The way WWE ordered Smackdown women’s champion Liv Morgan is a problem that can be solved. At SummerSlam, Morgan defeated Ronda Rousey with a controversial final; Liv touched Rousey’s armrest, but the referee did not notice it and counted Ronda on the mat for a pin. Morgan retained the Smackdown women’s championship, which caused Rosie to attack her, and the referee turned around after the match. However, Liv’s accidental victory may have done her more harm than good.
The incredibly popular Liv Morgan won the Money in the Bank rating match in early July and won the Smackdown women’s title from Ronda Rousey the same evening. It was a long-awaited achievement for Morgan, who had been a baby face outsider for two years, but crushing defeats by then-RAW women’s champion Becky Lynch meant that the championship eluded Liv. Since winning the title, Morgan has been in constant celebration, and she is thoroughly enjoying finally standing on top of a mountain in the WWE women’s division. Liv also relished the fact that defeating Ronda in Money in the Bank meant she became only the third woman to pin Rousey in WWE after Lynch and Charlotte Flair. Morgan’s win at SummerSlam now makes her the only woman in WWE to have held off Ronda Rousey twice. However, the fog over these achievements is that both victories are an accident.
No matter how popular a champion Liv Morgan is, she shouldn’t be on the same level as Ronda Rousey, who is the main WWE participant. Liv cashed out the MITB on a weakened Rosie, exhausted by a grueling match against Natalia in Money in the Bank. At SummerSlam, their short title match was completely dominated by Rosie, who destroyed Liv’s left arm on the way to incapacitating her (which the referee did not see). Morgan survived Rhonda and kept the title by trickery, but in the end Rhonda looked like a stronger and more worthy competitor who was screwed up, and Liv looked like she was lucky. This is a bad position for a baby face champion, and Morgan deserves more. Recognizing Liv as an “eternal outsider” does her a disservice. This remnant of the previous WWE creative under the leadership of the now departed Vince McMahon makes Liv look weak. The new creative mode of WWE, led by Triple H, should make Liv Morgan better and make her a strong and worthy Smackdown women’s champion.
Booking Rocky III Can Fix Liv Morgan’s Title in Smackdown Women’s Championship
In Rocky III, Mickey (Burgess Meredith) watched Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), who had 10 successful defenses of the world heavyweight title. Rocky was later crushed to learn that the applicants were hand-picked, but Mickey did it to protect Rocky and prolong his career. The same basic idea should be applied to Liv Morgan to enhance her status as the Smackdown women’s champion. Since Ronda Rousey is currently suspended, Liv has to defend the title against other Smackdown heels, such as Sonya Deville, Shotzi, Xia Li and Natalia, whom Morgan defeated earlier. Morgan needs convincing wins as a champion to raise her profile before her inevitable rematch with Rousey. Liv needs to prove herself as a strong champion in these next crucial weeks so that it is plausible that she can stand face to face with “The Worst Woman on the Planet.”
Liv’s lack of title defense, when she convincingly defeats the other main contenders on Smackdown, will end her championship on her knees. Morgan is already adored by fans who have followed her on her journey, but hosting the Smackdown Women’s Championship is not enough, and fans can see that WWE reserves Liv as a weak champion who was lucky. If Liv is really going to be the best baby face on Smackdown, she needs to win a few victories as a champion, where she looks dominant. Thus, even if Liv loses the title back to Rousey, a more equal fight will still raise Morgan in the eyes of fans and improve her status in the long run. It’s unclear how long Ronda Rousey will be sidelined, so the next few weeks are crucial for WWE to do the right thing with Liv Morgan and solidify their dominance in the Smackdown women’s championship.
