“I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.”
Revelations 20:11-15
At SummerSlam 2024, many a match was had on the card. Each bore consequence, and each had an impact. Gold was exchanged and the fight for a fashion accessory continued. Yet perhaps the burden of the night wore on a house of misfits and miscreants, sinners in violet.
This was the end of The Judgment Day as we knew it. A tale of whether Lucifer had won and cast his Maker out of Heaven, this miserable saga of betrayal.
It came, born of betrayal and dying in betrayal.
Sinister beginnings
Adam Copeland, then known as Edge gathered this group one-by-one, terrorizing the roster as a legion of horribles. Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley. Entering and exiting through supposedly supernatural means, The Judgement Day seemed an impossible foe. Their antics soon caught the ire of Finn Bálor, AJ Styles, and Liv Morgan.
Come Hell in a Cell 2022, The Judgement Day went to war against their victims Bálor, Styles, and Morgan and emerged victorious.
Enjoying the deliciousness of success, Edge added Bálorto to their ranks, the latter seeing the amethyst-laden light. The thing about light, however, is that shadow follows, and on June 6, 2022, it fell upon Edge himself. Ripley, Priest, and Bálor took turns unmaking their maker, betraying him violently.
As Edge took on The Judgement Day, the father-son duo of Rey and Dominik Mysterio joined him. Each subsequent time the Mysterios entered the ring though, Dominik became a target for Ripley. Using her dominant and superior aura, Ripley left the frightened Dominik feeling alone. Rey, though his love was apparent, could not be as there for Dominik as both would have liked. Once he was fed up with Rey seemingly prioritizing his friendship with Edge over him, Dominik turned against his father and joined Judgement Day.
With the corrupted youth as Ripley’s arm candy, whispering devious machinations into his ears, a transformation began. After turning against his father, the fans had more of a reason to boo him, and soon a running gag saw any instance of holding a microphone within speaking distance of his mouth, his voice would be drowned out in a chorus of jeers.
Fans did not take to Dominik. His movement in the ring did not excite nearly as much as Rey’s did. There was no tangible charisma. And he attacked two beloved legends. That would soon be rinsed away.
Donning purple and black, slicking back his hair, and eventually growing peach fuzz into a mustache, Dominik became an entirely different person. Over time, his presence and willingness to do any sort of wacky thing as a cowardly heel paid in dividends, as did playing into how silly and lame he was, running away and nurturing his love of chicken tendies.
In a move mirroring Sami Zayn’s assimilation into The Bloodline, Bálor’s Irish comrade JD McDonagh suffered many abuses to join their ranks, be it from taking the bullet for the group on many an occasion or being nearly choked out by a resistant Priest. With each instance of his loyalty proved, he became a member, saving the team on many occasions and absorbing the brunt of attacks for them.
The path of judgment, paved with riches
Through their ride together, The Judgment Day saw heights that elevated them on many levels. Dominik became the NXT North American Champion. Rhea Ripley won the 2023 Royal Rumble Match, later winning the Smackdown Women’s Championship (later rechristened to the Women’s World Championship) at WrestleMania 39.
The Summer and Autumn of 2023 proved a fruitful couple of seasons for the group. Ripley’s matches almost always delivered, yet regrettably she didn’t defend her title much, with a few notable ones like the explosive and brutal defense against Natalya. Priest climbed the ladder, clutched the Money in the Bank briefcase, and held it long. Dominik found himself featured on Raw, SmackDown, and NXT, becoming the main character of WWE in the process.
Unfortunately, Priest and Bálor’s initial drama with each other began around SummerSlam 2023, when the former caused the latter to lose his opportunity against World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. Thinking Priest was teasing a Money in the Bank cash-in, Bálor lost his groove and attention, suffering as a result. This comes into play later.
But my favorite part of this The Judgment Day era was the matches between the team of Priest and Bálor against Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, the Undisputed Tag Team Champions since WrestleMania of that same year. This series of matches, drenched in drama, intensity, and violence were filled with intensity, be it on Raw or whichever PLE the group was featured on. Often, these matches would singlehandedly carry shows, though this period stood tall for most of the season. It can’t be understated how popular and hard-working the team of The Judgment Day was.
