Liv Morgan has never felt this free in WWE: Building my superstardom

All Liv Morgan could do was sit and stew while at home healing up from the first serious injury of her career.The New Jersey native missed six months last year with a dislocated shoulder and also required labrum, rotator cuff and biceps surgery for an injury attributed on WWE television to an attack by Rhea Ripley.While out of action, she watched Ripley — her former tag team partner — ascend to a new level of superstardom in WWE.“Here I am at home and I absolutely hate it,” Morgan said.It sparked the idea of a Liv Morgan revenge tour upon her return as the 30th entry in this year’s women’s Royal RumbleEight months later, she is one win away from truly completing it in storyline. Morgan, 30, will defend her WWE Women’s World championship against Ripley at Bad Blood in Atlanta on Oct.5 (6 p.m., Peacock) with on‐screen love interest Dominik Mysterio locked in a shark cage above the ring.

Morgan won their last meeting at SummerSlam with help from Mysterio.It will be WWE’s first shark cage match in seven years.“It’s interesting to be on the other side of [Ripley’s stardom] and be building my superstardom in my own right,” Morgan said.Morgan, who saw her injury as “paying her dues” in an industry that few leave unscathed, knew she had to “level up” mentally upon her return.

She used the time off to really evaluate herself for the first time since joining WWE almost 10 years ago.Her return has brought the best run of her career, including beating Becky Lynch at King and Queen of the Ring in May for her second world championship and they successfully defending it against her in a steel cage.The love-triangle story with Mysterio, Ripley and The Judgement Day has allowed her to find the on-screen persona she’s been most comfortable with in WWE. Morgan has been able to go out there and no longer care what the audience thinks about her, calling it “so liberating.”“When I was sweet little Liv, you have to be particular about the thin...