WWE nixed plans for tournament win at the last-minute on SmackDown – reports
WWE's Queen's Crown tournament kicked off this week on SmackDown with two semi-finalists confirmed.
The opening matches of the inaugural competition pitted Liv Morgan against Carmella, whilst Zelina Vega took on Toni Storm.
Interestingly, it was Vega and Carmella who came out on top and will now meet in the semi-finals despite being allies a few weeks ago on SmackDown.
One step closer to the #QueensCrown.
#SmackDown @CarmellaWWE https://t.co/8TUr5AIbVW
According to a report by Fightful Select, this wasn't the original plan for the opening round of the tournament. Instead, it appears that Liv Morgan was originally slated to win her match against Carmella. This was later changed at the last minute.
" Carmella ended up winning the match, but we're told that at one point ahead of the match, Liv Morgan was actually penciled in to win the match. We've heard significant frustration from talent and staff alike about the booking of the women's division of late, and the time given in multiple situations. We'll work to find out more."
Liv Morgan has recently been pushed on WWE TV
Liv Morgan has been pushed on WWE TV recently and has become a popular star with the WWE Universe.
Following the release of Ruby Riott earlier in the year, the WWE Universe backed Morgan to go on to win the Money in the Bank contract, but it wasn't meant to be.
Instead, it was believed that The Queen's Crown Tournament would be her opportunity, but this won't be the case after her loss to Carmella.
As part of the recent WWE Draft, Liv Morgan moved to RAW after being part of a feud with Carmella on SmackDown. The two women are now on the red brand, a move that will be made official on October 22nd, so their feud will likely continue.
It's also worth noting that WWE broke up all women's tag teams in the company as part of the draft, aside from the Champions, which could be a hint that Morgan will be put back into a team moving forward.