I’d be remiss if I were not to mention one of the group’s finest showings: Backlash. Emanating from Puerto Rico, this night saw the heartwarming moment of the crowd rejoicing for Zelina Vega as she faced Rhea Ripley in a heartwrenching loss, while also featuring Damian Priest against music sensation Bad Bunny.
Priest versus Bunny felt like something out of a movie: from the moment Bad Bunny emerged to a cacophonous crowd that swallowed him whole as his hit song “Chambea” played as they sang in unison as he grabbed a shopping cart full of weapons, this was special. Dubbed a San Juan Street Fight, a gritty attitude displayed throughout, seeing members of Rey Mysterio’s Latino World Order and Priest’s Judgment Day. Carnage flowed the entire match. This event saw the return of Carlito and Savio Vega, the former of which would make a full-time return to WWE.
End of day and times
All good things, however, must come to an end. A slow death like an undetected growth spread, as Priest and Bálor lost their tag team gold at WrestleMania XL and Liv Morgan made her return. With Ripley successfully defending her Women’s World Championship in a dream match against Becky Lynch, and Damian Priest cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase on an overconfident Drew McIntyre, doom still seemed far off.
After celebrating her victory on Raw after WrestleMania, Ripley suffered an injury during a backstage attack at the hands of Liv Morgan and thus relinquished her title and recovered at home.
The loss of star power in Ripley weakened the shows, as it is no exaggeration that she’s one of WWE’s most popular stars. Priest became more involved in his title defenses, seeking independence while leading the group during Ripley’s absence. Subtly, Bálor’s ire grew, yet shoved down deep in his soul, for this group was to have no leaders; no gods or kings, only man.
With two of the founding members gone, the team saw the inclusion of Carlito who went through the same initiation as McDonagh, yet somehow easier considering his involvement with the LWO at Backlash. Bálor, McDonagh, and Carlito’s attention strayed a bit from Priest, however, as the spiteful Liv Morgan sought to take everything from Rhea Ripley while she was away – taking Ripley’s title against then-Champion Rhea Ripley, Ripley’s time on the shows, and Dominik Mysterio.
Initially hesitant and fighting back against her advances, Morgan grew more enamored with him, having previously not seen what Ripley saw in him. With each attempt to break past boundaries, Mysterio tried to set, it soon became an act as his defenses weakened. After being caught in several predicaments, the team found it hard to separate the two.
A buildup of these ill tidings came to a head at last at SummerSlam, tying up long loose ends. Ripley’s chance to retain the title she never lost ended in disaster, her being cost at the hands of Dominik. Hurt and angry, she could only watch, snarling, as Dom and Morgan kissed and left into the sunset.
Priest’s night also ended in catastrophe, as he gave his entire heart to battling challenger Gunther, giving him a fight few others have. With a near three count, this victory dissipated with Bálor’s sudden intrusion. Losing his focus, Priest’s anger and pain coalesced into a mixture, leaving the opportunistic Gunther to seize the moment.
The founding members, the Terror Twins – Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest were without gold and family.
As Bálor, McDonagh, Carlito, Dominik, and Morgan operate under lilac shadows, they do so with the wrath of Priest and Ripley ever looming. Though The Judgment Day are still together in some way, it’s not the same and may never be the same again.
The Judgment Day’s legacy
The Judgment Day’s impact on WWE’s new regime was a net positive. Everyone maximized their potential and opportunity, making the most of every appearance. In a time when The Rock, CM Punk, and Randy Orton returned, in a time where Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, Becky Lynch, and LA Knight are top acts, this was no easy feat. We’re in an era in wrestling where so many people are breaking out and becoming stars – ask Swerve Strickland, Toni Storm, and Mercedes Mone.
Often, I’ve seen people try to justify whichever side is more validated. My hot take is that no side was on the right. They never were. Sure, their feelings may be valid, but from the instant they banded together and grew, acting solely for themselves. Even the notion of everything being for the group’s betterment was sewn with selfish intentions.
