Sonya Deville is looking to rise to the top of SmackDown Live‘s women’s division. Deville has been on the main roster of WWE since November 2017 and has already picked up key victories against wrestlers such as Sasha Banks, Mickie James, and Bayley. She’s a 24-year-old kick-ass competitor with an MMA background and a true fighting spirit.
Deville’s real name is Daria Berenato. She was born on September 23, 1993, in Shamong Township, New Jersey. Berenato is of Italian descent. She is also the first openly-lesbian wrestler to compete in the WWE.
Before professional wrestling, Berenato was involved with mixed martial arts. She began training and competing in MMA at the age of 17. Her current MMA win/loss record stands at 2 wins, 1 loss. Following her first defeat, Berenato auditioned for the sixth season of WWE Tough Enough. Despite not winning the competition, she was signed to a WWE contract in October 2015.
On December 30, 2015, Berenato made her in-ring debut in a losing effort against Nia Jax. In August 2016, she made her televised debut on NXT under her birth name Daria Berenato. During this time, she primarily competed in six-women’s tag team matches, losing each time. In May 2017, Berenato changed her ring name to Sonya Deville.
Daria Berenato really started to kick ass under the name of Sonya Deville, picking up a serious winning streak while defeating the likes of Zeda, Rachel Evers, Lacey Evans, and Jenna Van Bemel. At NXT TakeOVer: War Games, she competed in a fatal 4-way for the NXT Women’s Championship, but came up empty-handed.
In November 2017, Deville made her Monday Night Raw debut alongside best friend Mandy Rose. They were joined by “The Anti-Diva” Paige and collectively formed the trio known as Absolution. During their first night on the brand, they made their impressions felt, assaulting several members of the women’s division including Alexa Bliss, Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Mickie James.
Deville has already been apart of history-making moments while with WWE. She competed in the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber matches. She also proudly represents the LGBTQ+ community as the first openly-lesbian wrestler signed with the company.
Now, Deville finds herself on the SmackDown Live roster following the 2018 Superstar Shake-up. Only time will tell before we see a women’s championship around her waist.