Liv Morgan and Ronda Rousey were involved in a feud that lasted most of the summer, and now it sounds like the two WWE standouts aren't as close as they once were. The rivalry was marred by rocky booking choices that forced the company to keep Morgan away from live crowds for a few weeks. Morgan's cash-in at the Money In The Bank premium live event was a wonderful moment, but the program slowly slid downhill from that emotional high point. The finish to their match at SummerSlam resulted in Liv, who was supposed to be the face, getting booed. After that, the two missed the mark at Extreme Rules despite both women trying to make the match work with their limited time. To hear Morgan tell it, their relationship suffered because of this hard-hitting feud.

Appearing on the Twin Talk podcast with Haley & Hanna Cavinder, Liv Morgan shared that following about her deteriorated friendship with Ronda Rousey: "I'm the only person in the whole entire world to beat her twice," Liv pointed out during her appearance. "Since our title feud, we've steered pretty far away from each other. But beforehand, I think I was one of her first friends here in WWE. That's why when I won the title, she respected what I did, and she was actually happy for me. But yeah, now, no, I don't like her anymore." The show is worth a listen, as Morgan also discussed who discovered her and her goals for WrestleMania 39. (h/t and thanks to Tyler Conway of BleacherReport.com for the transcription)

Ronda Rousey Vs. Liv Morgan Was Great For Both Characters


Ronda Rousey Vs. Liv Morgan isn't going to make many feuds of the year lists, but it was still crucial in developing both women's on-screen persona. For Rousey, her half-baked heel turn at SummerSlam led to the full-blown badass arm-taker persona she's been portraying on SmackDown for the last several weeks. Her teaming with Shayna Baszler to torment the younger, less experienced members of the blue brand's roster was a natural and needed progression. WWE fans had seen the smiling, happy-to-be-here face version of Rousey far too often since her main roster debut. The necessary heel turn came against Morgan, and it's the most natural and fluid the Baddest Woman On The Planet has been during interviews and backstage segments.

The newfound edge for Rousey will also go a long way toward building up future stars such as Shotzi and Raquel Rodriguez. Ronda has been allowed to tap into her UFC background lately, making both Shotzi and Rodriguez lovable underdogs pushing back against the schoolyard's biggest bullies. Ronda Rousey will likely hold the SmackDown Women's Championship until WrestleMania 39. If someone like Rodriguez beats her for it that night, it'll be a star-making moment made possible by Rousey's heel turn against Morgan.

Since her feud with Rousey, Liv Morgan has also tapped into a more hardcore edge. She's been channeling the Attitude Era's Lita, taking gnarly bumps and performing dangerous table spots. They haven't all gone off without a hitch, but it's not for lack of trying. Morgan is only 28 and still developing inside and outside the ring. Her fiery and emotion-driven persona resonates with a large group of WWE fans, but the new edge is a fresh way for her to express those feelings during matches. Friends or not, Liv Morgan and Ronda Rousey were good for each other in 2022.