When Carlito saw his WWE run end 14 years ago, there was wonder if we’d ever seen “Caribbean Cool” again. Thankfully for fans the answer would be yes. The popular performer returned for a few appearances including the Royal Rumble in 2021, but the seeds for his current run were planted in 2203 during Backlash in Puerto Rico.
Carlito brought the electric crowd to his feet when he made a surprise appearance during the Bad Bunny and Damian Priest San Juan street fight. The live reaction coupled with the social media buzz and the fact Carlito was still in tremendous shape certainly caught the attention of WWE officials. Fast forward to today and Carlito has been signed full-time and a part of the Judgment Day.
“It was a weird pairing at first,” he said. “Everyone was asking what is Carlito doing with the Judgment Day. It’s kind of like a little family. We fight and have little in-fights but at the end of the day we love each other. At the end of the day, that’s the dynamic you see on TV.”
Despite having a short segment or two some weeks, he maximizes his minutes. Something the second-generation talent learned to do as the well-traveled veteran. The 45-year-old takes pride in lending a hand to emerging members of the WWE roster.
“The locker room is great,” he said. “I’m one of the elder statesmen now, which is weird. WheN I was first here, I was the younger guy. I’m one of the older guys, so it’s cool to help out and guide the new crop of talent.”
Carlito has also appreciated the diversity across the board on the shows. Not to mention the true global reach.
“I feel it’s an actual world company now,” he said. “We have talent from all over the place. We’re visiting more parts of the world now. Doing PLEs [all over]. I think it truly encompasses what [WWE] envisioned a long time ago. A world company.”
At this stage of his career he has appreciated the little things like being in WWE video games. He notices the advancement, especially compared to when he first started with the company.
“The graphics got a lot better,” he said. “My character looks a lot better these days. Definitely, a lot of advancement in that part.”
As far as what he sees for his WWE career, for him, it’s about having fun. “I want to enjoy the years I have left,” he said. “Have a good time and hopefully ride off into the sunset.”
Given his mindset and conditioning, Carlito is far from his last WWE apple. Speaking of which, if you’ve ever wondered what brand of the fruit the Raw superstar likes best, he isn’t picky.
“They all work. They all spit pretty good. It doesn’t matter what color or brand.”
Judgment Day has had its ups and downs, but it’s telling that this faction’s show-long angle wound up threading its way through SummerSlam, one of the biggest events on the WWE calendar. Indeed, in the men’s and women’s divisions alike on Monday Night Raw, Judgment Day has been a huge force, holding its own with the World Heavyweight Championship scene and drama between Drew McIntyre and CM Punk as one of the most buzzworthy parts of the brand.
One of the more interesting aspects of the creative success surrounding Judgment Day is that their history is in many ways repeating itself. That’s not only in having the Women’s World and Raw Tag Team Championships on lock—a familiar position for the group over the last year—but also in a number of specific choices around their booking that are playing out more successfully the second time around.
Judgment Day Has Ousted Its Longest Standing Members Again
(via WWE)
One of the defining elements of Judgment Day as a unusual wrestling stable is that they kicked out their founder and first leader Edge just a couple months into the group’s run. That choice certainly appeared to hurt the group in the short-term, as they lost their lone bona fide main eventer and undisputed biggest name.
Nonetheless, Judgment Day rallied, particularly after Triple H took the reins of creative. Rhea Ripley came to dominate her show’s women’s division, while Dominik Mysterio found unlikely success as a heel fans loved to hate. JD McDonough is a talented hand who got a nice rub from joining the group and an immediate sense of identity, as opposed to getting lost in the main roster shuffle like he otherwise might have. Finn Balor was a steady de facto top name for the group, and Damian Priest grew into a role in which he arguably superseded Balor for star power. R-Truth injected some comedy, and working in a big-bodied lackey role wound up being a pretty perfect role for Carlito at this stage of his career.
Judgment Day started when Damian Priest helped Edge beat AJ Styles at WrestleMania 38, and Rhea Ripley was the next recruit. So it is that, in the group exiling Priest and Ripley at SummerSlam, they are staying true their history. They’ve booted their longest standing members and again reinvented themselves around their newer participants, not least of all including Liv Morgan enlisting in their ranks.
Dominik Mysterio Is Disloyal Again… And It Cuts Deeper This Time
It can be difficult to remember now, but in 2022, Dominik Mysterio was a white meat babyface and he floundered in the role—showing little personality and facing fan backlash for the sense he only had a featured spot on account of who his dad was. His heel turn and betrayal of his father, culminating in a showdown at WrestleMania 39, completely changed fans’ perspectives of Dirty Dom.
