WWE Superstar Mandy Rose recently appeared on the Gorilla Position podcast. The SmackDown Superstar would discuss a number of topics from her recent career with the company. These would include the red-hot storyline involving her and Otis, Becky Lynch now leaving the company and what it is like pitching directly to Vince McMahon.

One of the points raised was the SmackDown Hacker, a character that has been a recurring part of the blue brand over the past few months.

Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville

The first major plot point that the Hacker revealed was that Sonya Deville had betrayed Mandy Rose, thus leading to their eventual feud and the continuation of the Mandy/Otis storyline. With the Hacker being such an important part of said storyline many believed that it would be someone linked to the aforementioned Superstars…but it isn’t that clear.

The SmackDown Hacker appears to be targeting a number of Superstars on the Friday Night show. Interestingly, Mandy Rose and at least one other SmackDown Superstar have no idea who the person is behind the Hacker gimmick.

“My prediction? To be honest, I have no idea” Mandy Rose revealed on Gorilla Position, confirming that she has no clue who the mystery Hacker is. “But the voice sounds very…actually it’s funny.”

Maryse?

Mandy Rose would then talk about who she feels the actual cadence and tone of the Hacker sounds like. “The Miz was walking by the other day and he thinks the voice sounds like Maryse. I was like ‘wow I didn’t think of that!’ Like ‘oh my god is it Maryse!? I know you’re like joking but, um, it kind of does!’ I’m kind of happy I’m not gonna lie, because it exposed Sonia and Dolph [Ziggler]. But no I have no idea. I do not know who the hacker is.”

We’ve seen this sort of storyline play out in WWE in the few decades, and there’s always a chance that the company themselves are not sure who to use in that Hacker position right now. There has been speculation that CM Punk is behind the gimmick, but he continues to deny any involvement with WWE beyond his role on WWE Backstage.

Who do you think the SmackDown Hacker is? Let us know in the comments

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In the build-up to WrestleMania, Otis, Mandy Rose, Dolph Ziggler, and Sonya Deville were involved in a tangled romantic storyline. Otis and Mandy Rose were the couple everyone wanted to get together but Dolph Ziggler and Sonya Deville conspired to keep them apart. Then on the second night of WrestleMania 36, Otis defeated Dolph Ziggler and then he and Mandy Rose embraced.

Rose was recently interviewed by SI.com. During the interview, she detailed pitching the storyline to Vince McMahon and his reaction.

“It’s hard to get in Vince’s office, but I finally got in and I pitched this story,” Rose said. “He loved it, he had some ideas, and then Sonya and I had a lot of say in the creative, which was really cool. We were able to write a lot of it. We all worked together, and that’s one of the reasons it’s worked so well. Everyone’s been really passionate about it.”

Rose would continue to talk about what Otis is like in real-life when he’s off-camera.

“Ever since we met in NXT, we’d always joke around together,” she continued. “He’d call me ‘Mandy Candy’ and cut different promos, and it was really cute. He’s just so charismatic, even when he’s not on camera. He makes us laugh the same amount when he’s off-camera. He’s funny and super sweet, and he’s so kind, which is one of the best qualities.”

In many ways, the angle has helped propel Rose, Deville, and Otis further up the card in WWE. Deville’s emotional promo on the Smackdown following WrestleMania has also been heavily-praised by many. As for Ziggler, the match against Otis was his first single’s match at WrestleMania.

The full interview with Rose can be read here.

WWE SmackDown Superstar Sonya Deville has confessed how acting is where her passion lies. Deville pointed to WWE Superstars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena as inspirations. She noted how they were both “super successful” in transitioning over to acting, and how she would love to be their female equivalent.

“Acting is definitely where my heart’s at. Recently I’ve been going out to LA and trying to just dive into Hollywood,” Deville explained to Digital Spy. “It’s something that coincides well with WWE with the likes of John Cena and The Rock being super successful in both and I would love to be a female that can do the same. That’s definitely my goal and that’s going to be what I’m focusing on, on top of wrestling, over the next few years.”

Sonya Deville’s Current Storyline

Sonya Deville is currently involved in a storyline involving Mandy Rose and Otis. She recently referred to the soap opera-esque narrative as the most fun storyline she’s ever been a part of.

“People just love Otis and I think it’s just because he’s just so unapologetically himself and he’s always so happy. I think he’s very relatable in a sense and Mandy and I have just had such a good time being part of the storyline for sure. It’s been probably the most fun storyline I’ve ever been a part of in WWE.”

Despite her involvement, Sonya Deville will seemingly not be a part of Otis’ matchup against Dolph Ziggler at WrestleMania 36. Mandy Rose will apparently be ringside. “The Show of Shows” will air on the WWE Network this weekend on April 4 and April 5.

