Sonya Deville has returned to WWE SmackDown, but it's not the same backstabbing Sonya Deville who was forced to leave the company in a 'Loser leaves WWE' match.
No, this is a very different Sonya Deville, who has a dapper new blue blazer, as SK Wrestler Matthew Serocki likes to put it, who is seemingly a WWE SmackDown authority figure, working with Adam Pearce.
Why was Sonya Deville cast in this particular role, and what possible storyline could we see the WWE SmackDown star in, going forward?
We will try and elaborate upon 5 reasons why Sonya Deville returned to WWE SmackDown, and we invite you to do the same in the comments section below.
#5 Sonya Deville's new WWE SmackDown spot is the direct consequence of the 'Loser Leaves WWE' match at SummerSlam 2020
Mandy Rose defeated Sonya Deville at the 'Loser Leaves WWE' match at WWE SummerSlam 2020, and as a result, Sonya Deville left the company for a really long period of time.
Sonya Deville probably took this sabbatical to get her head in order once again because she underwent a traumatic experience this past summer, and now that she is back to make her mark once again, it wouldn't have made sense for her to come back as a wrestler.
Yes, it is the world of make-believe, but someone who lost a 'Loser Leaves WWE' match returning as an active performer would have raised a whole bunch of eyebrows.
This WWE SmackDown Authority Figure role can make her transition smoother, and Sonya Deville could return to the ring as part of a storyline where she has no other choice at all.
What is definitely a certainty is that she's returning to a WWE SmackDown ring, sooner or later.
#4 Allows Bayley or some other WWE SmackDown heel to get physically involved with Sonya Deville
Sonya Deville can certainly go, and hence, could mix it up with the WWE SmackDown heels in the roster, who get in trouble for assaulting an authority figure. Even though we've seen exceptions to the rule, WWE SmackDown and RAW do not usually portray inter-gender violence, which is why having a female authority figure makes sense.
Bayley is clearly out of the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship picture at this point in time. She is also one of the biggest stars on the roster, and she needs a feud that she can sink her teeth into, which could come in the form of a slugfest with the WWE SmackDown authority figure.
Others like Carmella or even Natalya could benefit from such a storyline, but Bayley just seems like the clearest candidate at this point in time, when it comes to getting into it with Sonya Deville.
Raising your hands on a WWE SmackDown official has its consequences, and Bayley could bear the brunt of getting physical with Sonya Deville.
#3 Adam Pearce could be written off WWE SmackDown following the Roman Reigns match, allowing Sonya Deville to take over
Is the stage being set for Sonya Deville to take over the role of WWE SmackDown general manager from Adam Pearce considering the predicament that he finds himself in right now? After all, Adam Pearce will be facing Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble for the WWE Universal Championship.
It is improbable that WWE will choose to put the Universal Championship around Adam Pearce's waist, meaning that he will most likely be the victim of a very brutal beatdown from the 'Head of the Table.' And someone will have to assume the role of the WWE SmackDown Authority Figure when he is written off television for a period of time.
This is precisely why Sonya Deville may have returned to the WWE SmackDown brand. She can take on the role of a match-maker, when Adam Pearce takes a sabbatical to sell the injury that has been inflicted upon him by Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble.
#2 Sonya Deville has a brand new persona on WWE SmackDown because Shayna Baszler is already doing the MMA fighter persona on RAW
Thus far on WWE SmackDown and even on RAW before that, Sonya Deville has been donning the gimmick of an MMA fighter, which, to her credit, she pulled off quite convincingly indeed. But there are far too many individuals with an MMA background in WWE, and Shayna Baszler is pretty much doing the same thing. It was time for a change and this new gimmick could be interesting.
Plus, because Sonya Deville is a real-life babyface, who is a spokesperson for LGBT rights, it makes all the sense in the world for her to be repackaged into a WWE SmackDown figure, essentially a babyface.
This new role gives Sonya Deville a chance to showcase her acting chops and remind the world that she is not a one-trick pony. Plus, with this brand new role, Sonya Deville can actually step out of the shadow of Mandy Rose. The two of them are such good friends, that they've always been seen as a package.
#1 The fire and intensity that Sonya Deville showed on WWE SmackDown was the reason why this role may have been conceived
WWE SmackDown star Sonya Deville caught up with Rick from SK Wrestling right before her 'Loser Leaves WWE' match at SummerSlam 2020 and you can check it out by clicking on the link shared above.
During her previous stint with the company, Sonya Deville showed us a fierceness and intensity in her promos on WWE SmackDown, leading up to the match, that impressed the WWE Universe to no end. Little did they know that underneath the MMA gimmick was a natural promo, who could spit fire on the microphone.
This may have definitely caught the eye (and the ears) of the powers that be, that determine the course of WWE SmackDown storylines and they may have decided to try Deville out in this spot, where she'll get to speak a lot more than her previous role.
You have to remember that they did the same with Alexa Bliss as well on RAW, who is another naturally gifted promo.