Gionna Daddio (June 8, 1994) is an American model and professional wrestler currently signed to WWE where she competes on the Raw brand under the ring name Liv Morgan.
Early life
Daddio was born in Paramus, New Jersey. She grew up in Elmwood Park, New Jersey. She has four older brothers and a younger sister, and following the death of her father, Daddio's mother was a single parent raising six children. Daddio is a longtime fan of professional wrestling, and would participate in backyard wrestling with her siblings. Daddio described the matches as core to start her foray into wrestling, saying:
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I would literally take pedigrees and powerbombs like it was my job. I always pretended to be Lita. All the Divas were so glamorous and girly, and I was such a tomboy and didn't have nice clothes. When I saw Lita come out in baggy pants and sneakers, wrestling the boys, I thought she was the coolest thing ever. I related to her.
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Daddio is a former competitive cheerleader, and she previously worked and modeled for the restaurant chain Hooters.
Professional wrestling career
World Wrestling Entertainment
NXT (2014–2017)
After being discovered at Joe DeFranco's gym in Wyckoff, New Jersey, Daddio signed a contract with WWE in 2014, and was assigned to their developmental territory, WWE NXT, in October. She made her first televised appearance at the NXT TakeOver: Rival event on February 11, 2015, as a planted fan who jumped on Tyler Breeze during his ring entrance. She later appeared at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable on May 20, again as part of Breeze's entrance. In October, she briefly worked under the ring name Marley, debuting on the November 4 episode of NXT, where she worked as a jobber losing to Eva Marie.
Daddio would return a month later as Liv Morgan, on the December 2 episode of NXT, losing to Emma. On the January 13, 2016 episode of NXT, Morgan competed in a battle royal to determine the number one contender to Bayley's NXT Women's Championship, which was won by Carmella. On the August 17 episode of NXT, she competed in a six-woman tag team match along with Carmella, and Nikki Glencross, in which they defeated Daria Berenato, Mandy Rose, and Alexa Bliss. On the August 31 episode of NXT, Morgan picked up her first televised singles win, defeating Aliyah. On the September 14 episode of NXT, Morgan defeated Rachel Fazio in singles competition via submission, and would issue a challenge to the NXT Women's Champion Asuka. The following week, however, Morgan was submitted by Asuka in under a minute. Afterwards, she began a rivalry with Billie Kay and Peyton Royce, with both women confronting her following her match, and two weeks later, Kay defeated her after interference by Royce. She confronted the two on the October 26, 2016 episode, where she allowed Aliyah to beat Kay after a distraction, afterwards aligning with her. Morgan wrestled her last NXT match on November 11, 2017 where she defeated Sonya Deville.
Smackdown (2017-2018)
On the November 21 edition of Smackdown, Morgan debuted alongside former NXT members Ruby Riot and Sarah Logan. The triad made their debut attacking Naomi and Becky Lynch backstage and later Charlotte Flair and Natalya during a Women's title match. These attacks on the Smackdown women's division quickly established Morgan, Logan and Riot as heels during their main roster debut. The following week, during the November 28 edition of Smackdown, referred to as the Riott Squad, they wrestled against Charlotte Flair, Naomi and Natalya in a six-person tag match. The match soon became a handicap tag match after Natalya deserted her team, leaving Flair and Naomi to wrestle. As the match progressed, Flair was left to wrestle alone after the Riot Squad injured Naomi outside of the ring. The match concluded with Ruby Riot securing the pin on Flair. For the remainder of 2017 and early 2018, Logan and the Riott Squad continued their feud with Flair, Naomi and Becky Lynch (who had returned from injury). Morgan wrestled her final match on the March 20th edition of Smackdown, where she and the Riott Squad were defeated by Becky Lynch & Naomi. Their feud continued through the months of February, March and April leading to WrestleMania, where the Riott Squad joined in the Kickoff show's Women's Battle Royal won by Naomi.