Sonya Deville recently did an interview with Digital Spy, where she discussed a number of topics from LGBTQ+ representation in WWE to the storyline involving Mandy Rose and Otis from Heavy Machinery.

She shared her thoughts on the storyline saying that she had a lot of fun with it. She also highlighted that it was fun to see Otis play his part as he really is as much cheerful in real life as he is on TV.

“It’s been incredible. It’s been so much fun to be a part of,” Sonya said. “People just love Otis and I think it’s just because he’s just so unapologetically himself and he’s always so happy. I think he’s very relatable in a sense and Mandy and I have just had such a good time being part of the storyline for sure. It’s been probably the most fun storyline I’ve ever been a part of in WWE.”

Sonya also talked about whether WWE could pull off LGBTQ storylines. She said that she definitely knows that the company has the right access to people that could help them write a storyline like that and that she would love to be included in writing or planning something like that in the future.

The storyline between Mandy Rose and Otis has been regarded as one of the most entertaining ones on recent WWE television. Mandy Rose has said in an interview that she never thought her angle with Otis would be as popular as it has gotten. She has said that Otis has always been joking around with her since their NXT days and she never expected that it would become such a well-received storyline from fans.

Related: Sonya Deville On WWE Cancelling Relationship Storyline With Mandy Rose

WWE had teased a romantic relationship between Fire And Desire partners Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville but they ultimately ended up nixing the angle.

The officials then produced a storyline between Lana and Liv Morgan which has been halted due to Rusev’s contract dispute with the company.

Sonya Deville was asked for her reaction on the cancellation of the storyline during her recent interview with UPROXX. Replying to it, she said that they were upset momentarily, but claimed that the storyline can happen in future:

“So obviously, Mandy and I were upset momentarily. It was something that we really pushed for, but never say never and I think that it’s definitely still a possibility that it will or could happen in the future.

I think representation in different storylines and stuff like that is awesome.” said Sonya Deville. “I think it’s good. There’s a lot of different ways you can do it. There’s not just one way to do it and it’s not just Mandy and I that have to do it.”

The WWE star also revealed that they had a lot of meetings with GLAAD. The organization was helping them write and direct the story and she hopes to get back to it one day.

Apart from this, Sonya Deville talked about how the pro wrestling world is flooded with heterosexual storylines, communicating with other LGBTQ talents and more. You can check out her full interview at this link.

SmackDown Superstar Sonya Deville recently spoke to With Spandex where she discussed entertaining people during the coronavirus pandemic. Deville has yet to participate in an empty arena matchup. That hasn’t changed how she would approach such a challenge, however. She observed how wrestling in front of zero people is a testament to the Superstars’ talent and charisma.

“I think it’s just really a testament to everyone’s talent and charisma, that they’re able to perform literally in front of nobody,” Deville said. “And that’s what wrestling and WWE is based off of. It’s based off of fan and crowd interaction, we feel your guys’ energy every single weekend.”

She continued, “That’s what drives us to do a lot of what we do. And so now it’s a completely different game. And just watching the superstars adjust and make that adjustment so smooth and still be entertaining is mind blowing to me. It’s awesome.”

Sonya Deville On Facing Becky Lynch

Sonya Deville also addressed her dream opponent, current RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch. She reflected on the promo she cut about being a rising star on WWE’s The Bump, admitting she didn’t expect the reaction it garnered. 

“So I cut that little promo after she said that I was a rising star on The Bump, and so I took it and ran with it and I didn’t expect it to go as viral as it did. And I was like, “Wow, okay. Maybe there’s something here. Maybe people want to see me versus Becky.” So maybe we’ll give people what they want one day.”

At the time of writing, Sonya Deville has yet to be scheduled a matchup at WrestleMania 36. The event now takes place across two days on April 4 and April 5 from multiple locations. 

Sonya Deville recently sat down for an interview with RondaRousey.com. During the interview, Deville commented that both Bayley and Becky Lynch are two talents she feels comfortable going to for advice.

“Bayley is definitely one—she’s like the locker room leader always. She’s someone you could go to for advice or if you have questions about how things work or whoever it was, she’s definitely just a natural leader in the locker room,” Deville said of Bayley during the interview.

Deville also mentioned Becky Lynch as someone she could go to for advice.

“Becky was someone that I always went to too. Becky’s cool because she’s one of those people that leads by example. She’s not going to tell you what to do with your life, but she just carries herself in a way that’s admirable.”

Sonya Deville Interview With RondaRousey.com

Deville was also asked about what wrestlers she enjoys the most. Becky Lynch was again mentioned as someone Deville is a fan of. Deville also mentioned Charlotte Flair and Lita.

