Sonya Deville’s Paul Heyman-backed SmackDown coup may be picking up steam

After a fairly uneventful Feb. 5 SmackDown that, for my money, entertained while failing to break much new ground, we got... a fairly uneventful Talking Smack.

Bianca Belair was charming, and Big E used his successful Intercontinental title defense set his sights on next year’s WrestleMania main event. But with everyone waiting for Royal Rumble winner Edge’s decision about this year’s WrestleMania, there wasn’t as much focus on co-host Paul Heyman manipulating events around his Tribal Chief, Universal champion Roman Reigns.

Or was there? Heyman and Kayla Braxton’s final guest was untitled kayfabe authority figure Adam Pearce. Pearce helped Kevin Owens outflank Reigns and get another title shot at Royal Rumble. He also recently hired Sonya Deville to be his assistant untitled kayfabe authority figure on Friday nights.

An alliance between Deville & Heyman has been hinted at - on today’s Talking Smack, Paul said...

Heyman let Pearce know this as part of his ongoing plan to screw over the five-time NWA World Heavyweight champion (shoutout to my gal Rev. Claire) for helping KO last month. But he also seems to be trying to set Pearce and Edge at odds with each other, and I guess ensure WWE champ Drew McIntyre hears the Ten Beats of the Bodhrán ringing in his ears come Feb. 21’s Elimination Chamber?

Here’s what the special counsel to the Head of the Table said to the untitled kayfabe authority figure:

“Here’s a bit of inside intel for you. If you’re not fired by next Tuesday or Wednesday, then Roman Reigns and I will have the distinct honor and pleasure of watching you get fired live, next Friday on SmackDown. Now you may think that’s hyperbole. You may think that’s a bluff. Let me lay it out for you. Edge, under your watch, is pulling everybody’s strings. The tail is wagging the dog. Edge manipulating this situation so that everyone has to wait for him to make his answer, to make his decision, is putting you on a direct path to the unemployment line.

“This Monday night, you will show up on Monday Night Raw, and you have no choice but to announce a main event for RAW for the Elimination Chamber PPV. You have no choice but to announce Drew McIntyre’s opponent as the Raw main event for the Elimination Chamber because if you don’t, Mr. Pearce, you have put yourself in a position where you’ll either be heading towards a major advertising campaign for the main event for Raw at the Elimination Chamber, or you sir, will be heading straight to the unemployment line.”

After Pearce gets the pink slip Heyman foresees for him, Daddy Deville would step in and oversee things on Friday nights... a prospect that has Paul positively giddy. Which would make you think he already knows her rulings will be favorable for Mr. Reigns.

Nothing quite like palace intrigue, is there?

Check out the latest Talking Smack on WWE Network here.