Since the Women’s Royal Rumble was introduced in WWE in 2018, Liv Morgan has been a consistent presence in every match. As the eighth iteration approaches this Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Morgan is determined to finally claim the elusive victory that has escaped her so far, leveraging her strong history in the region and solid alliances within WWE’s women’s division.
Alongside Natalya, Morgan is one of only two wrestlers to compete in all seven Women’s Royal Rumble matches. Speaking to Bleacher Report, she reflected on her journey:
“I’ve never won it, but you know this is my match, right? I’ve been in every single Rumble since its creation,”
Liv Morgan shared.
Building Momentum for a Breakthrough Victory
Morgan’s persistence at the Royal Rumble has been remarkable, despite never capturing the win. She has reached runner-up status several times, shown impressive endurance as “Ironwoman,” and experienced nearly every role in the match. Commenting on her chances this year, Morgan said:
“It’s interesting, because I’ve been in every single one and I’ve never won it. I’ve been runner-up a couple times, I’ve been Ironwoman, I’ve started and finished. But with this match, it’s so unpredictable that it’s hard to talk about my chances,”
adding,
“But what I do know, is that I have the numbers on my side with Raquel [Rodriguez] and Roxanne [Perez]. So, I feel like if there was ever a year that Liv Morgan was gonna win the Royal Rumble, it’s probably this year. And also, you know, I have an amazing track record when we visit Saudi Arabia. I won my Women’s World Championship there. I became the first-ever Women’s Crown Jewel Champion there. I feel like I might finally win the Royal Rumble match there. We’ll see.”
Her optimism is grounded not only in strategy but in her previous triumphs on Saudi soil, where she achieved landmark victories that have defined her career.
A Challenging Recovery from Devastating Injury
Morgan’s impressive resume includes a Money in the Bank win, two Women’s World Championship reigns, and four Women’s Tag Team Championship titles. However, her recent tag team title reign ended abruptly in June when she suffered a serious right shoulder injury—dislocating it alongside tears to her labrum, rotator cuff, and bicep.
The recovery process tested Morgan’s resolve, especially since it mirrored an earlier injury to her left shoulder in 2023. Reflecting on that difficult period, she explained:
“This was my second shoulder injury, I injured my left shoulder with the same injury two years ago, my rotator cuff, my labrum, my bicep. So this time around, I was more prepared because I knew what was ahead. But I just attacked recovery as best I can, I started rehabbing the day after surgery. I was rehabbing five, six days a week. But it was painful, it was painful, and it was rough at times, but I got through it, and now I have two jacked, healthy shoulders. So, it’s all good.”
Return to Competition and the Road Ahead
After a five-month absence, Morgan made a dramatic return at the Survivor Series event in September by assisting Dominik Mysterio in regaining the WWE Intercontinental Championship. She followed this with a victorious in-ring comeback against Lyra Valkyria on the special anniversary edition of Raw. About her return, Morgan said:
“I thought that it would take me a little bit of time to adjust, because just going from the road, and the crowd, and the adrenaline, and the lights, the camera, the action, to solitude for five months, then back into lights, camera, action, I feel like that can be a bit of an adjustment. But honestly, the first day back, I was like, ‘I’m hooooome!’ It felt like I had never left, so luckily, that transition has been pretty smooth for me thus far. … I had missed it so much.”
The monotony of her injury downtime was stark for Morgan, who surprisingly did not immerse herself in video games as usual, spending much of her recovery embracing quiet and rest. She admitted:
“Honestly, I didn’t play video games once while I was sidelined, there was no new 2K. I didn’t play video games once,”
continuing,
“I did a lot of nothing, if I’m being quite honest. Like, literally, if you can imagine nothing, that’s what I did.”
Excitement Around the Upcoming WWE 2K26 Video Game
With her return underway, Morgan is also looking forward to the release of WWE 2K26, the latest iteration of the popular wrestling video game franchise. The game will launch with multiple editions, including the Monday Night War Edition, Attitude Era Edition, King of Kings Edition featuring Triple H, and the Standard Edition with WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk as the cover athlete.
Morgan remarked on her in-game progression and the game’s ongoing improvements:
“First off, my rating. I think I started as a 64, and now I’m one of the highest rated girlies!”
She added,
“Every year the game truly upgrades, and I feel like 2K tries to give the fans a really fun, immersive gameplay experience, taking feedback from previous years, and this year’s no different. We just have a really fun, exciting game with some new features, and really excited for everyone to play and enjoy.”
This installment boasts the franchise’s largest roster ever, more than 400 playable characters, and introduces four new match types: I Quit, Inferno, Dumpster, and 3 Stages of Hell. The 2K Showcase will focus on CM Punk’s career, allowing players to explore iconic matches and alternate timelines.
Morgan shared her hopes for a personal dream match in the game:
“I’m hoping this year, I don’t know the roster reveal, I don’t know who’s all included, but my real-life dream match is myself and Daddy Dom vs. AJ Lee and CM Punk, so I’m hoping that maybe this year I get to live vicariously through 2K,”
Personal Gaming Tales from Behind the Scenes
Though a known gaming enthusiast, Morgan credits Dominik Mysterio as the best gamer in WWE, recalling a rare win she secured over him in a 2K game session:
“Dominik’s better than me, but there was this one time where I beat him. We were playing 2K in the clubhouse, and I beat him, and I thought he let me win but he didn’t,”
explaining,
“I think Dominik is probably better overall, but I was a sleeper that one time we played.”
Like many fans, she eagerly anticipates the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI. Though she acknowledges advances in gaming technology, she maintains a special fondness for classic wrestling games, stating:
“I grew up loving No Mercy, I cannot tell a lie,”
and emphasized,
“I love No Mercy, that is my GOAT wrestling video game ever, ever, ever, but 2K has really stepped it up.”
Future Goals and Perspective on WWE’s Women’s Division
Looking ahead to 2026, Morgan plans to challenge for the Women’s Tag Team Championships alongside Roxanne Perez while Raquel Rodriguez pursues a solo path. Reflecting on the division’s evolution since her injury, she noted how new champions Stephanie Vaquer and Jade Cargill have risen, alongside emerging stars like Jordynne Grace and Sol Ruca making waves.
She praised the ongoing growth of WWE’s women’s wrestling:
“I’ve always thought that our women’s division is top-tier, and we have so many coming up in NXT that are gonna be the trailblazers of the next generation. I truly think so highly of all of our women athletes,”
but asserted with characteristic confidence,
“But the thing is, is that, no matter how good you are, no matter how great you think you are… You’re no Liv Morgan, sweetie.”
When asked about her ambitions for the coming year, Morgan’s response was simple and resolute: “Whatever my little heart desires,” she said.