“I always liked Becky Lynch. She was always, to me, just different and unique, and she was always a badass. I think she still is. Charlotte… I liked how strong she was and how she kind of redefined femininity for me. She didn’t fit in the perfect square mold of what it means to be a Diva, to say, back in the day. She kind of reinvented the meaning of the women’s wrestler. And Lita, obviously, from back in the day. I mean she stood out to me because she was a tomboy living in a world of super girly Divas at the time.”

Deville also spoke about her experiences on Tough Enough, being the first openly gay female in WWE, and her current work with Mandy Rose on Smackdown and YouTube show. The full interview can be found here.

Sonya Deville’s path to WWE took many twists and turns along the way. The 26-year-old spoke with Fox Sports recently about moving to Los Angeles at 18, MMA, acting and more.

Deville talked about being devastated after her elimination from season 6 of Tough Enough in 2015.

“It’s funny because I didn’t grow up watching wrestling. So I wasn’t like a diehard fan, but I was dejected because I’d fallen in love with WWE, the sports entertainment world,” Deville said.

“(WWE) was kind of the two dreams I always had. I wanted to be an MMA fighter; I was. And I wanted to be an actor. So that’s why I was out in L.A., you know, five, six years ago pursuing both those things. And then I found WWE, which was literally the combination of those two worlds. So it was kind of like I found where I fit in in the world.”

Deville also talked about making her main roster debut along with Mandy Rose as members of Paige’s Absolution stable.

“Some people’s debuts aren’t that crazy or special, so we were really blessed to be paired with Paige and Absolution. And for that to be our debut was really, really cool.”

She also described the difference between her character on Smackdown and who she is on Total Divas.

“Being Sonya Deville on ‘SmackDown’ is, ‘I’m a badass. I’m a fighter.’ You know, I’m tough and the fans don’t typically see a vulnerable, lighter side to Sonya,” she said. “Whereas on ‘Total Divas,’ I’m able to show them that more vulnerable, open side to me.”

The full interview can be read here.

Soon to be two-time WWE Hall of Famer Sean ‘X-Pac’ Waltman recently made some interesting comments with regards to current WWE Superstar Sonya Deville on the latest episode of his AfterBuzz TV podcast. The former ‘Syxx‘ in WCW will be joining the WWE Hall of Fame for the second time next year as part of the nWo faction along with Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.

At the start of this week’s ‘1-2-360’ Waltman discussed what he had been working on recently. Waltman confirmed that he had been working on a ‘top secret’ project with both Maria Menuonos and the aforementioned Deville.

“Top Secret”

“I brought Maria Menuonos our Executive Producer and benefactor here at AfterBuzz TV” Waltman said. “I brought her and Sonya Deville to Rikishi’s school here is Van Nuys [California]. I’m not allowed to disclose…top secret. So, anyways top secret what was going on.”

“I Ended Up Rolling With Sonya”

Waltman did however confirm that he got in the ring with Sonya Deville. “So, I got in the ring, and I didn’t plan on it but I ended up rolling with Sonya. It was alright but my knee is pretty swollen up. It’s been years and years, I don’t that anymore unless it is a show. I got in the ring, rolled around with Sonya, did a couple of basic spots.”

Waltman was then asked by his co-host how Sonya is getting on in her life and career, to which he mentioned she may be frustrated at her spot in WWE currently.

Sonya Deville Creatively Frustrated?

“She’s good, there are a lot of great things going on in her life” Waltman stated. “Total Divas, that’s an awesome gig. She may or may not be creatively frustrated like other people in WWE, I’m not sure. If they [creative] aren’t doing something with you currently like you have to do something to maintain a positive attitude. Otherwise you end up like one of those poisonous people. It’s really difficult maintain a positive attitude. I can’t say that I was like that myself, not everyone was politically plugged in like I was. They [creative] put up with way more sh*t with me than they would the average person.”

Waltman is quick to keep her feelings vague however it is interesting that he would bring it up in conversation.

Sonya Deville was last used on WWE television on the November 29th edition of SmackDown on FOX. Sonya lost in a singles bout against Nikki Cross.

WWE has recently released four Superstars from their main roster, Luke Harper, Sin Cara and tag team The Ascension. It’s worth noting that there are rumors circulating that there may well be more talent on their way out of WWE in the coming months. It is not yet confirmed if Deville is one of the names possibly looking for the exit.

Please credit SEScoops when using any transcribed quotes from this article.

Sonya Deville spoke with Local Los Angeles CBS affiliate KCAL regarding her life as an LGBT WWE Superstar. During their conversation, Deville spoke openly about balancing her sexuality with her WWE character.

