Nobody actually expected it to work. Not the fans, not the office, and honestly, not even the three women standing in that Gorilla position on November 21, 2017. When the Liv Morgan Riott Squad era kicked off on SmackDown Live, the rumor mill—and later, Ruby Soho herself—confirmed a pretty bleak reality: the group was only supposed to last six weeks.
It was a "bridge" storyline. A way to introduce three NXT faces, cause some chaos, and then let them drift into the mid-card abyss as solo acts. But wrestling has this funny way of ignoring the script when real chemistry gets involved.
The Chaos That Stuck: Why the Liv Morgan Riott Squad Worked
Vince McMahon reportedly had a very specific vision for the trio. He’d apparently seen a commercial for Suicide Squad and wanted his own version of that aesthetic. He wanted a "Joker" (Ruby Riott), a "Harley Quinn" (Liv Morgan), and a "Beast" (Sarah Logan).
It sounds like a typical corporate trope, right? Take three talented women who have almost nothing in common—Ruby with her punk-rock aesthetic and veteran indie background, Sarah with her backwoods, Viking-adjacent grit, and Liv, the bubbly, blue-tongued firecracker—and hope they don't clash.
But they didn't just "not clash." They became inseparable.
The Liv Morgan Riott Squad dynamic was built on a shared feeling of being outcasts. While other factions like the Four Horsewomen were defined by their accolades, the Squad was defined by their "us against the world" mentality. They didn’t match their gear. They didn't have a synchronized dance. They just flipped over catering tables and caused headaches for the production crew. It felt authentic because, behind the curtain, they were becoming best friends in real-time.
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Breaking Down the Roles
- Ruby Riott (The Glue): Ruby was the veteran. She brought the technical polish and the leadership that gave the group credibility.
- Sarah Logan (The Muscle): Sarah brought a raw, physical style that made the group feel dangerous rather than just "mischievous."
- Liv Morgan (The Wild Card): This is where Liv really found herself. Before the Squad, she was struggling to find a "hook" in NXT. In the group, she became the high-energy bump-taker who wasn't afraid to get her nose broken for the sake of the unit.
The Night the Squad Died (And Liv Was Born)
April 2019 was a gut punch for fans of the trio. During the Superstar Shake-up, WWE decided to move Liv Morgan to SmackDown, effectively killing the Liv Morgan Riott Squad in a segment that lasted all of thirty seconds.
You’ve probably seen the behind-the-scenes footage from the Liv Forever documentary. It wasn't just "TV sad." It was "real-life heartbreak." Liv was shown wandering the hallways, visibly shaken, because her support system had been stripped away.
For a long time, the breakup looked like a mistake. Ruby and Sarah stayed on Raw but eventually faded from the spotlight, and Liv disappeared from TV for months. When she finally returned in that bizarre Lana/Bobby Lashley wedding segment, people were worried. Was she going to be just another "diva" character?
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The 2020 Reunion and the IIconics War
The beauty of the Liv Morgan Riott Squad is that it’s the faction that refused to stay buried. In 2020, after a brief and confusing feud where Ruby returned from injury and attacked Liv, the two eventually realized they were better together.
This second run was different. It wasn't about being "Suicide Squad" knockoffs anymore. It was about two women who had been through the corporate ringer and decided to watch each other’s backs. Their feud with The IIconics (Peyton Royce and Billie Kay) was actually high stakes; they literally fought for the right to exist as a team. When they won and forced The IIconics to disband, it felt like a massive middle finger to anyone who thought the Squad was "disposable."
What Most Fans Miss About Their Real-Life Bond
We talk a lot about "Kayfabe" being dead, but the Riott Squad is one of the few instances where the on-screen chemistry was actually a pale imitation of the real thing.
- The Tattoos: All three women have the date of their debut (November 21, 2017) tattooed on them. That isn't a "work."
- The Farm: Ruby actually lived on Sarah Logan’s farm for a period.
- The Godparent: Sarah (now Valhalla in WWE) named Ruby the godmother of her son, Cash.
Even now, with Ruby Soho wrestling in AEW and Liv Morgan at the top of the mountain in WWE, they still talk. When Liv won the SmackDown Women’s Championship by cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase, the first people she celebrated with (virtually or otherwise) were her Squad sisters.
The Legacy: How the Squad Built the Current "Revenge Tour"
You can’t look at Liv Morgan’s current success—the "Liv Morgan Revenge Tour," the Judgment Day drama, the World Titles—without acknowledging the Liv Morgan Riott Squad roots.
The Squad taught Liv how to be a professional. It taught her how to work the "reps" on the road. Most importantly, it gave her the confidence to stop being "the girl from the Jersey Shore" and start being "the girl who will go through a table to win."
Without Ruby and Sarah, Liv likely would have been just another name on a release list in 2018. Instead, she used that platform to become one of the most bankable stars in the industry.
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Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Talent
If you’re looking at the Liv Morgan Riott Squad as a case study for success, here is what you should take away:
- Chemistry is Unhackable: You can’t manufacture the vibe they had. If you’re working in a group, find the real-life common ground. It shows on camera.
- Embrace the "Wild Card" Role: Liv wasn't the leader, but she became the most memorable because she leaned into the chaos.
- The Power of the Pivot: When the group broke up, Liv didn't quit. she reinvented.
- Loyalty Matters: In an industry known for "backstabbing" storylines, the Squad’s genuine loyalty made them permanent fan favorites.
The Riott Squad might be officially over in the record books, but as long as Liv is carrying a title and Ruby is tearing it up elsewhere, the "Squad" is basically immortal. It wasn't just a wrestling team; it was the foundation of a career that nobody—not even the writers—saw coming.