The Judgment Day is a collection of bad people who slight others and slight each other. There’s no high ground, only consequences, for who’s to gain from jumping into a pit of volatile snakes?
This was never a story about a group of just people. This is a story about the trials and tribulations of terrible people without governance, loyalty, or care — only semblances of it. There is no salvation for those who do not seek it.
Upon looking at how The Judgment Day worked, one must see what each person brought. Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley stood out as rockstars, and Edge likely brought them together for this reason, combined with the fact that they were already close friends. Bálor joined for that reason, as did Mysterio, McDonagh, and maybe Carlito. Or perhaps he thought Judgement Day wanted to be cool and thus didn’t want to spit in their faces.
How The Judgement Day individually benefited
Damian Priest
Priest had the opportunity to grow confident with friends he already knew while embodying and he seized The Undertaker and Razor Ramon’s presence, using his physicality and strength to come off as larger than life. Priest’s culture also attracted Puerto Rican fans and those sympathetic to his rough upbringing. He seemed cool. Contrasted with the uncertain man who tried to make things work as best he could, this Priest is dripping with charisma. Plus, he helped ease Bad Bunny into wrestling by throwing him in the waters – likely a method that taught him during his life’s hardships.
Rhea Ripley
Displaying a gothic, musclebound visage with an added sex appeal that she leveraged, Ripley combined this with her powerful in-ring style that saw her become a massive social media icon. Her returns, promos, demeanor, and photos often go viral, and it’s been a draw for some to watch WWE. Far more people I’ve met have known who she is, and unfortunately sensing me to be a wrestling fan, I’m asked about her. A lot. It’s surreal to have casual and non-fans of wrestling mention her instead of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, or the NWO.
Finn Bálor
After heavy misuse, Bálor found a new lease on life. Having lost his Demon’s aura after being called back up to the main roster in 2021, the former Bullet Club leader became a tag team sensation and a welcome veteran to the team. No longer wearing short trunks or smiling, Bálor is the glue that has helped guide the group while subtly showing signs of future dissent. He went from feeling like “just another guy…again” to a must-watch talent as he had proven himself ot be before. Bringing in his friend McDonagh saved him from low or mid-card spaces, showing the dynamic style that would likely have gone ignored, furthering Bálor’s massive contributions.
JD McDonagh
Often overlooked, McDonagh found an identity while performing to the highest levels of his ability. As the main pin-eater of the group, JD maximizes the most out of his time in the ring. With an understanding of capturing drama while selling like crazy, this Irishman brings the intensity needed to convey his opponent’s strengths while ensuring the action is satisfactory and substantial.
Dominik Mysterio
Dom-Dom’s transformation is another thing entirely; having critics like Dave Meltzer providing high ratings as he made the most of his TV time (and improving on the microphone), Mysterio grew the most. To have him trusted in most situations against the likes of CM Punk, Jey Uso, or Cody Rhodes, he did his job as the annoying kid who deserves to be beaten and somehow became compelling.
Dominik’s time spent getting reps across all three WWE brands paid off in hundreds. He should be proud.
Carlito
Apples, I guess.
Conclusion
As I reminisce, I notice something. Throughout The Judgement Day’s story, the team grew closer. Their interactions felt natural. I didn’t see characters occupying time, I saw a group who had inside jokes on the road or sharing intimate details that fans don’t get to see.
I say all this, yet I think Ripley and Priest are leaving at the right time. Everyone’s in a bigger and better place, and it’s time for the Terror Twins to find their way. They’re big enough stars.
As for the new group, I think they’re in the right fit. The Judgment Day thrives by the meat of itself, and each current member will need to find a way to sink or swim without their shining stars guiding the way. But let’s be honest: Finn Bálor is kidding himself if he thinks there are no leaders. He was the leader of a faction that revolutionized professional wrestling. Such an accolade brings about a massive ego. Sooner or later, he will mark his place as the pack leader.
For a Prince to become a King, he must make all rise.
