Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Liv Morgan On Stephanie Vaquer, Injury, Royal Rumble Win, Dirty Dom, Her 8th WrestleMania

Starting point is 00:00:00 Ladies and gentlemen, Chris Van Flees! Great to see you. Great to see you again. The stadium's right there out the window. It's like, it's happening. I know. It feels crazy to, like, have a moment to just, like, view it before we're here for Mania Week.

Starting point is 00:00:35 Yeah. Wild. Crazy. Is that a WrestleMania 10 shirt? It is. No, it's 15. Honestly. I didn't see that it's, it's XV.

Starting point is 00:00:47 Yeah, I was at headquarters this week and I got a couple of gifts. That's great. This is one of them. Rock Austin. Yeah. Oh, man. I love this. This is your eighth WrestleMania.

Starting point is 00:00:59 How's that feel? Iconic. Iconic. We're just going and we're just getting better matches every single year. Yeah. Do you feel the pressure going into this one? Um, not right now. not right now and not in like a bad way i just um i don't know i feel like since i've come back from

Starting point is 00:01:20 my injury i'm very much just like trying to just stay in the moment and be present obviously russamania is heavy on my mind but i'm not feeling like any anxiety or pressure yet i'm just kind of taking everything day by day and just preparing as best as i can so no i don't feel pressure right now in this moment. When does it usually hit? Is it day of? Probably day of. If we found you right before your match, what would you be doing? Throwing up in a garbage can. For real? Yeah. Yeah. Every match? Not every single match, but, you know, maybe like four out of seven times I probably will be dry heaving or spinning or puking. And that's just like anxiety?

Starting point is 00:02:13 Is it? I think, yeah, I think I have like performance, anxiety, nerves, but I know it's coming from like a place of, you know, love and care and wanting to do a great job. It's not like detrimental to me. I think I just care a lot. What happened with this injury? And did you immediately know something wrong? Yeah. Yeah, I just took a weird fall, tried to brace myself, which is stupid.

Starting point is 00:02:40 And as soon as it happened, I knew just because, like, you can't feel anything. Well, first of all, it's, like, such an intense pain. And then it just goes away. And then you can't feel anything because your shoulder is just not connected. So, yeah, I knew I rolled out the ring. I tried to, like, pop it back in. Medical came and tried to pop it back in. And it was kind of just like, I can't continue.

Starting point is 00:03:06 I can't do anything else. And so I had to throw in the towel. which I hated. And I think I tried to be really optimistic, like, until my MRI news, like, I was like, I think I'm okay. But I had done the same thing, like, two years prior. So, like, I knew it wasn't okay, but I didn't really want to speak it into existence. Because there's the video of you on the table that you posted, your shoulder getting relocated,

Starting point is 00:03:31 which is crazy because you can see it pop back into place. And then you stand up and you're like, maybe that's it. Like, maybe I'm good to go. Yeah, I wasn't good to go. I think that was just, you know, wishful thinking. I did not want to have time off, especially in that moment and time. I had a lot of amazing opportunities in front of me at work. It's having a lot of fun with the judgment day and, like, you leave and you don't know, like, what you're going to come back to necessarily. And so, yeah, I was very fearful and just, like, overall sad, just very, very, very, very, very sad. But we're on the other end of it now.

Starting point is 00:04:10 You know, and now we're going to WrestleMania. And what a return at Survivor Series. Thanks. And like to be part of that match, too, Dirty Dom and John Cena. And then you turn on John Cena. It's like, you basically pulled the- Well, did I turn on John Cena? Well, you pulled the Uno Reverse card, right?

Starting point is 00:04:28 Yeah. It's the Uno Reverse card. Like, it's the exact same thing that he did to Cody Roads earlier in the year. Yeah. The look on your face just sold that moment so perfectly. I don't even know how I did that. my eyes. I was like, who, dilated. I must have tapped into something right there. I don't know. But yeah, it was so iconic. And I couldn't have, like, written a better return. And I mean that,

Starting point is 00:04:49 like, so wholeheartedly, I couldn't. First of all, I would not even have come up with that myself. That was so much more grand and special to me than anything I could have thought of myself. And so I was just so happy and honored. You, like, hunted John Cena. I did. I did. And I did. And I was just so happy. And I was just so happy. And I was just. You, I've never even done that before. I really didn't even know, like, you know, the mechanics of any of it. So I just was like, I'm just going to go for it. Walk me through winning the Royal Rumble.