“Sonya, at the end of the day is a fighter, right? She likes to kick ass. She likes to get in there and take names and she sometimes does take unorthodox measures to get there,” Deville explained.

“So if that’s what you consider a bad guy, then yeah, Sonya’s bad. But she also is someone who represents equality, and that’s something that’s very close to my heart and something that, whether I’m a good guy or a bad guy, I’m always going to represent, because the really cool thing about WWE is there’s always a larger message. There’s so much more to our job than just what you see inside of the ring.”

“I’m Not Afraid Of The Critics And The Haters”

When asked if she was concerned over negative fan reactions from the more conservative within the WWE Universe, Deville stressed that she isn’t afraid of those kinds of haters.

“No matter where you are in the world, you’re going to have people that accept you for who you are and you’re going to have people that don’t,” she said. “And my goal is to show my fans and my supporters that I’m not afraid of the critics and the haters. I’m not going to hide who I am because I make people uncomfortable because of who I love.”

Deville noted how she doesn’t want her character to be defined by her sexuality, calling it “one piece of Sonya’s puzzle.” She added how she doesn’t want it to take away from her career or what she’s capable of inside the squared circle, stressing that she is an athlete, performer and former mixed martial artist.

WWE Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch believes another female wrestler on the WWE roster could have a rise in her career similar to her. While speaking to WWE’s The Bump, Lynch revealed she sees potential in Sonya Deville who could be the next star to revive and propel her career to new heights.

While on the show, Becky was asked who she thinks can have a breakthrough moment in their career just like hers, and achieve similar feats like being the first woman on the cover of a video game, main event WrestleMania, etc.

Lynch said that anyone who makes a connection with the crowd will be able to achieve success as the people are the ones who can make it possible.

“Yeah, look I don’t think anybody would’ve expected it to be me and I think that’s the great thing but anybody who can get a connection with the crowd because it’s all about the crowd,” Lynch said.

“It’s the people that put you there, the people that put me there. And if they get that then I see some people that can do that. I think Sonya Deville is one to look out for.”

Sonya Deville teams up with Mandy Rose on SmackDown and they were not drafted in this year’s WWE Draft and were free agents. The company then announced that both Deville and Rose have been signed to SmackDown as part of their free agent signings.

Sonya Deville performs as a proud LGBTQ athlete and is now completely open about her sexuality. That wasn’t always the case. 

During her time competing alongside Mandy Rose for Tough Enough, Deville had yet to come out in an open, public way. 

In an interview with Allure, she recalled being asked by WWE executives whether she was in a relationship. 

“[…] for any of the other contestants would have been a simple question to answer, right? So not threatening. But for me, I wasn’t openly gay at the time. I had a girlfriend, but I never verbalized being gay. It was a weird, uncomfortable, unspoken thing that my mom and dad knew but not many other people did.”

“When I came out, I was freaking out and got super awkward. I was like, ‘Yeah. I don’t have a wife yet, but I have a girlfriend,’ some cringeworthy answer. And Triple H started laughing and he was like, ‘Oh, now the whole world knows.’ I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’”

She admitted that being honest about who she became one of the best things that happened to her, as she was “forced to tell my truth, forced to face it at that point.”

Pride Fighter

Since then, Deville has fully embraced who she is as she continues to develop in the ring, incorporating elements of herself into her “Pride Fighter” character.

“Five years ago, wearing rainbow or doing anything to scream ‘I’m gay’ would have been so uncomfortable for me,” she explained. “A year ago, I got a tattoo on my bicep — me and my mom got it. It’s an equal sign for equality. I’ve had tattoos since I was like 16, but if you would have asked the younger me to get a tattoo that symbolized my sexuality, I would have told you no, because that’s how not okay I used to be with it.”

“Now I’m so comfortable with who I am,” she continued, “and I’m really just evolving as a person every day. It’s really cool to be able to represent it with the WWE. I like to just have the little rainbow hankie in my back pocket or the shoelaces that I wear sometimes. It’s also just a subtle note to my LGBTQ community.”

Rumors recently circulated that WWE may introduce a romantic angle between Deville and her tag team partner, Mandy Rose. At the time of writing, however, there is no further indication that WWE will be exploring this potential narrative. 

Sonya Deville has revealed she once pitched a match she believed to be “already written,” only to have it rejected due to time constraints.

That match would have seen her square off against “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey.

Speaking with Barnburner Radio, Deville admitted that as soon as Ronda was hired by WWE, she believed a match between them would be considered a natural bout.

Given the women’s experience with MMA and the training involved, Deville pitched the matchup, believing that there wasn’t any real work to do to hype a confrontation. 

