Sonya Deville Plans to ‘Destroy’ Mandy Rose & Turn Smackdown’s Women’s Division ‘Upside Down’

Sonya Deville spoke with Newsweek for a new interview discussing her feud with Mandy Rose, her goals on Smackdown and more. You can check out some highlights below:

On getting a spotlight on Smackdown: “I feel like I’m finally coming into my own and finally getting to say what I want to say and feel what I want to feel and do what I want to do. Everything is on Sonya’s terms now and I’m just loving having all that control and power.”

On her push taking off after she split from Mandy Rose: “This industry is weird and timing is everything. You never know what’s going to happen or never know when things are gonna fall into place, but when you get an opportunity, it’s about making the most out of it, grabbing and running with it. It’s an opportunity that I’ve been asking for and pitching for probably a year or two now, and it finally came to fruition during this time, so I feel like we just took the ball and ran with it.”

On her month-long hiatus from Smackdown: “I’m a very motivated, dedicated person and I’m a very patient person. I’ve been thinking about this for five years, so four weeks out of the game is nothing. If anything, it gives me time to calculate and motivate, regroup and figure out what my next move is. I always have a plan and I’m very disciplined, so I don’t think [my time away is] an issue.”

On if she sees herself as a locker room leader: “I do what I do and if anything I’m a firm believer of leading by example. If people like the way that I conduct myself and they feel that it’s impressionable or inspirational in any kind of way then, yeah, they can take notes, but I just I just try to do me and be a good person. Hopefully, people can see that and do good themselves.”

On her plans for her feud with Rose: “I don’t care what the stipulation is. I don’t care what kind of matches or where it is, I’m gonna end Mandy Rose. I should have put the nail on the coffin a couple weeks ago. I thought she was down and out after the haircut, but clearly she has a little bit more fight, which honestly I was shocked by, but once I’m done with her I’m gonna move on with my life—move on to bigger and better things and go get the championship.”

On her goals on Smackdown: “I’m going to turn this place upside down. I’m gonna give this women’s division something that it’s never seen before, something fresh, something new and you’re gonna see the most undeniable dominant champion you’ve ever seen. That’s a promise … I’m going to destroy Mandy Rose, I’m going to end her career. I don’t want her anywhere near me. I don’t want her in the same division as me. I don’t want her anywhere near my life, even in this conversation right now—like, I’m so sick of hearing you bring up her name,” Deville said. “I’m the star now, I get the ratings, I trend every single week. It’s about Sonya Deville. It’s my time, this is my world we’re living in now, so anyone who wants to be in my division, they need to open up their eyes and respect me because in a matter of months, in a matter of months I will be running this show.”