Last year, there were rumors of Bayley being involved in a lesbian storyline with Sasha Banks. These kinds of storylines can be extremely hard to pull off well. Just look at the company’s history with running gay gimmicks in general. Now imagine a storyline where someone is supposed to be attracted to and obsessed with another superstar. Well, you don’t have to imagine. If we go into WWE’s vault, you’ll find plenty—even a lesbian angle before Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville.
WWE Lesbian Storyline Attempt #1: Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James
Yes, attempt number one came via the Trish-Mickie feud from 2005. It kicked off with Mickie helping Trish in a match and being presented as a fan of Trish. Usually, fans are stopped from getting involved in bouts but we’ve never said WWE was the most consistent with even the rules its own universe. As the storyline advanced, she went from fan to fanatic to obsessed stalker.
WWE wasn’t particularly subtle with running this storyline. Something like this requires a strong build but this was shotgunned to be fresh and ready for WrestleMania 22. Leading up to it, Mickie was made into a kind of soft heel. While Trish was the babyface who was uncomfortable with Mickie’s changing personality and actions, her superfan got in a Christmas kiss, gave our hero unwanted compliments, and even confessed her love at Royal Rumble 2006.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkLtgeBctBc
This didn’t exactly go over as you’d expect from something you’re expecting a face-heel reaction from the crowd. The fans were into this in a Red Shoe Diaries sense. When Mickie crossed the line during their WrestleMania match, the fans in attendance were here for it.
The story fizzled out after WrestleMania with Mickie coming out on top. After Trish retired, Mickie James turns and is no longer a lesbian stalker. Now, I don’t condone heel Mickie’s actions but it’s odd that she just…stopped when WWE had Melina and Beth Phoenix there.
Attempt #2 With Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville
Fast-forward to 2019 and we have the Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler storyline. In short, Otis is keen on Mandy Rose who is teaming with Sonya Deville who ends up conspiring with Ziggles around Valentine’s Day to ruin the burgeoning romance between the two. So, part one ends as a love triangle. I mean Sonya tried to use Dolph to ward off Otis because of the reveal: she’s keen on Mandy.
That’s right, she was infatuated with Mandy, had the blonde bumping bandit try to hook up with Mandy. Ziggles is game is all “Hey Mandy, you need some vitamin D—for Dolph!” Sonya orchestrated this because she wants Mandy to herself…after Dolph.
Currently, we’re in part two of this centered on Mandy and Sonya. Perhaps someone in the writers’ room really wanted to attempt this storyline again, saw Mandy, and figured “She kind of resembles Trish. Oh, she’s also a fitness model like Trish, awesome!”
What works about this lesbian angle this time is that it grew out of another storyline. Also, there’s also a lesbian involved in the storyline so writers can get some input instead of just shotgunning the most salacious and suggestive angles. Sonya Deville wasn’t paired with a flamboyant, comical, or sneaky gimmick nor is her identity her gimmick.
All the blocks around this story are solid. Was Sonya’s plan to get Mandy the best? Of course not but having this storyline grow out of a previous one makes this an easier storyline to get behind.
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