WWE is failing to tell the real story of Rhea Ripley versus Liv Morgan

Liv Morgan versus Rhea Ripley is firmly positioned as the top feud in the WWE women’s division. They get prime placement and ample time to tell their story. A story that some fans aren’t the most pleased with as it revolves around the male gaze with the championship a secondary prop. This is unfortunate, because WWE has the opportunity to tell a story between Morgan and Ripley that could rival some of the biggest blood feuds in the men’s division regardless of promotion.

There’s so much to tell between Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley. Just like Morgan said herself, there was a moment when Ripley took everything from her, so it would make sense that Morgan would some sort of revenge. Where fans are frustrated is that “revenge” revolves around Dominick Mysterio, rather than Morgan simply wanting to dominate Ripley in every fashion. She should not only want to take the title from Ripley, but she should want to beat her in every fashion possible. But the only fashion that WWE seems intent on presenting is that Morgan is dead set on proving that she’s a better lover to Mysterio than Ripley was. That’s the problem with the male gaze in this angle.

Let’s compare this angle to that of “Hangman” Adam Page versus Swerve Strickland or Drew McIntyre versus CM Punk. In the eyes of many, either one of those angles will be the top feud of the year. At one point or another, a championship moment was involved in both angles, but the hatred of those involved broiled much deeper than that. That hatred that was delivered through promos and video segments made every moment more intense. In a fashion that hadn’t been seen in a while in wrestling. WWE could do the same with Rhea Ripley versus Liv Morgan but is failing to tap into that narrative. Instead, falling for tired tropes.

Think about it. Morgan and Ripley have years’ worth of history together. In 2022 she and Ripley began teaming together and would challenge for the women’s tag titles. After losing to Naomi and Mercedes Mone, that is where the animosity kicks off, with Ripley attacking Morgan. That led to a six-person tag match at Hell in a Cell where she, AJ Styles, and Finn Balor would lose to the first iteration of The Judgment Day.

Fast forward to the Royal Rumble in 2023. Ripley entered number one and Morgan number two. They would last the entire match with Morgan being tossed out by Ripley to win. Ripley would then cost Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez the tag team championship multiple times, eventually putting Morgan on the shelf as she recovered from a shoulder injury. That led to Morgan’s return at the 2024 Royal Rumble and since being the biggest thorn in Ripley’s side.

Instead of hearing about that history and the pain caused by it, fans are reminded multiple times a night that Morgan took Mysterio from Ripley, without much attention being paid to the years of history before that. This is why the male gaze in professional wrestling is problematic. It denigrates a women’s angle that has the potential to be a powerful battle on par with the biggest stories in the industry. Instead, they are fighting over a man with the championship being secondary to that.

The addition of Rodriguez to the mix should be an interesting wrinkle. Especially since she has years of history with both women. The potential to tell an interesting story is right in front of the people booking the show each week. Yet, there’s no hope that such a story will be told.

Rhea Ripley versus Liv Morgan should be remembered for being a big-time feud with emotions and violence on par with what is seen in the men’s division. Instead, it has been presented as an angle of two women battling over a man with the title an afterthought. This is why a loud contingent of fans aren’t pleased with not only this angle but the direction of the women’s division entirely.