Liv Morgan's Career-Defining Night, Austin Theory Rising, More WWE Raw Fallout

Credit: WWE.com

The December 6 edition of WWE Raw centered around one huge match: Liv Morgan would finally get her shot at taking down Becky Lynch for the Raw Women's Championship in the main event.

While the No. 1 contender ultimately fell short thanks to the cunning tactics of the titleholder, she produced an impressive effort that showed she can belong among the best with more focus and experience.

The WWE champion also stepped into the ring in a grueling battle with Kevin Owens. Big E fought through the tactics of KO and the devious Seth Rollins to win a fantastic match.

Riddle wanted fresh challengers for the Raw Tag Team Championships, so he set up the RK-Bro-nament for four top tag teams. Rey and Dominik Mysterio advanced over Alpha Academy, and The Street Profits defeated AJ Styles and Omos by taking advantage of their dysfunction.

Austin Theory was told by Vince McMahon to impress, so he made a statement by wiping out Finn Balor. This looks to be his first major test on Raw, though it should not lead to The Prince falling into the background.

The future of Raw is looking brighter as young stars step up, but the road ahead remains rocky. These moments could set the stage for WWE's 2022.

Liv Morgan has worked hard to get to her moment. Fans have been behind her for some time, but the opportunities never lined up until recently. She finally challenged Becky Lynch...but lost.

However, sometimes an opportunity is more about the performance than the result. The 27-year-old might not be quite ready to dethrone Big Time Becks, but she did go 15 minutes with the biggest female Superstar in WWE.

It was a solid but imperfect showing for Morgan, who did struggle in moments. However, as the pressure rose, her performance elevated to match it.

This was the kind of performance that sold her as a future star. Many have been thrust into the spotlight too fast, and WWE has a chance to build her naturally. She just needs a little more time to fine-tune her style.

Morgan could even get a rematch against Lynch sooner rather than later where she can truly steal the show. The important thing, though, is that a new star is emerging in the women's division.

It is no surprise to see Big E and Kevin Owens stealing the show, but they went above and beyond with the best match of Monday night. However, the contest was really about making a statement. 

The WWE champion has not had a ton of opportunities to make a name for himself as the titleholder yet. He had a good match with Roman Reigns, but many have raised their game with The Head of the Table.

KO is one of the absolute best, but he needed the New Day powerhouse at his best to ensure a great match with so little at stake. The two made the most of the awkward steel cage stipulation and sold their talent.

With Owens possibly on the way out of WWE, he has had a last opportunity to display his talent. It is so clear that WWE wasted his recent face run, though it's also obvious that he thrives as a heel.

Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley got involved after the match, showing the whole main event scene in WWE. This is a great group, but it will take contests like this to maintain the momentum for the red brand.

Everyone loves a good tournament, and WWE sprung one this week as four of the top teams clashed for a future Raw Tag Team Championships shot.

Unfortunately, the company missed the mark with bad booking.

The Street Profits have built a rivalry with AJ Styles and Omos, but WWE rushed the big match between them. It was worse for Rey and Dominik Mysterio vs. Alpha Academy, though, as the father-son team won quickly by roll-up.

On a three-hour show, there should be so much more time for actual wrestling. These four teams have proved over the years that they can go, so why hold them back?

It merely underlined that Riddle and Randy Orton are untouchable as tag team champions. Unless RK-Bro implodes, it would take a completely fresh team to overwhelm them.

For now, no one stands out because WWE won't let them.

Austin Theory has finally found his rival after laying out Finn Balor to impress Vince McMahon.

There is no doubt WWE sees a star in the Raw newcomer, but he has to prove he is worthy of that attention. He should get that chance by working with one of the best.

Balor has been desperate for a story since losing to Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules in September. While he has had some good matches, the Irishman was a big deal in NXT and should not be treated as a stepping stone in Raw.

This should be a two-sided rivalry, one that perhaps ends in a definitive victory for Balor. However, Theory can make a name for himself by standing strong against a tough opponent.

The 24-year-old has the talent and the spotlight, and he must make good on the opportunity he has been given.