Starting point is 00:05:19 Yeah. And what that moment meant eliminating Tiffany Stratton and winning it. Yeah, you know, I've been in every single Royal Rumble since we started doing these in 2018. What a stat. Yeah, I think myself in Italia are the only women that can say that at this point. And, you know, I've had like every position in that match. I've come out first. I've come out last. I've had the fastest elimination time. I've had the time for the shortest elimination. And to like finally be the bride and not the bridesmaid this year. And not only that, but to like solidify myself a WrestleMania spot where I was able to pick a champion of my choosing. None of that is like lost on me. You know, even like 11 years in, like none of that is lost on.

Starting point is 00:06:08 me. And so, I don't know, I kind of felt like how I felt when I won the money in the bank match, just kind of like overwhelming awe and gratitude. And it just being so surreal that all I can do was just like, look out into the audience just because I wanted to like really remember that feeling and tried to, like I said, just be really present in the moment. And so it was a dream. come true. When you were walking back up the ramp, it looked like you got emotional. I did. I did.

Starting point is 00:06:45 What did that moment mean to you? You just, nothing's promised in this business, you know? And so those moments where you're quite literally, like, not only living your dream, but you're like accomplishing and succeeding at such a high level, it just makes me emotional because I'm just like so proud and just like I have pinch me moments every single day where I'm just like I cannot believe this is my fucking life you know and to win the Royal Rumble with a roster so stacked of incredible talented women and for it to be me and to go on to WrestleMania it was just it was just amazing incredible I was just really proud I was just really proud and happy and And I just felt like vindicated. I feel like you are on a whole new level over the last two or three years, right? Yeah.

Starting point is 00:07:46 Do you recognize it too? For sure. Yeah. I've been saying like ever since the Limorgan Revenge store, I feel like I've just like been able to tap into something else. And I think I just really needed like something to sink my teeth into. And that was like that for me. And then I feel like I just understood everything better after that. The United States Soccer Federation

Starting point is 00:08:10 Present the U.S. Soccer Podcast. My name is David Goss, and I'm joined by my co-host, Megan Clemenberg. And now we're giving people an inside look at the World Cup. Time's ticking. I think you can feel the intensity. All the guys are wanting to really stake their claim, and they want to be on that World Cup roster. There's no doubt about it.

Starting point is 00:08:27 Hosting the World Cup on the home soil comes with its pressures, but we're just really excited just as the people are. The U.S. Soccer Podcast, presented by Henco. Follow and listen on your favorite. You and Dom being paired together, like leveled both of you up. Yeah. Like it made both of you go like just immediately shoot up like right into the main event. Thanks.

Starting point is 00:08:49 But it's amazing. What is it about that chemistry that works so well? Um, I think like ultimately we just understand the assignment. And I feel like the fans love to hate us or they hate to love us. And it's such like an intriguing, complex, messy, wholesome love story that we haven't seen for a while. And I feel like the audience really loves that. And I think, honestly, I just think we're just iconic. I know I say that word a lot, but we're just iconic together.

Starting point is 00:09:28 I think we are the greatest couple in history of W.B. And I don't mean that. Like, I'm not just saying that. I mean that wholeheartedly. You know, we're better than Becky and Seth. We're better than AJ and Ziam Punk. We're better than macho men and Miss Elizabeth. Whoa.

Starting point is 00:09:42 Like, I stand on that. Okay. I stand on that. That's bold. I stand on that. I stand on that. And I feel like we've resurged couples in WWE. Like what couples were couples before Dominic and I, you know?

