subscription website similar to OnlyFans).
Why did Sonya Deville leave? ›
In doing so, they won their first titles in WWE. However, Deville suffered a torn ACL during a match against Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair on the July 28 episode of WWE SmackDown. As a result, she was forced to relinquish her title.