She spoke with Triple H but was told that they wouldn’t have enough time to build any sort of satisfying feud between the women. This was due to Ronda’s strict, contractual time limit.

Deville added that she is hoping to get her opportunity against Rousey when she comes back to the ring, believing that the two could do some “special stuff” inside the squared circle, if given a chance.

Ronda Rousey last wrestled for WWE in the Triple Threat main event of WrestleMania 35. She competed against Becky Lynch and then-SmackDown Women’s Champion, Charlotte Flair. Rousey would ultimately take the loss, allowing Becky Lynch to claim both RAW and SmackDown’s Women’s Championships.

Mandy Rose has addressed speculation that WWE is pursuing a romantic angle between herself and her tag team partner, Sonya Deville.

Speaking with Uproxx, Rose stated she didn’t have “many insights to offer on that.”

“I think there’s definitely rumors and stuff like that,” she continued, “but it’s also hard to say because my character is pretty sexual and pretty sassy, the way I am. So anything I do, it doesn’t really matter if it’s to Sonya or to anyone else. It’s just who my character is, so it’s hard to judge. But I guess you’re just going to have to stay tuned, right? You never know.”

When the interviewer pushed back, replying “that’s always the answer,” Rose commented, “Yeah, right?”

“Obviously, if there was ever to be a type of relationship with us, I’m super supportive and WWE is super supportive of inclusion and the LGBTQ community, so I think it would be awesome.”

“A Great Feud Can Also Lead To A Great Getting Back Together”

Mandy discussed the possibility of the two breaking up as a tag team, despite being best friends in real life, and whether it was inevitable that all tag teams in WWE eventually split.

“I feel like it is kind of inevitable,” she admitted. “But of course we don’t ever want to break up. We want to always stay cool, and stay as a team, even on TV. But of course I think the best feuds always come from the best friendships and the best relationships. So it’s kind of inevitable. It’ll probably happen, and I think it’ll be great. I think it will only boost our career, and a great feud can also lead to a great getting back together as well.”

Despite her current push, Mandy Rose has already put plans in place for the day she is no longer with WWE.

Mandy Rose may still be learning her craft and climbing the ranks of SmackDown Live alongside Fire & Desire teammate Sonya Deville, but it appears she already has an eye set on her future outside of WWE.

“Being a WWE Superstar, you have– I don’t want to say a short shelf life, but it’s more like sometimes you’ve got to look to the future and you’ve gotta plan ahead,” Rose told TheWrap. “It’s not gonna last forever.”

When asked if she is concerned WWE may focus too heavily on her looks instead of her in-ring ability and Superstar talent, Rose replied “No, I love it. It’s part of my character. It makes me who I am.”

She explained “I always said, even in Developmental, ‘Yeah, I’m the beauty and all that. I’m the hot one, the sexy one — but I also have the brains and the strength to back it up.’ So, that was my biggest thing.”

Rose, who is aware she is building a ‘brand,’ has already launched a fitness app ‘Fit With Mandy’ that is available on iOS devices.
She plans to debut a new launch of beauty products called ‘Amarose’ this Fall and also hosts a YouTube series with Deville entitled Damandyz Donutz.

Her and Deville are not currently scheduled for a matchup at WWE’s SummerSlam pay-per-view on August 11th.

Sonya Deville was 21-years-old when she came out on an episode of Tough Enough. Deville was on the 6th season of the reality show and during an interview segment responded that she has a girlfriend when asked if she was dating anyone.

Deville sat down with WWE.com correspondents recently and spoke about what Pride month means to her.

“It means a lot. Four years ago, I was still pretending to be someone that I’m not. Until I came out publicly, I wasn’t really living my fullest life,” Deville said. “I was trying to be who I thought I was supposed to be, which never turns out good, and I wasn’t fulfilled. You can be happy with work, you can be happy in other facets of life, but if you’re not happy in your personal life, and you’re not loving open and honestly, it sucks.”

Sonya Deville On Celebrating Pride

Deville says now she enjoys celebrating Pride because she gets to share her story on social media and be a role model for others.

“So, Pride, it’s significant because it’s a time where I celebrate my coming out, but also, I get to share my story on my social platforms and maybe get to tell other people that may be going through that phase of their life, ‘It’s okay to be who you are; it’s okay to come out.’ Easier said than done, right? But … it’s always worth it if you’re being honest and true to who you are.”

On Tuesday night, Deville defeated Carmella in single’s action on Smackdown.

When asked about the moment she came out on Tough Enough, Deville said she wasn’t sure what to do but did not want to insult the woman she was dating at the time.

