Sonya Deville Set For In-Ring Return Following A 14-Month Hiatus

WWE Superstar Sonya Deville will participate in a match for the first time in 14-months when she goes one-on-one with Naomi on next week's SmackDown.

Deville confirmed her return to the ring during a backstage segment on this week's edition of SmackDown on Fox. Naomi confronted Deville to ask why she wasn't invited to compete in the Queen's Crown tournament, despite the fact that she's a two-time SmackDown Women's Champion. Deville said that Naomi doesn't deserve to be in the tournament, but added that she had booked Naomi to compete in a match next week ... against Deville herself.

Naomi and Deville have been at each other's throats over the last few weeks, with Naomi growing increasingly frustrated by a lack of opportunities, and Deville claiming that Naomi hasn't done anything to deserve said opportunities.

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Deville has been absent from in-ring competition since last August. Her last match was a losing effort against her former partner Mandy Rose at 2020'2 SummerSlam. She then took a few months off and debuted as an on-screen authority figure on the January 1 edition of SmackDown.

A few days before her SummerSlam 2020 match with Mandy Rose, the two women were hanging out at Deville's home in Lutz, Florida when a man claiming to be a fan broke into her house. The home invader had waited outside for an extended period of time, watching both Deville and Rose through the window. Deville and Rose managed to escape and call the police. When officers arrived at the house, the man was still there as he believed the two wrestlers were still upstairs. The assailant was subsequently charged with aggravated stalking, armed burglary of a dwelling, attempted armed kidnapping, and criminal mischief.

Whether or not Sonya Deville is planning to return to the ring on a consistent and regular basis remains to be seen, but we're looking forward to seeing how her rivalry with Naomi plays out.