Starting point is 00:09:59 Now you have tons. Now you have tons of people coupling up trying to do what we do, but they just can't. When the relationship with you and Dominic became official at SummerSlam, like he was already a bad guy. He was already getting booed. That moment, though, like, I don't know how a heel turns heel again, but that's exactly what we got, right? Yeah.

Starting point is 00:10:21 Like, did you feel the reaction there? Yes, I did, but also just watching it back, like, hit a different level just because I was, like, so in it, you know what I mean? Like, obviously I can hear. But also, it was open to. So the noise kind of like leaves as well. So you kind of don't realize how much of a ruckus it is until you kind of get to watch it back. So when I watch it back, I was just like, holy shit. Holy shit. It was so cool. It was so funny. And it's like, I even saw like, you know, Stephanie McMahon's kids like just like shocked. Just like what the hell? It's just, it was just super, super funny. Just seeing everyone's reactions and their shock or their enjoyment or their hatred for it. You also, like, injected new life into the judgment day. Thanks.

Starting point is 00:11:09 It's true. Like, you going in there and then you and Raquel becoming a team and winning the tag team championships over and over again. The most iconic history making, record breaking. You said it. Yeah. I'm not, it's in the stats. It's in the stats.

Starting point is 00:11:22 No one else is four-time WWE women's tag team champions. What an interesting dynamic you guys had, like where she's like using you as a weapon. Yeah. How did that come about? I feel like I've always Massacus is not the right word But like I've always been down to like If it's going to hurt you

Starting point is 00:11:41 I'm okay with hurting me You know and I have this Strong powerful Six foot woman that is You can just throw me across the ring You know and so I think we just were like That's this kind of fun and like no one It's different and so we kind of just

Starting point is 00:11:57 Took that and like ran with it Like you can use me as a battery ram or like a cannonball or whatever it is that we want to do to hurt our opponents. I feel like fans are so used to seeing you in this role now. But if we go back to your NXT debut, Tyler Breeze is making his entrance and you're a crazed fan who jumps out and jumps on him. Yeah, I guess I've always been a little bit crazy, huh? What was even, what was your gimmick even at that time?

Starting point is 00:12:26 I don't think I had one. I think that was my very first feature on WBTV. And I think they just wanted to have someone obsessed over Tyler Breeze. And so they chose me. And I was like, okay, you know, it was just very, we're going to give you a little spotlight on this takeover. I just started. I probably was there for like two months maybe. And so I was like, like, surprise.

Starting point is 00:12:51 I was like, okay, yeah, I totally will do it. I just got like a phone call while I was at home, like come to a rehearsal. And I was like, why? And they're like, we have something for you. And I was just like, okay. and it was just that. And then I think I was also in his entrance, like a couple months later. How long after that did you actually have a match?

Starting point is 00:13:09 Like a while after, right? Like my televised match or just like my first match. How about both? You know, actually, I don't even remember my first non-televised match. I think my first match was on TV, actually. And I think that was like in June or July against Eva Marie. And I was local competitor. I already even have a name yet because I was still going through like clearance process of a name.

Starting point is 00:13:38 Because I wanted to be named Marley after like my dog. But I think we couldn't get clearance because of Bob Marley estate. And so I had to be local competitor because we didn't have any other options. Your real name's a pretty great wrestling name. I know. I tried. I tried to. Can you like pronounce it correctly for everybody so they know?

Starting point is 00:13:56 Gianna Dadio. What a name. What a name. Thanks. You know what I just saw. That's a world chance. I just saw that like one of the NXT girlies. I'm assuming it's a girly.

Starting point is 00:14:05 Like they're like trademarking the name Gianna. And I was like, who the fuck got my name? Who got my name? And so I'm interested to see. They spell it GIA NNA, which is like how everyone else in the world spells it. I spell it GIO. Well, my mom spelled a GIO. But yeah, I'm intrigued to see who is Giana.

Starting point is 00:14:22 That's not me. So how did you become Liv Morgan? I walked into work one day and they were like, okay, you're either Live Morgan or Live Gallo pick. and I was like, oh. And I had known we had Luke Gallows, you know, at some point in time there. He wasn't employed in that moment in time when I was there, I don't think, but I had known of him and his history. So I was like, I'll be Liv Morgan.

