10 Most Exciting Young Prodigies In WWE & AEW Right Now

7. Sonya Deville

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WWE.com

The dying days of Sonya Deville's NXT run presented a performer ready to explode on a grander stage, as the former mixed martial artists knocked it out of the park in a mini-feud with the skilled, underrated Ruby Riott. That Absolution didn't yield these opportunities was disappointing. The Paige affiliation was unquestionably beneficial, though Deville and Mandy Rose dropped in prominence once their third woman was forced to retire, with Sonya soon feeling more like her partner's sidekick as the years progressed.

Recent times have righted this course. Deville has emerged as the brutal, threatening villain she always teased becoming, delivering some of SmackDown's best promo and character work after splitting from Rose. Opportunities for prolonged in-ring outings haven't emerged yet, though everything else is elite, setting 'The Pridefighter' up to shoot past the Lacey Evans and Dana Brookes of the world and into the upper echelon, where career-making feuds with WWE's top females await.

There aren't many WWE wrestlers who project more natural badassery than Deville, though recent performers show she's capable of being more than a straight-up bruiser. WWE would be wise to lean into her range without getting too wacky.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.