Released superstar to return and become champion? - 4 replacements for Sonya Deville following her injury in WWE
Many WWE fans were thrilled when two veteran superstars won their first-ever titles in the company. Chelsea Green, who had been hired, fired, and re-hired, never held a belt until recently. Sonya Deville, who had been with the company more consistently, also never won a title.
That changed when the pair defeated Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez on the July 17 episode of RAW for the Women's Tag Team Titles. Unfortunately, things went south immediately, as it was later revealed that The Jersey Devil has suffered a torn ACL.
The promotion acknowledged Sonya's unfortunate injury on the latest episode of RAW, however, they did not provide any details on what comes next. Some suspect the champions could be stripped of their gold.
An alternative option would be to have Chelsea Green replace Deville with a new partner. This article will look at a handful of stars from the main roster and NXT who could serve as the champion. There's even a released wrestler on this list who could make a big return. Which star might step up?
Below are four replacements for Sonya Deville following her injury in WWE.
#4. Cora Jade could join the main roster and team up with Chelsea Green
Cora Jade is a vile and detestable superstar. She joined WWE and appeared to be a likable personality, but she showed her true colors when she hurt her best friend and tag team partner Roxanne Perez.
Jade even dumped her NXT Women's Tag Team Title belt in the trash can to show her disdain for her former friend.
The former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion's future isn't clear. She seemingly left NXT by grabbing her things from the women's locker room and storming out. This was an expression of frustration with her role on the show, but the move could've been a swerve, and she'll show back up on the white & gold brand.
If Cora is joining WWE's main roster instead, she could do so in a big way. Given her tag team experience, Jade could become Chelsea's new partner. The two would likely get along better than Cora and Roxanne Perez did, given Jade's vicious betrayal of her former partner.
#3. Mandy Rose could return to WWE and replace her best friend
Mandy Rose is a popular personality. She first joined WWE through Tough Enough in June 2015, the same avenue that gave Sonya and Chelsea their initial exposure. While some wrote her off initially, Mandy went on to become a serious superstar.
The 33-year-old was on an incredible run and held the NXT Women's Championship for 413 days before dropping it to Roxanne Perez on the December 13 episode of NXT. Mandy was released shortly after that due to the content she was producing on her fan-supported subscription page.
While her WWE release was unfortunate, she could return to the company and become a champion alongside Green.
Rose is Sonya Deville's real-life best friend, so if anybody could step into her role, it would likely be Mandy. This could then allow for the three to be a dangerous stable upon The Jersey Devil's eventual return.
#2. Piper Niven has been underutilized
Piper Niven is a force to be reckoned with. The powerhouse was part of the 2017 Mae Young Classic and later joined NXT UK. From there, she was renamed Doudrop and debuted on Monday Night RAW. She thankfully reverted to her past gimmick earlier this year at the Royal Rumble event.
Niven is arguably WWE's most underutilized star. She returned to action at the 2023 Royal Rumble after dealing with health complications but only appeared a handful of times before disappearing again. She has since been exclusively appearing on Main Event and house shows.
If Chelsea needs somebody to replace Sonya Deville, there are few better options than the Scottish star. Piper has speed, size, and talent. Above all else, she has proven to have a mean streak, much like The Jersey Devil has. If Chelsea and Piper can have chemistry, they could be a great duo.
#1. Tegan Nox has been working as a heel
Tegan Nox is another extremely underrated and underutilized star. She was first in WWE as part of the NXT system but was later added to the main roster in 2021. Unfortunately, she was cut later that same year. Nox was re-hired during the Triple H-led regime towards the end of 2022.
The Girl With The Shiniest Wizard has been testing out something new on WWE Main Event. While she's known for being extremely likable, Nox has been portraying a heel on the RAW b-show in recent months.
If the promotion likes heel Tegan, she could potentially end up being pushed as Chelsea's new partner. Nox would have big shoes to fill, but Green found chemistry with both Deville and Carmella. There's certainly a chance that she could find it with Tegan too.