Starting point is 00:14:46 And that was really it. And I never really liked Morgan. Now I like it. But I remember, like, first time signing an autograph, I was like, I'm just going to sign live. And that's all I've done. I just stayed with me. My whole career was only because I didn't like Morgan.

Starting point is 00:14:58 Well, I like those first name, last names. though. Yeah, I didn't want that. I wanted like a name that was obviously not a real human name. Like, I wanted to be illy-milly. For real? For real. Like, that was like my, that was like my number one. I wanted to be illy-milly. Really, really bad. Or like, I remember I pitched a name Pennywop because I loved Fettie Wop. And they just were like, no, bitch. All my names pretty much kept getting denied. Like, I sent in like two and a half list names and they just were like, no, no. no, no, no. And so I finally walked in and they were like, these are your two options. Pick one. I was just like, okay. But I love it now. And like, Liv is very punny. You know, there's like lots of room to play with the name Liv. I love the very romantic Valentine's Day that you and Dominic

Starting point is 00:15:47 had this year. Thanks. We had like a week celebration, huh? The chicken tendies at ringside. It was a beautiful thing. Although they looked like chicken nuggets, didn't they? They were nuggies. They were nuggies. And the ranch wasn't ranch. It was Caesar. So the waiter messed up, huge. But still, great company. Still, it's really the thought that counts. It's really the thought that counts. We had a nice bottle of Dom. You know, we had Dominic there, some flowers.

Starting point is 00:16:10 It was very nice. It was romantic. It was romantic as people think. For sure. He's probably more romantic than people think. He probably doesn't get enough credit for his romance. I could understand that. I could maybe.

Starting point is 00:16:21 I could maybe see that. He's very thoughtful. I love the Seamus workout you did, the Celtic Warrior workout. Oh, yeah? And I appreciate that. But Seamus said it was one of his favorites. Did he because of our viewership? Because of the viewership.

Starting point is 00:16:35 It was called butt stuff. Yeah. A lot of butt stuff. Did not know what to call the workout. It's just it's all going to be glutes. He was number one talking about how difficult it was. And then I think number two talking about the fan base. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:16:49 It tuned in specifically for this workout. What was the game plan for this workout? Nothing really. I just wanted to do a workout that I feel like, wasn't on its channel. Like, there was not a glute exclusive workout. And I think that was my glute day anyway. So I just was like, we're going to just do a bunch of butt stuff. But he was, he was down for it. It's a great workout. Yeah. It was a good one. Yeah. He was sweating. Yeah. Do you have a favorite moment from the last 11 years, one that you come back to, one that maybe

Starting point is 00:17:30 replays in your head? No. And not in like a bad way, but no, I don't, I don't think that there's like a moment that stands out to me multiple times. I just feel like my career as a whole, like, I think, I think of so many moments, I guess. I think of so many moments in my career as a whole. I just feel like, I don't know. I'm just so grateful, really.

Starting point is 00:18:04 I'm just so fucking grateful. And I don't know how else to put it. I just feel blessed. I feel lucky. I feel like I'm living, like, the life of my dreams. Have you always lived in gratitude like that? Yes, but, like, especially more so now coming out of my injury. It just is, like, very, like, apparent to me just, like, I am just so lucky.

Starting point is 00:18:27 I'm just so lucky. And it almost makes me, like, emotional just because I'm just grateful and I'm just happy. And I feel like, I don't know what I did to, like, earn this, you know? but I will take it nonetheless. Was there a moment in your injury where you were worried you wouldn't come back or worried you wouldn't come back into a storyline? No, I always knew I was going to come back. I just didn't want the time off.

Starting point is 00:18:53 I didn't want the time off, especially when I had it. Like I had to miss Evolution. I had to miss SummerSlam in my hometown. I knew I was going to be out for at least six months. And like I said, I didn't know what I was going to come back to. So it was just all sad for me. It was just all sad for me. And I feel like I was really like firing off on like all cylinders in that point in time as well.

