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Liv Morgan’s time as WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion has now been and gone, with fans able to now look at her reign as a whole to judge the quality of it. She held the title for 98 days, and in that time she defended the title successfully on three separate occasions. Now that her reign has come to an end, with her dropping the belt to Ronda Rousey at the Extreme Rules 2022 PPV, it is safe to say that whilst she did her best, her reign at the top of the SmackDown’s Women’s division was ultimately an overall failure.
Creative Issues Started When Liv Morgan Won Via A Money In The Bank Cash-In
Liv Morgan’s rise to the top has been gradual but natural, with her getting fans on her side even in defeat, which showcased her ability as a babyface. However, like with a few babyfaces in recent years, a recent example being Big E, WWE has seemingly forgotten how to book an underdog babyface ascent to championship glory. Instead, WWE had Morgan win the Money in the Bank briefcase, cashing it in on a tired Ronda Rousey to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
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Whilst it was very nice to see her with the gold, it felt like a cheap and underhanded way for a babyface competitor to win the big one. It wasn’t as rewarding as a long-term journey to the title would have been, and with it being presented as a fluke, with her rolling up Rousey, it instantly posed a threat to her credibility as champion. It was truly a baffling decision from creative, even if in the short-term, fans were happy about her winning the belt. However, with recent examples like Nikki ASH and Big E, this is simply a short-term positive.
Ronda Rousey Gained More Fans While Liv Morgan Looked Like A Fluke Champion
When Liv Morgan won the belt, she initially had a big fanbase. However, over time, a mistake was made in the booking her rival, Ronda Rousey. Since Rousey’s return at the start of 2022, she had fallen into the role of pandering and unenthused babyface, and it simply wasn’t working. Ahead of SummerSlam 2022, the pair were both babyfaces in a feud which didn’t have too much heat. The finish of the match saw Morgan tap out to Rousey, but the referee didn’t see it and counted to three, as Morgan simultaneously had Rousey down for another roll up.
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This made Morgan look very weak, once again finding a backstreet to beating Rousey. After the bell, Rousey attacked Morgan and several officials, turning heel. Initially, it seemed like this would write Rousey off for a while through a suspension, but she remained a regular on TV, causing havoc, making deals to get herself off her suspension, and improving her overall character in the process. Despite being heel, Rousey was getting big reactions as her personality was what it always should have been; dangerous, badass, and arrogant. Fans were now treating Rousey with arguably more support than they were with Morgan.
WWE Ended Liv Morgan’s Title Reign With A Whimper
In the meantime, Morgan defended her title against Natalya and Shayna Baszler in fine yet uninspiring matches, but that was it. She then returned to her feud with Rousey, but she was presented as fearful of her opponent, once more making her look weak. Their bad blood continued in a rivalry with little substance, with the main focus being the build to their Extreme Rules match. Instead of standing up valiantly to Rousey, Morgan hid behind weapons - notably a baseball bat, which made her very hard to root for.
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At the Extreme Rules PPV, their entire match was built around the use of this baseball bat, and whilst there were some moments where the action was fine, it had a mostly messy execution and not great psychology throughout, making it the worst match on the card, per cagematch.net. Rousey would win the match, gaining the SmackDown Women's Title and putting an end to what had been a lackluster reign without many, if any, memorable moments aside from just the cash-in itself.
Unfortunately for WWE, they went about Morgan’s reign all wrong. Whilst it was a big ask to have her beat Rousey clean, it would have been better beating her via a roll-up in a straight up match instead of a cash-in, and without her submitting at the same time. It would have added at least a little legitimacy to her, and it wouldn't have done damage to Rousey as she’s already recovered from her two losses to Morgan. Morgan should have also defended her title a lot more, perhaps against names like Lacey Evans or Shotzi Blackheart, just to make her feel more like a fighting champion. Instead, she barely defended it on TV, and has finished off with a title run that could end up being her only time with a belt in WWE, which would be a shame.
