Former WWE Star Says They Pitched GM Role While Injured, But Triple H Turned It Down
After tearing her ACL in July 2023, Sonya Deville ventured down the road to recovery, beginning with a knee surgery. As revealed on "The Ariel Helwani Show," that road also included a creative pitch to WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque, one that involved Deville reprising her role as a WWE authority figure. This pitch, however, was ultimately turned down.
"I did pitch [to be a General Manager]. Hunter was kind of like 'No.' He said it's not a role for active wrestlers, like let it be a role for people that aren't actively on the card," Deville recalled. "I kind of wanted to go back there. Honestly, it's easy heat. You're in a position of power. You're not supposed to be in a position of power because you're a wrestler, but you are and you can use it to abuse the roster. I loved it. I wanted to go back and do it because I think it was a hit when I was in it. I wanted to see that again."
Deville previously served as an assistant to on-screen authority figure Adam Pearce on "WWE SmackDown," starting in January 2021. Eventually, she began making her own executive decisions for both the "SmackDown" and "WWE Raw" brands, such as lifting a suspension of "The Queen' Charlotte Flair. In May 2022, Pearce, currently the "Raw" General Manager, relieved Deville of her executive duties, prompting her return to in-ring competition.
Last month, WWE opted not to renew Deville's contract with them. As such, she is now officially a free agent.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Ariel Helwani Show" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.