Sonya Deville
Daria Rae Berenato (born September 24, 1993), known professionally as Sonya Deville, is an American former professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, judoka, and entrepreneur best recognized for her tenure with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 2015 to 2025.[1][2][3] Berenato entered WWE after competing on the sixth season of Tough Enough in 2015, where she showcased her MMA background to transition into professional wrestling, adopting a "Pride Fighter" persona that highlighted her striking and submission skills derived from prior combat sports experience.[4][5] Her most notable in-ring achievement was winning the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship in 2023 alongside Chelsea Green, marking her first title in the promotion after years of mid-card competition and tag team partnerships, including an earlier stint with Mandy Rose.[6][7] Deville also portrayed on-screen authority figures, such as director of operations on SmackDown, leveraging her tough persona for managerial roles amid inconsistent main-event pushes.[4] Following an unexpected contract non-renewal by WWE in February 2025—despite ongoing negotiations—she announced her retirement from active wrestling in July 2025 to focus on acting and other ventures, reflecting a career pivot after overcoming injuries like a 2023 ACL tear from a backstage attack storyline.[8][6][9]Background
Early life
Daria Rae Berenato, professionally known as Sonya Deville, was born on September 24, 1993, in Shamong Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.[2] [10] Her family heritage traces to Italian ancestry through her parents.[10] From a young age, Berenato engaged in physical activities, beginning with basketball in her driveway around ages 4 or 5, which evolved into participation in multiple team sports including soccer, lacrosse, and track throughout her youth.[11] These pursuits during her high school years in New Jersey fostered resilience and competitive drive, as she later described finding traditional sports insufficiently challenging before exploring more intense disciplines.[12]Pre-wrestling pursuits
Berenato demonstrated an early affinity for athletics, beginning with basketball in her driveway at ages four or five.[13] Throughout her youth in Shamong, New Jersey—a rural area where she engaged in activities like riding all-terrain vehicles—she participated in multiple team and individual sports, including soccer, basketball, and track and field.[13] [12] At Seneca High School in Tabernacle, New Jersey, she continued competitive sports involvement, playing basketball, soccer, and softball, among others, which built her physical discipline and competitive mindset before shifting focus to combat disciplines.[14] [15] These pursuits instilled foundational fitness habits, emphasizing endurance, agility, and strength without formal entry into strength sports like bodybuilding or powerlifting. At age 16 in 2009, Berenato initiated self-directed training in martial arts by traveling 45 minutes to a local boxing gym, where she began with boxing alongside judo and jiu-jitsu amid a lack of dedicated MMA facilities for women.[13] [16] This period marked her transition from conventional athletics to grappling and striking fundamentals, honing skills in a male-dominated environment with no female peers initially present.[17] Such training, driven by personal initiative rather than organized competition, laid the groundwork for her later combat sports endeavors by developing technical proficiency in throws, submissions, and stand-up fighting.[18]Mixed martial arts career
Amateur competitions
Daria Berenato competed in three amateur mixed martial arts bouts in regional promotions, compiling a record of 2 wins and 1 loss, primarily in the flyweight division at 125 pounds. Her fights occurred within a six-month span in 2014 and 2015, showcasing a mix of grappling and striking finishes in victories but exposure to stand-up deficiencies in her defeat.[19][20] Berenato debuted on October 11, 2014, at California Fight League HD 1 against Allenita Perez, securing a submission victory via guillotine choke at 1:09 of the third round, demonstrating early proficiency in ground control and chokes.[21][20] She followed this on February 7, 2015, at California Fight League 2 versus Jeselia Perez, earning a TKO via punches at 2:00 of the second round after advancing the fight to the ground and landing ground-and-pound strikes.[20][22] Her amateur career concluded on March 8, 2015, at University of MMA Fight Night 9 against Jasmine Pouncy, where she suffered a unanimous decision loss after three rounds marked by significant striking exchanges that left Berenato with facial swelling and cuts, highlighting relative weaknesses in absorbing punishment on the feet compared to her prior grappling successes.[20][23]| Date | Opponent | Event | Result | Method | Round/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 11, 2014 | Allenita Perez | CFL HD 1 | Win | Guillotine choke | 3 / 1:09 |
| Feb 7, 2015 | Jeselia Perez | CFL 2 | Win | TKO (punches) | 2 / 2:00 |
| Mar 8, 2015 | Jasmine Pouncy | U of MMA Fight Night 9 | Loss | Unanimous decision | 3 / 3:00 |