Liv Morgan has quickly gone from being a part of the undercard of the WWE to becoming one of the most popular fan favorites within the company. She is a former Money in the Bank winner who successfully cashed in, on the same night, to become SmackDown Women’s Champion by defeating Ronda Rousey. Undoubtedly, she is one of the brightest up-and-coming stars in the company with a tremendous future ahead of her. Even with all this, she has never shied away from being herself. This includes showing love to her childhood love, John Cena.
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Morgan’s Love For Cena is Nothing New
Morgan’s love for Cena has been well-documented. She has personally expressed her love for the 16-time World Champion and actor numerous times during her career. It dates as far back as her time at the Performance Center when she was a part of NXT. In an “Ask the WWE PC” segment on the WWE YouTube channel, there is an episode entitled “Liv Morgan had a crush on John Cena?” She replied to the question of who her WWE childhood celebrity crush was with Cena, highlighting the specific time in his career where he called himself “the Doctor of Thuganomics.”
In addition to her admiration for Cena in interviews, there are also numerous other instances where Morgan has shown how much Cena means to her. In footage captured following an episode of SmackDown, Morgan was recorded dancing to Cena’s theme music, as well as doing his signature “You Can’t See Me” hand gesture to fans. She has taken part in a photo shoot, along with other WWE Superstars, where she wore a variety of throwback John Cena t-shirts such as the orange, purple, and red ones from 2010-2011.
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Cena’s Role in Morgan’s Career Goes Further Than A Childhood Love
Cena’s career has also influenced Morgan’s in-ring career in more ways than one as well. In 2022, Morgan began to draw comparisons to the polarizing reception that Cena had received throughout his career. Cena famously would draw a chorus of both boos and cheers from fans packed into arenas and stadiums to see him. While Morgan was SmackDown Women’s champion, she took note of how fans began to receive her as well. In an interview with Metro’s Alistair McGeorge, Morgan appreciated the company that she was in with comparisons to Cena. She said that he“...went through years and years and years of “Let’s go Cena, Cena sucks”. So, if that’s how I’m treated, I will be ok with that!”
Morgan’s openness about the influence of Cena on her character showcases how much of an impact he has truly had on this generation of talent. Numerous people, both in WWE and other companies, have expressed their respect for what Cena has done inside and outside the ring. Whether it be retired veterans, current-day stars, or even people who are just beginning their journey into professional wrestling, almost everyone has the utmost praise of Cena’s in-ring skills and exceptional character work. The legacy Cena leaves behind is one that only a handful of others are able to contend with.
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Morgan still has far to go in her career in WWE. She has already seen an organic relationship form with fans that helped to catapult her to the top position that she holds today. Much like Cena, she remains true to herself and true to who she wants to portray in and out of the ring. To be compared to one of the greats is, as she described, a tremendous honor. With inspiration such as Cena, there is no telling how much farther Morgan will go in WWE and the legacy she will build.
