Sonya Deville On Her WWE Debut, Her Relationship Being Public On Total Divas

In just a short period of time, Sonya Deville has made a name for herself in the professional wrestling world. While she didn't spend that much time in NXT, her main roster experience has helped her grow to become a true entertainer and fan-favorite.

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Speaking to FOX News, Sonya discussed the moment where she truly made an impact; her main roster debut.

"Going back to my debut on Monday Night Raw, probably one of the most prominent moments in my head when I think of debuting in the ring," Sonya stated. "It is when Mandy and I debuted as Absolution alongside Paige. We actually got to run in through the crowd. It was a surprise that we were debuting, that's one of my favorite moments of all time, I think I'll always remember that feeling of butterflies and just the excitement and adrenaline we had for that. I remember the PA that loaded us in the crowd going 'ready, set, go!' and at that moment we just sprinted as fast as we could to the ring. I think we beat up Sasha Banks and Mickie James that day, it was just such a cool moment.

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"We're lucky; some people's debuts aren't that crazy or special. We were really blessed to be paired with Paige and Absolution, and for that to be our debut was really cool."

Sometimes, being booked on WWE TV can be challenging, and wrestlers don't often have time to connect with the fans. Sonya recently joined the cast of Total Divas and has become a prominent member of the show. Whether bringing her girlfriend onto the show or discussing situations in and out of the ring, Sonya has managed to captivate the viewing audience. She sees this as a true advantage to help show fans who she really is.

"Being Sonya Deville on SmackDown, I'm a badass, I'm a fighter. I'm tough and the fans don't typically see a vulnerable, lighter side to Sonya," Deville continued. "On Total Divas, I'm able to show them a more vulnerable, open side. They see my relationship with my girlfriend unfold and they see my relationship with the other girls on the roster unfold. They see the tension, the animosity with Ronda Rousey that I went through this season. You definitely get a more in-depth, personalized look at who Sonya is as a human, not just as this badass fighter you see in the ring.

"I think it is cool, I'd like the fans to see all the sides to me. When they asked me to do the show, I didn't even hesitate. I was like 'yeah, of course,' because I knew that it meant getting to be more intimate with my friends and developing that relationship further."

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As one of the first openly-gay female stars in WWE, Sonya Deville has helped spread awareness and hope to those who may be too scared to express themselves. She has even pitched an idea to Vince McMahon himself of an LGBTQ storyline, which was covered in a recent episode of Total Divas. It wasn't until an out of nowhere outburst on live TV did she realize just how important she would be to the world outside of pro wrestling.

"Obviously representing the LGBTQ community is something near and dear to my heart because you look at me, circa 2015 when I was getting on Tough Enough and Triple H asked me on TV are you in a relationship," Deville went on to say. "A simple question for most people to answer, but for me, I wasn't openly gay yet, so I was like, uh what do I say? At that moment I said I have a girlfriend. From that moment on it has been kind of like a learning process for me as a person; getting comfortable with who I am and being OK with saying those words, 'I'm gay' out loud and being comfortable with my sexuality.

"It is really to cool to be at the place that I'm at to advocate or be an example for young girls and guys that are in my shoes, that I was in 3-4 years ago. It is really special and I think just me being me, being who I am and being a wrestler can inspire people at home because now they know it is cool, and they can do it as well."

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If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit FOX News with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

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