WWE just wrapped up a week-long celebration of the start of the Women's Evolution, which took place in 2015 when Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks were introduced to the main roster.
Sonya Deville was competing on Tough Enough as the evolution began and spent the first two years of the evolution in NXT. Even then, Deville knew change was in the air.
"When I got hired, I remember coming to my tryout and I didn't grow up watching wrestling, so I needed to do my research and study up on WWE," Deville explained on The Female Quotient. "I knew [Tough Enough] was a performance and competition series, so I was interested based on that, but I wanted to see what it was all about. One of the first women I watched wrestle was Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks. I was blown away by the intensity and athleticism of these women. As I started to do my research, I realized that wasn't always the case and we were in the middle of this women's evolution, that was simultaneously taking place across the globe. I realized WWE, and specifically NXT, Triple H was really pioneering this. He started hiring athletes and legitimate badass women who wanted to fight and prove equality with the men. I saw this taking place and I remember thinking, 'They've never had a female MMA fighter in WWE. I could be part of this change and movement to further legitimize and move forward the evolution."
Deville has made her own history in WWE, becoming the first openly gay female on the roster.
Deville has been on the main roster since November 2017 and has received rave reviews for her work during the empty arena era, though she hasn't been on television during recent weeks.
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