Raw (2018-2019)
After the first night of the 2018 WWE Superstar Shake-up held on the April 16 episode of Monday Night RAW, Morgan and the Riott Squad were drafted to the Raw brand. Morgan and the Riott Squad had their first Raw match on April 23, teaming with Alexa Bliss, Mickie James in an eight-woman tag match, defeating Bayley, Ember Moon, Natalya, Nia Jax & Sasha Banks by disqualification. On the May 21st edition of Monday Night RAW, Morgan competed in a Fatal Four-Way Money In The Bank Qualifying match against Natalya, Dana Brooke and Sarah Logan. Although Morgan did not succeed in winning the match, she received a second opportunity to compete during the following week during the May 28 episode of Monday Night RAW in a Qualifying Gauntlet match but was defeated by Sasha Banks. Morgan and the Riott Squad returned during the June 4 episode of RAW winning a tag match against Alexa Bliss, Ember Moon & Sasha Banks by disqualification. Morgan and Sarah Logan returned on the June 18 episode of RAW where they defeated Bayley & Sasha Banks. Seven days later on June 25, Morgan and the Riott Squad met Bayley and Sasha Banks in a rematch, with Bayley and Banks recruiting Ember Moon for their third teammate. Their match ended with the Riott Squad earning the victory. Returning during the July 2 episode of RAW, Morgan wrestled her first singles match, losing to Ember Moon. Seven days later on the following episode of RAW, Morgan lost to Moon in a rematch. On July 23 Morgan lost a third rematch against Ember Moon. She finished the month appearing on the July 30 episode of RAW, Morgan teamed with Sarah Logan in a tag match lost to Bayley & Sasha Banks. On the following episodes of RAW during the course of August, Morgan and Logan represented the Riott Squad in their ongoing feud against Bayley, Sasha Banks and Ember Moon. The Riott Squad avenged their previous defeats to Bayley & Sasha Banks during the August 6 and August 20 episodes of RAW.
Morgan and the Riott Squad returned on the September 3 episode of RAW, where they lost to the returning Bella Twins. Morgan and the Riott Squad returned for the September 24 episode of RAW, defeating The Bella Twins & Natalya. The Riott Squad continued their feud with The Bellas and their newest ally Ronda Rousey, with a match lost to the Bellas and Rousey on October 6 at Super Show-Down in Melbourne Australia. Returning stateside for the October 8 episode of Monday Night RAW in Chicago, Illinois, the Bella Twins & Rousey once more defeated Morgan and the Riott Squad. On October 21 at the WWE Supershow, The Riott Squad faced other rivals on the women's roster, losing a three-on-three tag match to Bayley, Dana Brooke & Sasha Banks. Seven nights later at the first annual Evolution pay-per-view, Morgan and the Riott Squad, lost a second three-on-three tag match to the team of Bayley, Natalya & Sasha Banks. During the October 29 episode of RAW, Morgan and the Riott Squad finished the month teaming with Alicia Fox and Mickie James in a 10-woman tag match lost to Bayley, Lita, Natalya, Sasha Banks & Trish Stratus.
SmackDown (2019)
On April 16, 2019, during the WWE Superstar Shake-Up, Morgan was moved to the SmackDown brand, separating her from The Riott Squad in the process.
Personal life
Daddio and NXT Superstar Aliyah are really good friends they do everything together, Car rides, Fun days out etc.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Guillotine choke, sometimes transitioned from a jumping DDT
- Jersey Codebreaker (Modified double knee facebreaker) – 2017-present
- Liv Kick (Reverse roundhouse kick)
- Moonsault, sometimes standing
- New Jersey's Buster (Sitout facebuster)
- Signature moves
- Back handspring tilt-a-whirl headscissors takedown, sometimes as a counter out of the corner
- Belly-to-back suplex
- Drop toe-hold to an oncoming opponent
- Handspring back tilt-a-whirl headscissors takedown
- Jackknife hold
- Leg-feed enzuigiri
- Matrix evasion
- Monkey flip
- Running one-handed bulldog, sometimes followed by a kip-up
- Running two-handed bulldog to a kneeling opponent
- Single leg dropkick, sometimes done repeatedly in succession
- Sitout hip toss
- STO
- Tag Teams and Stables
- Riott Squad (w/Ruby Riott and Sarah Logan)
- Nicknames
- "Daddio"
Championships and accomplishments
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked her #53 in the 2018 PWI Top 100 Females
