The Toughest Part Of Wrestling In NXT, According To Liv Morgan
The path to WWE stardom goes through "NXT." The developmental brand has been successful in producing superstars like Becky Lynch, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Liv Morgan –- the list goes on. Morgan, real name Gionna Daddio, desired to be in WWE since she was young. But she knew full well that just because it was her dream, didn't mean it would come easy.
Her WWE opportunity happened by chance. Morgan was working as a hostess for Hooters when a young Enzo Amore was training to be a professional wrestler. The two connected and he introduced her to Joe DeFranco, who ran a gym that trained mainly NFL players and UFC fighters. But one of the athletes happened to be none other than Paul "Triple H" Levesque.
So Morgan started working out at the gym. DeFranco was impressed by her development and ability to keep up with professional athletes. Figuring that she was ready, he got her a WWE tryout. After an intense three-day program, Morgan achieved her dream when she earned a contract. But that was when the real work began.
The structured WWE lifestyle
After WWE rookies sign their contracts, they are sent to the WWE Performance Center where they train and hone in on their in-ring and promo skills. While she had no complaints about the wrestling aspect, Morgan had a difficult time adjusting to WWE's structured schedule. Up until then, she was able to do whatever she wanted with her day from what time she woke up to activities she wanted to do.
"Literally [I'd] do everything on my own accord," Morgan told "Joe DeFranco's Industrial Strength Show". "And now for the first time ever you have to wake up at 8 a.m. and be at the building at 7:30 and you're gonna do three hours in the ring. Then you're gonna eat your lunch. Then you're gonna do a grueling workout for two hours and then stay after so you can do more practice so that you can be better you know. It was just being accountable for my actions...not that I am lazy by any means but it's just like I said I never had to follow structure."
She related the experience to being parented. There were rules she had to follow and people telling her what to do. But they were patient with Morgan whenever she made mistakes, allowing her to figure things out on her own.
In the end, Morgan was able to adapt and grow from her experiences and is now one of the top superstars in the women's division. The hard work paid off as she won her first "SmackDown" Women's Championship at this year's WWE Money In The Bank. Now, WWE's Fall 2022 Rookie Class will embark on the same journey as Morgan in their pursuit of being a Superstar in the company.