WWE world erupts over female stars' 'groundbreaking' moment

The WWE looks set to embark upon its first-ever same-sex storyline, and fans and pundits are all here for it.

About three years ago, WWE boss Stephanie McMahon promised to integrate more LGBTQI storylines into the show in a bid to promote inclusivity and diversity.

“Throughout my life I have grown up knowing gay Superstars and executives,” she said at the Beyond Sport United conference in New York in 2016.

“It’s always been accepted, but now it’s about getting that message out there.

“We will integrate LGBT characters into our programming … and I do think there will be an opportunity to integrate some of those storylines in the near future.”

Well it appears that the near future is upon us, with female stars Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose getting very close in recent weeks.

On Monday’s episode of Smackdown, Deville (who is the only openly gay wrestler in WWE) caressed Rose’s hair while they were celebrating a win.

Fans and wrestling writers certainly noticed.

As Forbes writer Alfred Konuwa said: “WWE may have just advanced what would be a groundbreaking (for the most part) same-sex love storyline between two prominent women performers.”

Elle Collins of UpRoxx wrote: “WWE’s not reluctant to do relationship storylines with their straight performers (just look at Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins), so there’s really nothing wrong with a lesbian storyline, in theory.”

While WhatCulture wrote: “Hopefully, they'll get things right with Sonya - and not entirely define her character by her sexuality.

“If they pull it off, she could prove a positive role model and one of the few genuinely progressive aspects of the company.”

Jim Parsons of The Sportster warned that the storyline would need to be done “tastefully”.

“This is a storyline that WWE should ensure they proceed with respectfully but is also something that shouldn't be ignored,” he wrote.

“A growing segment of the WWE Universe would like to see their sexuality represented on WWE programming and with two people like Sonya and Mandy, it seems logical they would ensure any ideas and angles brought forward were done in a tasteful way.”

Lots of fans are all for it, but some are not sure.

Deville: ‘New inspiration for my job'

Deville, real name Daria Berenato, recently spoke to Yahoo Sports about her decision to come out.

In 2015, WWE underwent a dramatic overhaul when it came to women’s wrestling. Sparked by a 30-second match on an episode of “Monday Night Raw,” the #GiveDivasAChance movement took over social media and with it the “Women’s Evolution” began.

In the months and years that followed, female stars have had their fair share of historic firsts: WrestleMania main events, Royal Rumbles, ladder matches, championships, etc.

While the “Women’s Evolution” has been heralded for its trailblazing moments, another groundbreaking moment somewhat unknowingly took place four years ago, when WWE executive vice president of talent, live events and creative, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, asked Berenato a question on “Tough Enough.”

“When that organic moment played out on television where Triple H asked if I was in a relationship, I literally didn’t know what to say, I wasn’t prepared for it,” Berenato told Yahoo Sports.

“At that point in my life sometimes when people would ask me if I had a boyfriend, I would just say ‘oh, no,’ but never say that I had a girlfriend.

“I wasn’t that comfortable with talking about it at that point. I couldn’t lie on national television and I couldn’t face my girlfriend and say ‘Oh, I lied about you and pretended like I didn’t have a significant other,’ so I was just honest.”

Berenato’s answer, “I have a girlfriend, but she’s not my wife yet,” marked the second time the then 21-year-old came out and served as the first step in her becoming the first openly gay female performer in WWE.

“What was interesting about coming out to my family and friends is that prior to ‘Tough Enough,’ it was never ‘I’m gay,’ it was more casual and subtle,” Berenato said.

“With my mum it was ‘Oh, mum, you know the girl who has been sitting in your house for the past year, she’s actually my girlfriend.’

“My mum was just like ‘Oh, ok, that’s fine.’ I never verbalised it, I never vocalised it in my life really until ‘Tough Enough.’”

Despite not winning her season of the WWE reality competition, Berenato signed later in 2015 with NXT, the company’s developmental brand, and now, four years after enduring a moment she describes as “super awkward and cringeworthy,” her Sonya Deville character is one of the rising stars on “SmackDown Live” and a powerful voice in the LGBTQI community.

“It obviously wasn’t planned, but I’m honoured and privileged to be given the opportunity to be that person and voice,” Berenato said.

“It has given me a whole new inspiration for my job and what I do here in WWE.

“Obviously wrestling and my in-ring work were my original focus and where my heart was at, but now I have this whole other passion and desire to do something else with this company and that is to change the world and change public perception on the LGBTQI community as a whole.”

With Anthony Sulla-Heffinger for Yahoo Sports