A report from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reveals growing concerns among female performers in WWE following Sonya Deville’s recent departure from the company. Deville, who led the Pure Fusion Collective faction on RAW alongside Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler, exited the promotion after contract negotiations unexpectedly concluded.
According to the report, Deville was initially told WWE had interest in renewing her contract before the company ultimately decided against extending the agreement. This sudden change in direction has created apprehension among some talent backstage.
Sources speaking to Fightful indicated that the manner in which negotiations with Deville unfolded has particularly affected confidence levels among performers who currently lack creative direction or regular television appearances.
Deville began her WWE journey as a contestant in season six of WWE Tough Enough in 2015, where she was the third participant eliminated from the competition. Despite this early setback, she secured a contract with the company later that same year and remained with the promotion for approximately a decade before her departure earlier this month.
#SonyaDeville says she was in the middle of contract negotiations before she got to know about her release.#WWE @sonyadevillewwe pic.twitter.com/u5JkG6lr3b
— Sportskeeda Wrestling (@SKWrestling_) February 20, 2025