“I never publicly talked about having a girlfriend or even used that phrase before. But all that went through my head was, “Well, that’s not fair to this woman that I love. It’s not fair to her, to keep her a secret.” And now I’m on a reality show, and Triple H asked me a question. What am I going to say, “No, I’m single?” I was thinking about her. I got nervous and awkward, and I said, “Yeah, I have a girlfriend.” I remember calling my mom telling her I had just come out on national television! She was one of the only people that knew. It started this whole crazy turn of events [that changed] my life for the better.”

The full interview can be read here.

This Sunday will see the women’s division main event WrestleMania for the first time in history. It also plays host for the second annual WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal.

The Asbury Press Park Press spoke with Sonya Deville and Liv Morgan regarding their upcoming opportunitym and LGBTQ representation. They also speculated about the women’s division in a post WrestleMania 35 world.

“We Have Contributed To The Changing Landscape Of The Women’s Division”

Looking back on their accomplishments in the women’s division, they highlighted the first-ever women’s Elimination Chamber match. Deville believes that “we ourselves [her and Liv Morgan] have contributed to the changing landscape of the women’s division, and that’s a personal goal of mine to continue to do.”

She emphasised that she wants “[…] the women’s division to have that legitimacy, I want it to have that intensity and the aggressiveness, and I feel like that’s where I personally can contribute.”

Deville broached the subject of her acting as a representative of the LGBTQ community. She is the first openly lesbian competitor in WWE.

“Being a part of the LGBTQ community myself, it’s another passion of mine to let my fan base know that I represent another demographic in the WWE,” Deville said. “[…] we are diverse and it’s OK to be you. And that’s kind of another message I’d like to spread while I have this platform.”

She shared her hope to see more LGBTQ sports entertainers represented and supported by fans of the WWE Universe.

“I’ve seen it grow over the past five years in the world in general since I’ve been out myself since I came out on WWE ‘Tough Enough’ three and a half years ago, whatever it was,” she said. “So absolutely I’m super-confident that it’s going in an amazing direction and I’m happy to be someone who can spread that positivity.”

“That’s The Goal For Every Kind Of Woman”

Looking to this Sunday’s main event, Liv Morgan states that there is now a new goal for women. One that Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Ronda Rousey have made more achievable than ever before.

“That’s the goal for every kind of woman,” Morgan said, “to know that (for) this show that has only had men close out, you guys are good enough, you guys are important enough, you guys made enough of an impact to where you have earned and you have deserved to close out the biggest show of the year.”

WrestleMania 35 will go down in MetLife Stadium this Sunday from East Rutherford, New Jersey.

As reported earlier, Lana and Rusev have been dropped from the cast of Total Divas due to them being “strongly disliked by the demographic.”

To fill in Lana’s spot, it was officially revealed that Sonya Deville will join the Total Divas show as a new cast member.

On the AfterBuzz TV’s SmackDown After Show, Sonya Deville called in and said that she will be on the Season 9 of Total Divas.

On the topic of the idea of having cameras outside of the ring and how she’s adapting to that, Deville said:

“Part of being a WWE Superstar to me is showing the fans what happened outside of the ring. Who I am in the ring, and in my personal life, is important to defining my character. I am tough for a reason. I have been through things and I am the person I am for a lot of reasons and I love sharing those stories for the fans because it’s relatable.”

“And on that topic, I’ll be on Season 9 of Total Divas, which is something I am super excited about.”

She also revealed that the filming of the show will be starting this week but a bit of the filming was already done during the Royal Rumble.

You can watch the episode below:

Ever since moving from NXT to Raw, Ember Moon has been trying to help elevate the women’s division on the red brand. She’s not alone in her endeavors, as the women on both Raw and SmackDown share that united ambition.

Speaking recently with Busted Open Radio, Moon discussed with Bully Ray whom she believes to have the most potential amongst the women’s locker room. Bully asked if she agreed that fellow NXT-alumni, Ruby Riott and Sonya Deville, have further potential regarding their main roster runs.

“Oh yeah, 100 per cent,” she said. “[…] I’ve shared a locker room with both of those girls in NXT. I was there for Sonya’s first day when she came in knowing nothing about what we did, even from Tough Enough.”

“To see how much she’s grown from where she started and how she’s come into her own…she hasn’t changed who she is depending on who’s around her. She is who she is and that’s what you’re gonna get,” Moon explained. “A whole bunch of intensity, hard hits – I love her to death. I love watching her because something about her look just draws me in. I just wanna watch her.”

Riott Squad Love

Moon then recounted the journey she has shared with Ruby Riott in pro wrestling. The two come from similar professional backgrounds, both meeting whilst wrestling for the independent scene, wrestling for small crowds as they continued to hone their craft.

