Ronda Rousey’s WWE Arrival Played Role in Character Shift for Another Talent

Sonya Deville is opening up about why her WWE character took a sharp turn away from her MMA roots—and it all seems to trace back to Ronda Rousey’s arrival in the company.

Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Deville revealed that she was the first female wrestler in WWE with a legitimate MMA background. But once WWE started signing names like Rousey, Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke, and Marina Shafir, things changed.

“When I first started, I was the first kinda female with the MMA background, and so it was cool when that was my character,” Deville explained. “But, as my character started to evolve, it was kinda like we started to drop the MMA stuff, but it was also the time they started to sign Ronda, Shayna, Jessamyn, and Marina, the Four Horsewomen of MMA. So, I was fine departing from that part of my personality and my character, because I was like, I have other stuff to offer—let them be the forefront of the MMA movement.”

WWE wasted no time putting Rousey front and center following her 2018 debut, booking her in high-profile feuds and eventually making her Raw Women’s Champion. Meanwhile, Baszler took over NXT, dominating as NXT Women’s Champion with Duke and Shafir by her side.

While Deville still found success in WWE—particularly in her pairing with Mandy Rose and her authority role—her MMA-heavy persona faded into the background. Eventually, she shifted into a more corporate heel gimmick before departing WWE on February 7, 2025, after nearly a decade with the company.

With Rousey now gone from WWE, Baszler still competing, and Deville now out of the company, it’s an interesting reflection on how WWE’s creative decisions shaped careers behind the scenes.

Do you think Sonya Deville should have been given a bigger MMA-based push, or was WWE right to shift her character? Drop your thoughts in the comments!