Liv Morgan successfully defended her women’s world title against Rhea Ripley at WWE Bad Blood 2024 despite Dominik Mysterio hanging over the ring in a shark cage. Of course, her victory didn’t come without controversy.

In the latest twist during one of the most exciting WWE rivalries of the year, Morgan technically lost the match when the returning Raquel Rodriguez attacked Ripley, giving Ripley the disqualification win – but not the Women’s Title. This was Morgan’s second successful title defense against Ripley in the last few months, which would seemingly put Ripley out of contention for another title shot.

On the other hand, probably not.

ForbesWWE Bad Blood 2024 results: Damian Priest defeats Finn BalorFrom Blake Oestriecher

Ripley and Morgan had one of the best women’s feuds in WWE history last year. Still, there’s much more to the story with these two stars, who have captivated WWE audiences and taken social media by storm with a soap opera-like love triangle that dates back to late 2023.

Of course, their outstanding rivalry is based on two things: Dominik and the Women’s World Cup. Now there is an X-factor to consider with the returning Rodriguez.

The biggest plot twist to date came at SummerSlam, when Dom finally sided with Morgan after months of wavering between both sides. This was the height of the romance aspect of the angle, but anyone who has watched pro wrestling for any length of time can see where this is going.

Ripley, who had to miss out on the Women’s World Championship, wants to regain the title she never officially lost. WWE seemed to have set the stage for exactly that to happen at Bad Blood, and the fans in Atlanta clearly wanted it to happen too. Instead, Morgan still emerged victorious, even though her successful title defense was conducted in a manner that virtually guaranteed a rubber match.

Rest assured that the inevitable climax of Morgan vs. Ripley is Ripley winning that title and reasserting himself as the most dominant star in Raw’s women’s division. The thing is, WWE – and Booker Triple H – could probably recognize that even though this storyline has been going on for so long, it remains red-hot, meaning there’s no reason to rush it.

Much like the saga of “The Bloodline” on SmackDown, it’s difficult for WWE to walk away from a storyline that’s in full swing, and that’s exactly what “Morgan vs. Ripley” is and is. For years, WWE kept the Universal Championship on Roman Reigns because it made the most sense for The Bloodline.

For Morgan and Ripley, it makes the most sense for Ripley to pursue Morgan for a little longer, especially since Rodriguez’s return has changed the course of their rivalry. After all, “Survivor Series” is coming up at the end of next month, while “Crown Jewel” takes place just a few weeks before that, giving WWE two important platforms to keep the storyline moving.

Given the lack of other potential options for a Ripley-Morgan feud on Raw, the two stars are likely to remain bitter rivalries until a better option arises. And so far there seems to be nothing on the horizon that could even come close to the emotional intensity of this feud.

So Ripley had to lose on Bad Blood – but she won’t lose the next time she challenges Morgan.