New Title Match Set For WWE Clash At The Castle
The next title challenger for "SmackDown" Women's Champion Liv Morgan is officially set. Shayna Baszler will be the opponent when Morgan defends her gold at the Clash at the Castle event next month.
Baszler earned the title shot by winning a gauntlet match on Friday night's "SmackDown". The former "NXT" Women's Champion was the final entrant in the match and scored the decisive pinfall with a rollup on Raquel Rodriguez.
Rodriguez was on a roll. She defeated Natalya, Xia Li, Shotzi, and Sonya Deville before Baszler emerged as the final obstacle she could not overcome. The gauntlet match opened with Deville pinning Aliyah.
Morgan watched the action from the ringside, with her arm in a brace following her title defense against Ronda Rousey last Saturday night at SummerSlam. The match saw a controversial finish. Rousey locked Morgan in an arm bar. However, Morgan managed to roll Rousey into a pinning attempt. Morgan tapped out, but the referee did not see it. Instead, he counted the pin on Rousey.
Rousey was furious after the match. First, she attacked Morgan from behind. Then, Rousey went after the referee. That led to the announcement that Rousey has been suspended and fined for her actions. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Rousey's absence is expected to be short and she is set to be in a match at Clash at the Castle.
Morgan defended the way she defeated Rousey at SummerSlam during an in-ring interview during Friday's "SmackDown". Morgan faced chants of "you tapped out" from some of the fans in attendance. At one point she tried to brush off the chants by telling the crowd "I appreciate you all calling me out on my shit."
Morgan won the "SmackDown" Women's Championship just over a month ago at the Money in the Bank event. She opened the night by winning the women's ladder match for the briefcase containing a contract for a title match. Less than two hours later, Morgan cashed in on Ronda Rousey right after Rousey had successfully defended her title against Natalya. Morgan pinned Rousey in less than a minute for the first championship win of her career.
Shayna Baszler's coming for Liv Morgan!
📺 #SmackDown @QoSBaszler @YaOnlyLivvOnce pic.twitter.com/RLyZyMkzQg
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) August 6, 2022