Late last year, fans saw Liv Morgan make her return to action after a long hiatus.
The girl in the background has very quickly become a fan favourite and a superstar so many are rooting for.
Video packages aired prior to her return, promising the “real” Liv Morgan. But what has come to the fore, is one of the most relatable WWE superstars for a generation.
With a diverse women’s division, full of well-established, star names, it can be hard to stand out and win over the WWE Universe, but Liv has warmed the hearts of viewers, and become a real talent, and someone we all want to root for.
For many, it’s because of how much we can connect personally with her.
But, just what makes Morgan so relatable?
Still in her mid-twenties, Morgan is one of the youngest superstars on the RAW roster.
Her young age is a representation of the today’s audience. With WWE’s audience being more of a family-orientated one, we see many fans under the age of twenty-five watching the product. I am only 21, and relate to Liv.
For many, watching Liv is like looking in a mirror.
Fans can relate to young stars, such as Morgan who is just starting out on her journey, rather than the older stars we may love watching but can’t truly relate to.
During last week’s Monday Night RAW, following her victory over Ruby Riott, Morgan gave an in-ring promo that has seemingly connected with fans, the world over.
She stated that she is simply a “young girl trying to figure out who she is”.
I was watching and thinking just how much that is me right now.
In my early 20s, trying to figure things out and work out who I am – and that is the case for so many other fans. This isn’t a woman standing in the ring saying she is the very best right now, The Boss or The Man, the Baddest Woman On The Planet, or a Goddess – she is finding who she is and taking us fans on that journey with her.
We have seen Morgan change up her style several times – dye her hair, explore her sexuality, make changes – and that is exactly the case for so many of us. It is a real journey of a young adult and the reality for a strong number of the WWE universe.
Wrestling fans love an underdog.
From Daniel Bryan to Cesaro, Liv Morgan has fallen into that category. When we look back at her history in WWE, she has always been the underdog. The young newcomer in NXT looking to making an impact and stand out among a strong roster with women far more experienced, to her time in The Riott Squad, where she, again, was the least experienced out of the trio. Now, one of the main reasons’ fans love rooting for an underdog is because of how relatable that position is.
We can see how far she has come, her potential and how good she is, but there are women taking the spotlight, and Morgan, not being the typical top dog, adds to her being so relatable and a woman fans are pulling for.
We want to see underdogs do well because we love an underdog story, but also because we can connect with that kind of character and position.
Now, I love an over the top character or a clear gimmick. The Boss, the Queen, the Man – they all make for entertaining characters we enjoy watching. But can anything truly top the angle of a regular girl?
Well, that is exactly what Morgan is bringing to the table. When we look back at mini clips of her on episodes of Total Divas, we once again see just how relatable she really is. From throwing parties and knocking things down, falling over, making mistakes, having hyperactive moments that drive those around us crazy, we saw all that from Morgan.
When watching her, fans can honestly “crap, yeah I’ve done that”.
Her real experiences and actions allow audiences to watch and relate and for older fans to remember doing the exact same thing. We do not always need to see an over the top character, boastful champion, or supernatural gimmick to be entertained. With Morgan, things have been stripped back and she is booked as a regular girl and so far, it’s proving to be highly successfu.
We have seen Morgan go on such a journey already. She signed with the WWE very young and has learned so much, made mistakes and become a fan favourite.
She’s a woman we are genuinely rooting for and want to see the best for. Her likability and the fact she is so relatable is working in her favour and what we are seeing is the growth of a superstar over time, and when she does have those bigger moments, the fan reaction will be a sight to behold.
If you liked this article, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to follow all of our content that goes out daily.
You can find the author of this article on Twitter @TezangiVictoria. Thanks for reading!