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The February 23, 2026, episode of Monday Night Raw in Atlanta provided the answer as Liv Morgan officially revealed her plans for WrestleMania 42. After winning the 2026 Women’s Royal Rumble match last month, Morgan earned the right to challenge for a world championship in Las Vegas this April.
Since her victory, the popular babyface has been weighing her options between the dominant WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill and the resilient Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer. The tension between Morgan and Vaquer reached a breaking point last week on Raw when a verbal exchange brought Morgan to tears. Vaquer questioned the integrity and journey of the Rumble winner, leading many WWE fans to believe that the choice was already made.
During the first hour of tonight’s broadcast at the State Farm Arena, Dominik Mysterio accompanied Morgan to the ring for the highly anticipated announcement. Mysterio invited both Cargill and Vaquer to join them in the squared circle to hear the decision firsthand. Before making her choice official, Morgan took a moment to address the comments made by the Women’s World Champion the previous week.
Morgan admitted that the words from Vaquer had affected her deeply because she is not accustomed to feeling vulnerable in front of the audience. She acknowledged that she has been privileged throughout her career and stated that she did not know enough about the background and story of the champion before their recent interactions.
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Morgan initially turned to Jade Cargill and spoke about the need to focus on her own narrative. However, in a sudden shift of aggression, Morgan turned back to Vaquer and struck her with the microphone, laying out the champion in the middle of the ring. The physical assault made her WrestleMania decision clear. Liv Morgan will challenge Stephanie Vaquer for the Women’s World Championship on the grandest stage of them all at Allegiant Stadium.
The announcement sets up one of the most personal rivalries on the WrestleMania 42 card. While Morgan looks toward Las Vegas, the rest of the women's division is preparing for the Elimination Chamber this Saturday in Chicago. On the same episode of Raw, Raquel Rodriguez defeated IYO SKY and Kairi Sane to secure the final spot in the Women's Elimination Chamber match. She joins a field that includes Rhea Ripley, Tiffany Stratton, Kiana James, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss.
The winner of that chamber match will earn a title opportunity, likely against Jade Cargill, depending on the outcome of the draft and future booking. Meanwhile, the broadcast in Atlanta also featured a respectful tribute to AJ Styles, though the segment faced some production hurdles due to severe weather delays. According to reports from Fightful Select, several SmackDown talents were flown in specifically for the segment to honor the retirement of the Phenomenal One.
As the road to WrestleMania 42 continues, officials are closely monitoring the status of top stars like Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker, who are both recovering from recent surgeries. With ticket sales for the two-night event in Las Vegas being a point of internal concern, the company is leaning heavily on personal feuds like Morgan versus Vaquer to build momentum. The upcoming Elimination Chamber event at the United Center is expected to provide further clarity on the remaining major matches for the spring spectacle.
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