Top WWE Star Compared To 1997-Era Shawn Michaels

Is a top WWE Raw star the new Shawn Michaels?

There is little doubt that Liv Morgan is currently enjoying the most impressive run of her career.

Since returning to action at the Royal Rumble, she’s clashed with and beaten the likes of Becky Lynch, Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton, Rhea Ripley, and more. While her long-running rivalry with Ripley has helped catapult her to superstardom

At the centre of the story is Morgan’s relationship with Dominik Mysterio, which began after she enticed him away from the Aussie. As a fully-fledged heel, the Women’s World Champion has leaned into the crowd’s hatred, while excelling in the ring.

Nick Aldis Sees A Little Shawn Michaels In One WWE Star

It’s this quality that has seen her channel the spirit of one of WWE’s legends, Shawn Michaels. After his babyface run had been rejected by fans, Michaels embraced the ire of the crowd becoming a cocky heel who’d out-wrestle anyone in the ring, while making eyes at any woman he liked in the crowd.

Throughout 1997, Michaels played up to this persona more and more, earning plaudits for his in-ring work while annoying fans across the world.

In a new interview with Chris Van Vliet, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis compared Morgan to Michaels during this period, recalling a backstage conversation with the champion.

“Liv Morgan, to me, is the MVP of 2024. I’ve told her a couple of times, ‘You are crushing it.’ A good heel has to have some self-awareness. You have to know what impression you give off when you walk in the room. Liv Morgan is a stunningly good-looking girl. That can work against you. She finally realized, ‘I can use that.’

I gave her a piece of advice, she doesn’t need it, but I offered it anyway. I was like, ‘Your heat reminds me of Shawn (Michaels) in 1997.’ Shawn had that swagger. He was so good, you couldn’t be like, ‘You suck.’ No, he did not suck. He was so demonstratively the best performer by a long way in 1997.

(Hulk) Hogan was a huge star in WCW, Sting was cooking with Crow Sting, NWO was hot, (Steve) Austin was coming up, Bret (Hart) was Bret, but Shawn was so on his game and you couldn’t take it away.

He was so good in the ring. He started using that, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ and he was good-looking. He was calling out, ‘Your girl would leave you for me.’ That’s heat. Liv has that same thing. We’ve got a lot more women in the audience these days, and they’re like, ‘She is really good-looking.’ It’s totally believable that she would steal someone’s boyfriend.”

Liv Morgan will be back in action at Survivor Series when she teams with Raquel Rodriguez, Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton, and Candice LeRae to battle Rhea Ripley, Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair, Naomi, and Iyo Sky inside WarGames.

In the bout, Iyo Sky will continue her run of competing in every women’s WarGames match in history.

H/t to Fightful