Starting point is 00:19:16 So just for it all to be taken away. It was just hard pill to swallow. It was a hard pill for me to swallow. Like I was just sad at home for like a very, very long time. What got you out of the funk? You know, Raquel had actually said something to me. Like I just, I'm a very like everything happens for a reason person. Even if it's like terrible, I can like be delusional and be like, no, it's for my greater good

Starting point is 00:19:41 somewhere like along the way. But I didn't feel like that about my injury. And so that was hard for me to even sit with, like feeling like something happened to me that wasn't intended for my greatest good. Like I was like, wow, I really just got injured. And it was just to kind of like deter me. You know what I mean? Like, wow, something just happened just for it to be terrible. And that was just hard for me to come to terms with because that's not how I live my life, but I did not really see like the flip side. And so I remember like just being on FaceTime with Raquel and just telling her like, yeah, like I don't know like what I believe in right now. And like not having a faith in something like had me lost for a little bit. And then Raquel was just like, well, it was like so

Starting point is 00:20:29 simple. She's just like, well, sister, you know, like I feel like when you have, when you feel like you have no faith is like when you're supposed to have the most. And it was kind of just, it was so simple, but I just was like, huh, you know? And so I feel like that was kind of like the catalyst that was, um, enabled me to change my mindset a little bit. And so I just was like, yeah, you know, like I should have the most faith right now while I'm feeling like I have zero. And so that was kind of it. And then I feel like I was able to kind of, um, take myself out of the slump that I was in, or start to at least. You were on the receiving end of one of Bianca Bel Air's hardest, loudest hairwips ever.

Starting point is 00:21:14 How long did it take for that to heal up? I had a scar for quite a while, honestly. I haven't looked at it in a bit. I still think I have a very bit of a tail end mark. Still. Yeah, and also my back, too. I have, like, a scar on my back from some injury I had taken from the elimination chamber. So, yeah, I scarred me up pretty well.

Starting point is 00:21:34 Honestly, that's like one of my favorite matches ever. That was one of my favorite matches ever. And like the final two with B&I is one of my favorite moments. I feel like the audience really didn't know who was going to take it. And I think just that chamber specifically in and of itself with Jade and Naomi, I just think it was so well done. And I think that was like one of the best chamber matches in my opinion for the women. We got to get you out of here.

Starting point is 00:22:02 I feel like every interview I do with you in Vegas. They're all quick. We'll get a proper one. Maybe after I beat Stephanie at WrestleMania. Bring the championship. I can come back with the championship and we could do a proper hour. I get you for 20 minutes, 20 minutes. If we put them all together, we've had an hour.

Starting point is 00:22:17 I guess I'm in demand. I'm a busy woman. You've got other things to do. But since you live in such gratitude, I do as well, what are three things right now live that you're grateful for? Thankful for my family. So thankful for my family. I'm thankful for my health

Starting point is 00:22:36 And I'm thankful for Like my job And that entails everything I'm thankful for the life that it It gives me the life I'm able to give my family I'm thankful for the community that I have All of my friends at work are like my best friends And I'll be friends with until the end of time

Starting point is 00:22:53 Yeah WB I feel like has given me everything good in my life So I'm just like eternally grateful You know? Eternally fucking grateful What a way to end it. Yeah. To be continued. TV, yeah, to be continued.

Starting point is 00:23:10 We'll come back. We'll resurface in like three or so weeks. Sounds good. So good to see you. Good to see you too. Jim Rome takes on sports. Why? Because I have a job to do with rapid fire takes. So I don't want to hear from you lava pigs on this notion today. No idea what you're talking about. You're complaining more than you like to breathe air. It's like you get up in the morning only to complain.

Starting point is 00:23:34 and cry and moan on social media about things that you don't even understand. He's the spitfire of sports smack. Take advantage of it, but get up in here. The Jim Rome Show podcast. What's your beef? Follow and listen on your favorite platform. You've been warned.

Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Liv Morgan On Stephanie Vaquer, Injury, Royal Rumble Win, Dirty Dom, Her 8th WrestleMania

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