The relatively brief runtime of the Women’s World Championship match between Liv Morgan and Stephanie Vaquer at WrestleMania 42 now has a clear explanation. According to sources who spoke with Bodyslam, both Morgan and Vaquer were already dealing with physical issues heading into the match — and WWE made the call to keep the bout short specifically to protect both women from making their conditions worse on the biggest stage of the year.
Morgan had spent the final weeks of the WrestleMania build dealing with the aftermath of a hard head collision with Roxanne Perez on the April 6 Raw that placed both women in concussion protocol and left Morgan with a significant hematoma on her forehead. Vaquer had also spoken openly ahead of WrestleMania 42 about not being at 100% — acknowledging accumulated wear on her ankle and knee while insisting she had no specific injury severe enough to prevent her from competing. With both women managing physical issues simultaneously, shortening the match was the responsible decision.
Liv Morgan Performed Her Own Entrance Music Live Before the Match and Left WrestleMania 42 as Women’s World Champion
Despite the reduced runtime, the match delivered its key moments — interference from Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez, Morgan driving Vaquer into the steel steps, and a decisive finish that saw Morgan hit her finisher for the championship win. Morgan also performed her entrance music live before the match — a WrestleMania moment in its own right. She leaves Las Vegas as a two-time WWE Women’s World Champion, with the match’s brevity now fully contextualized by the physical realities both performers were navigating heading into the night.
