The way WWE has booked Smackdown Women's Champion Liv Morgan is a problem that can be solved. At SummerSlam, Morgan defeated Ronda Rousey in a controversial finish; Liv tapped to Rousey's armbar but the referee didn't see it and he counted Ronda's shoulders on the mat for the pin. Morgan retained the Smackdown Women's Championship, causing Rousey to attack her and the referee to turn heel post-match. Still, Liv's fluke victory may have done her title reign more harm than good.
The pin Rousey in WWE after Lynch and Charlotte Flair. Morgan's SummerSlam victory now makes her the only woman in WWE to pin Ronda Rousey twice. Yet the cloud over these accomplishments is that both wins are flukes.
As popular a champion as Liv Morgan is, she hasn't been booked to be on the same level as Ronda Rousey, who is a WWE main eventer. Liv cashed in MITB on a weakened Rousey who was exhausted from a grueling match against Natalya at Money in the Bank. At SummerSlam, their short title match was utterly dominated by Rousey, who destroyed Liv's left arm en route to making her tap out (which the ref didn't see). Morgan survived Ronda and retained the title with guile but the end result is that Ronda looked like the stronger and more deserving competitor who got screwed while Liv looked like she got lucky. This is a bad position for a babyface champion to be in, and Morgan deserves better. Liv's booking as the "eternal underdog" is a disservice to her. This remnant of the previous WWE Creative under the now-departed Vince McMahon makes Liv look weak. The new WWE Creative regime led by Triple H needs to do better by Liv Morgan and establish her as a strong and worthy Smackdown Women's Champion.
Rocky III Booking Can Fix Liv Morgan's Smackdown Women's Championship Reign
In 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 Smackdown Women's Champion. With Ronda Rousey currently suspended, Liv should be booked to defend the title against other Smackdown heels like Sonya Deville, Shotzi, Xia Li, and Natalya, who Morgan has beaten before. Morgan needs convincing wins as champion to raise her credibility until her inevitable rematch with Rousey. Liv needs to be established as a strong champion in these next crucial weeks so that it's believable she can stand toe-to-toe with "The Baddest Woman on the Planet."
Not giving Liv title defenses where she convincingly beats other top Smackdown challengers will cut her championship reign off at the knees. Morgan is already adored by the fans who have followed her on her journey but holding the Smackdown Women's Championship isn't enough, and the fans can see through WWE booking Liv as a weak champion who is getting by on luck. If Liv really is going to be the top babyface on Smackdown, she has to have some wins as champion where she looks dominant. That way, even if Liv drops the title back to Rousey, a more evenly-matched contest would still elevate Morgan in the fans' eyes and improve her stature in the long run. It's not clear how long Ronda Rousey will be suspended so these next few weeks are crucial for WWE to do right by Liv Morgan and strengthen her Smackdown Women's Championship reign.