“I love her [Riott] more than life itself. We’ve had a similar journey to being on the independent scene and being told that because of the way we looked, we weren’t going to get hired. Then going from that swing to this Women’s Evolution… It’s really cool – we have a very personal relationship because we tagged and wrestled on the indies.”

Do you agree with Ember Moon? Who else on the women’s roster has the potential to break into the main event?

With their matchup imminently taking place on Tuesday’s SmackDown Live, WWE Superstars Carmella and Sonya Deville have been trading barbs with one another in anticipation of their clash.

It started harmlessly enough, as Sonya Deville said:

“Man I’m sorry I just ain’t gettin beat out by a dance break #embarrassing”

Carmella would respond with a list of her WWE accomplishments. This, however, was an opportunity for Deville to try and get a knock at the former Women’s Champion, as she highlighted James Ellsworth as a contributing factor to the majority of her accomplishments:

“”I set out to let men fight my battles for me too” -said no one ever #Ellsworth So sit down before I rip that fake hair out your damn head”

“I set out to let men fight my battles for me too” -said no one ever #Ellsworth So sit down before I rip that fake hair out your damn head https://t.co/zdqj4ZOLvV

— Daria Rae Berenato (@TheDariaRae) January 12, 2019

This then set off a hostile train reaction between the two women as Carmella responded with:

“Says the chick who got eliminated by her “day one” at #WWEEvolution. Why don’t you put your hair up and square up with me this Tuesday on #SDLive? Unless you’re gonna be too embarrassed when you lose to the chick with the dance breaks..”

WWE followed their exchange with an announcement that Carmella and Sonya Deville would have the opportunity to settle their differences on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live.

WWE has confirmed the Royal Rumble match participation for 3 more Superstars. 2 female Superstars and one male Superstar has recently been added to their respective Royal Rumble matches.

Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose are both official for the Rumble. WWE announced the former Absolution members as entrants recently on Twitter:

They’ve get their eyes set on the future! @WWE_MandyRose and @SonyaDevilleWWE are officially in the #RoyalRumble! #WWEGreensboro pic.twitter.com/p9ZQ71y39p

— WWE (@WWE) January 6, 2019

WWE also confirmed Jeff Hardy will be in this year’s Rumble:

Just down the road from The Hardy Complex, what better place than #WWEGreensboro for @JEFFHARDYBRAND to officially enter the #RoyalRumble! pic.twitter.com/F8ovmuf1Fb

— WWE (@WWE) January 6, 2019

Royal Rumble 2019

With the additions of Jeff Hardy, Sonya Deville, and Mandy Rose to their respective Royal Rumble matches, the updated list of confirmed competitors for each match is as follows:

Confirmed for 2019 men’s Royal Rumble match:

• R-Truth (#30)
• Drew McIntyre
• Xavier Woods
• Big E
• Kofi Kingston
• Finn Balor
• Seth Rollins
• Jeff Hardy

Confirmed for the 2019 Women’s Royal Rumble match:

• Carmella (#30)
• Ember Moon
• Natalya
• Bayley
• Sasha Banks
• Ruby Riott
• Liv Morgan
• Sarah Logan
• Sonya Deville
• Mandy Rose

Royal Rumble 2019 Lineup – January 27th, 2019

This year’s Royal Rumble will take place from Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ.

• Women’s Royal Rumble match
• Men’s Royal Rumble match
• Smackdown Women’s Championship
  Asuka (c) vs (Winner of Carmella vs Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch)
• WWE Championship
  Daniel Bryan (c) vs AJ Styles
• Universal Championship
  Brock Lesnar (c) vs Braun Strowman
• WWE Cruiserweight Championship
  Fatal 4-Way
  Buddy Murphy (c) vs Kalisto vs Akira Tozawa vs TBD

Sonya Deville just completed her first full year on the main roster. She spoke with Sky Sports in the UK regarding her WWE career thus far as well as her decision to tell Triple H about being gay while filming the show Tough Enough.

Deville was a contestant on the 6th season of Tough Enough in 2015. During the competition, she was asked if she was in a relationship at the time.

“Not only was I not expecting that question, I was in a bikini in high heels in front of Triple H and other WWE executives inside the ring! The other girls had spray tans and their extensions in, and they looked beautiful – and I was just like this MMA fighter chick. I felt so out of my comfort zone when they asked me that question,” Deville described her reaction to the situation.

“I thought ‘what do I do… well, tell the truth, right?’ So I said, ‘yeah, I have a girlfriend, but she’s not my wife yet’,” Deville continued. “I got nervous, and they all started smiling. I said, ‘oh my god, I just came out on national television’. And Triple H replied, ‘yeah you did!’ I just came back with, ‘oh well, that’s that!'”

