When it comes to the WWE, it’s hard to find just about anything that’s off-limits. The organization has worked some pretty questionable storylines over the years, though the latest could be one of its worst in recent memory. The latest Monday Night Raw featured an exchange between Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan, whose feud has now implied Becky Lynch is responsible for the slew of firings of WWE Superstars over the past year. Now, the company is facing criticism from fans and even former Superstars who feel the storyline is insensitive at best.
Liv Morgan called out Becky Lynch as one of the top stars of Raw, and in the process, claimed her massive contract resulted in the firings of “her friends.” The moment served as a standout moment for the show to the point that it was highlighted on the WWE’s social media account.
"You're the reason why your friend is gone just like the reason why your big, fat greedy contract is the reason why MY friends are gone. How does it feel knowing you become everything you despised?" - @YaOnlyLivvOnce 🔥🎤#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/EUSYTZEuYMNovember 30, 2021
It’s surprising to see the WWE social media team highlight Liv Morgan’s comments, especially since the response from fans was less than enthusiastic. Fans were all over the tweet to post their thoughts on using fired wrestlers in a storyline, especially when it comes to Morgan blaming Becky Lynch for the dismissals.
- "Genuinely surprised y’all tweeted that line out." - @Wrestleops
- "WWE talking about this is kinda gross." - @ChrisIsCansada
- "This isn’t the flex y’all think it is. Using somebody else’s salary to justify the roster cuts?" - @Skip2MyJays
The WWE has released around 80 wrestlers in 2021 so far, and according to this latest storyline, it’s due to the inflated contracts of Superstars like Becky Lynch. Even knowing it’s a fictional narrative, the promo left a bad taste in the mouths of fans who suspect there’s more to the roster cuts than paying the top Superstars in the brand. And, even if these cuts happened to pay Becky Lynch, why would the WWE want to hang their star out to dry like that?
Fans aren’t the only ones upset about Monday Night Raw’s storyline, as Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com reported in a post-show review that he’s heard there are those within the industry upset about Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch’s segment and other times during the episode that fired Superstars were mentioned for the sake of storylines.
It happened several times during this show, and I had former WWE wrestlers, former WWE producers, and a current WWE wrestler, that were all telling me how bad a taste they thought that was.
The WWE isn’t afraid to toe the line when it comes to controversy, and gained the ire of fans several times throughout its history with storylines equally if not more disrespectful. It’s done stories on necrophilia, dead wrestlers who can’t approve storylines or speak for themselves, and even had Vince McMahon challenge God to a wrestling match. This latest incident is far from the worst thing the WWE has done, but that doesn’t make it any more acceptable to some.
Monday Night Raw airs over on USA every Monday at 8:00 p.m. ET. It’ll be interesting to see whether or not the company continues on with Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch’s angle given the response, or if it fades away quietly while the feud continues. Based on how things went with Charlotte Flair’s feud with Lynch, I think it’s possible this isn’t the last comment that fans will hear.
