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What a way to end the decade, Monday Night RAW. Just when it seemed like the Lana and Lashley wedding was getting on our nerves, WWE pulled the biggest surprise in recent memory.
We'd been saying Liv Morgan's vignettes week after week but nobody expected her to come out during the Lashley and Lana wedding and reveal herself to be Lana's ex-girlfriend for sure. In fact, a lot of people had assumed that the vignettes would lead to her aligning herself with Bray Wyatt in due time.
In any case, here's why I believe Liv Morgan was booked to return in this manner. If you have a different or contrary perspective, feel free to chime in, in the comments section below.
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Here's my personal take on Liv Morgan's big return to WWE RAW.
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#5 It keeps the story going as a love quadrangle
As someone who writes about pro wrestling for a living, the question I'm asked the most is why WWE continues the Lashley, Rusev and Lana storyline even though a vast majority of the WWE fanbase doesn't like it. That is not the truth and if you see the numbers for the Lashley, Lana, and Rusev segments, you'll know what I am talking about. There is an audience for car crash TV and they love these segments.
One would have assumed that this storyline would have ended with this wedding, but now with the Liv Morgan aspect being added to the mix, I'm certain that WWE will continue this love quadrangle into the new decade as well. I wouldn't be surprised if it stretches all the way to WrestleMania 36.
Everyone expected Rusev to crash the wedding but nobody expected Liv Morgan to show up as she did!
#4 WWE has spoken about doing LGBT storylines in the past
Back in 2016, Stephanie McMahon was at a Beyond Sport event in New York, where she spoke about inclusivity and incorporating LGBT storylines into the WWE product. She had this to say:
Throughout my life I have grown up knowing gay [WWE] superstars and executives. It's always been accepted, but now it's about getting that message out there.
Another thing that she made clear was that WWE writers and creative staff have received sensitivity training with regard to how to handle LGBT storylines on WWE , from GLAAD. Stephanie McMahon said the following:
We've had GLAAD come in and speak to our entire writing team and give a whole tutorial on sensitivities, the right words, the wrong word [and] why those words matters. I think that with their guidance and support, we will be able to portray that [LGBT storyline] appropriately.
#3 Nobody predicted such a return for Morgan
Anyone who's on Twitter probably saw the speculation that surrounded Liv Morgan's big return. A lot of people felt that she would return as Bray Wyatt's accomplice, his assistant, if you will, in the Firefly Fun House.
And this became a thing owing to the fact that Liv Morgan posted videos of her hair being cut and dark and morose quotes on social media. Bray Wyatt even brought out a doll during his segment with The Miz that resembled Liv Morgan's look in the Riott Squad.
Nobody had predicted this particular return for Liv Morgan at all and so it was great to see Morgan in such a role. It was the ultimate swerve brought to you by the mind of Paul Heyman who was in charge of RAW this week.
The unexpected always gets people talking and that is precisely what happened this week.
#2 To hide her shortcomings in a wrestling ring
Liv Morgan has never exactly been Charlotte Flair in the ring and even if she were to come back in a different persona, nobody would mistake her for Asuka when the bell rings. WWE likes to tell stories with Superstars who are best suited for a particular role. And this is why someone who's a wizard in the ring like Andrade gets to wrestle, while Bobby Lashley is booked in a wedding segment.
In this particular role, Liv Morgan's in-ring segments could be minimal and she could tell stories in a very different manner through skits and in storylines. Morgan may just become a breakthrough superstar in the future, but I doubt it will be because she can wrestle as well as Sasha Banks or Bayley.
Morgan has the right look, and with the right storyline, she can be elevated to the top of the whole division.
#1 To end the decade with a massive cliffhanger
There are a lot of critics of this segment, even within Team Sportskeeda who are not necessarily fans of how it played out on TV. A lot of wrestling fans, quite rightfully, look at how far the women's division has come in recent years and they believe that such segments belong in the past.
But what one tends to forget is that WWE RAW is a TV show which needs to give viewers a reason to tune in week after week. The whole world is talking about Liv Morgan right now, and how many people were doing so as recently as last week?
Now fans are intrigued and they want the details on Morgan's relationship with Lana. Of course, a lot of fans are critical of the fact that Sonya Deville wasn't chosen for this role, as she's a strong LGBT advocate, but I didn't mind Liv Morgan being slotted into this role at all.
The decade ended with a huge cliffhanger.