Deville continued to say she takes her position as a role model for others seriously, backs UK’s Rainbow Laces campaign, and tries to help as many people as she can looking for support on social media.

Sonya Deville on Smackdown

Deville and Mandy Rose have been aligned since both debuted on Raw last year as part of Paige’s “Absolution” faction. They went through Tough Enough and developmental together and even have a YouTube show where they sample donuts. There appears to be some dissension between the two building on Smackdown, however. It’s possible the team could be feuding with each other before WWE even introduces tag-team titles for the women’s divisions.

You can read her full discussion with Sky Sports here. 

Last night, Mandy Rose interrupted Smackdown General Manager, Paige, as she was introducing the members of her brand’s Survivor Series team. Rose was upset she was not picked for the team. She also seemed upset that her Absolution tag-team partner, Sonya Deville, was.

Rose ran down each member of the team and brought up how it was her that eliminated Deville from the Evolution battle royal. Just days earlier, however, Rose had apologized to Deville for having done so.

Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose

Shortly after Evolution, however, Sonya Deville was upset about her ally eliminating her and cut a promo about it on Instagram. Rose then interrupted the promo with donuts, however, and all was forgotten. The pair often samples donuts together on their YouTube channel.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BprvggknWjQ/

Despite winning her friend back with donuts after Evolution, Rose then insulted her on Smackdown last night. Judging by recent events, it appears Rose and Deville’s alliance could be in jeopardy. This would prevent them from teaming together when the promotion finally introduces women’s tag titles.

As for Rose possibly being included in the Smackdown Survivor Series team, it should be noted that Charlotte Flair’s spot on the team is questionable. Flair turned down the team captain position last week and this week failed to come out for the team introductions. This could open up a spot for Rose to compete on the upcoming PPV.

Charlotte Flair is currently part of one of the most talked about angles in WWE. The supposed Becky Lynch heel turn has left many fans unsure who to cheer for.

Flair won the Smackdown Women’s Championship at Summerslam. She pinned Lynch in a triple threat match which also involved then-champion Carmella.

Smackdown General Manager Paige has announced Charlotte Flair will be in single’s action on Tuesday. She’ll face Paige’s former Absolution protege, Sonya Deville.

#TheQueen @MsCharlotteWWE will go one-on-one with @SonyaDevilleWWE THIS TUESDAY on #SDLive! https://t.co/R6TNu17aCT

— WWE (@WWE) September 8, 2018

Charlotte Flair vs Sonya Deville

This will be the first-ever meeting between Deville and Charlotte. They have been on opposing tag-teams at live events but have never faced each other on WWE programming or in single’s action.

Under the often-disputed WWE rule that a non-champion beating a champion in a non-title match leads to a future title match, this is a big opportunity for Deville. This same rule allowed Flair to be added to the Summerslam title match. Flair had defeated then-champion Carmella in a single’s match on Smackdown.

It is also the same rule which R-Truth has been comically misunderstanding for the last few weeks.

Based on what has been established on Smackdown recently, however, if Deville beats Charlotte she should be added to the match between Lynch and Flair at Hell in a Cell.

– Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville are all being filmed tonight in Florida for the WWE Network series, WWE Ride Along.

Lynch and Flair are in one car, with Rose and Deville in the other.

Filming our #WWERidealong episode! @BeckyLynchWWE @WWENetwork of course I’m driving ?

— Charlotte Flair (@MsCharlotteWWE) August 5, 2018

About to film #WWERideAlong for the @WWENetwork with obvi my bestie/ex roommate/ tag partner/ sister from another mister @WWE_MandyRose ???? it’s gonna be DANDY ??

— Daria Rae Berenato (@TheDariaRae) August 5, 2018

https://instagram.com/p/BmHeOjxAIk_/

All four SmackDown LIVE Superstars posted photos and videos of their road trip on Instagram.

– Ahead of SummerSlam 2018 on August 19, WWE posted this 60-second highlight video looking back at SummerSlam 2003.

https://instagram.com/p/BmG6jWuB9Ym/

In the main event, Triple H beat Goldberg, Chris Jericho, Kevin Nash, Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels in an Elimination Chamber Match to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

– NXT Superstar Tino Sabbatelli was among those in attendance at the 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio on Saturday night.

https://instagram.com/p/BmG78K5l6L3/

Prior to joining WWE in 2014, Sabbatelli – real name Sabatino Piscitelli — played five years in the NFL. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round (64th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft. He also played for the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs. He played collegiately at Oregon State.

• Backstage news on Trish Stratus and Lita at WWE Evolution