On one hand, betraying one’s father is without question a more profound act of disloyalty than betraying one’s girlfriend. However, it’s worth noting than in terms of Mysterio’s full-time, on screen work with WWE, his partnerships with Rey and with and Rhea Ripley weren’t actually so disparate in length, each running around two years.
More important than sheer time, there’s the matter of heat. When Dominik turned on his father it was a welcome change because their partnership felt stale and fans didn’t really buy into the younger Mysterio as a face. By contrast, there’s a real case to be made that the love triangle angle Dominik worked with Ripley and Liv Morgan was the single hottest storyline WWE had to offer from the spring through the summer.
There were certainly a fair share of fans who saw it coming when Dirty Dom turned on Mami. Nonetheless, the sight of him making out with Morgan in the aisle way while a beaten Ripley seethed was positively electric. Whether it’s good creative, good performances, or a simple matter of fans being along for the ride for the entirety of the couple’s kayfabe relationship, there’s little question that instance of Dominik’s betrayal hit even harder than his first.
Judgment Day Will Get Its Comeuppance
When Judgment Day kicked out Edge, it became the focal point of both the group’s and the rest of The Rated R Superstar’s WWE run that they’d get into each other’s business. It all culminated in Edge besting Finn Balor inside Hell in a Cell at WrestleMania 39.
There are plenty of permutations for WWE to run through in the current feud between Judgment Day and The Terror Twins. However things play out, though, it seems very likely things won’t be over until Rhea Ripley destroys Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio—probably getting her title back in the process. Meanwhile, at least one high-profile one-on-one showdown between Balor and Damian Priest also feels like an inevitability.
Whatever happens, Triple H has demonstrated a strength for booking factions who get heat, but also get what’s coming to them in the long term. Judgment Day looks set to move through that cycle once again.
Rumors Of Judgment Day’s Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
When Judgment Day booted Edge, the naysayers were quick to jump on them, suggesting the group would never last. Indeed, it did feel like they were on life support for a while as the subsequent feud with The Ultimate Opportunist got stretched thin and the stable’s successes were few and far between.
The faction bounced back with a vengeance, though, becoming one of the most provocative parts of WWE programming, particularly from WrestleMania 40 to the present moment. Coming out of SummerSlam , rumors flew again that with Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest splintering, the stable might be over, or the remaining heels might rebrand under another name. Once again, the group wasn’t done quite yet, with Judgment Day vs. The Terror Twins really clicking in these weeks to follow.
It appears that this last piece—of fans sticking a fork in Judgment Day only for their part of WWE programming to reemerge, stronger than ever–has been the most defining part of the stable’s story. Who knows how much longer they’ll carry on, but the audience should understand by now never to count them out.
John Cena was able to make it back for WrestleMania 40, and he stuck around Philly for the RAW after the show of shows.
Much to the surprise of fans in Philly, John Cena showed up on the RAW after WrestleMania, where he took part in a match. He also helped his team achieve victory in the process.
Cena’s Surprise Appearance
Judgement Day came out on RAW this week to hype their WrestleMania accomplishments. They are down the Tag Team Titles, but they are still covered in gold.
After Damian Priest was introduced as the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, R-Truth came out next. He carried on his story with the Judgment Day, and then The Miz entered the situation. This resulted in a proposed match, but a six-man tag team match was arranged instead.
R-Truth said that their tag team partner against Judgment Day would be a guy that nobody can see. Some thought he was talking about Little Jimmy, but that’s not who he had in mind.
The six-man tag team match started as a handicap match. Suddenly, near the end of the match, John Cena entered the contest as Awesome’s Truth partner.
The three babyfaces executed triple 5 Knuckle Shuffles, and then they all hit Attitude Adjustments. The new RAW Tag Team Champions won the match with John Cena’s assist. It was quite a moment for fans in the Wells Fargo Center.
During an interview, Cena expressed his desire to temporarily step away from Hollywood to return to WWE for one final run.
He mentioned his hope for the Hollywood system to slow down a bit, allowing him the chance to reunite with his WWE “family” and embark on this journey.
Dominik Mysterio is known for getting a negative reaction from the WWE fan base whenever he has the microphone. He recently celebrated his wedding day, and he received a similar reaction during his own reception.
Video surfaced of Dominik Mysterio getting booed at his wedding. Little did anyone realize, but it was Damian Priest who had a big hand in getting that reaction from the crowd.
Damian Priest Tells All
While speaking to Steve Fall, Damian Priest opened up a bit about Dominik Mysterio’s wedding. He was there, along with other people from the pro wrestling world, to help Dirty Dom celebrate his big day.
Priest also knew that Dominik Mysterio felt more at home in a sea of boos, which he graciously facilitated for Mysterio’s wedding reception.
“It was beautiful, man. I was honored to be a part of the wedding, to just attend the wedding and we had such a good time. Then obviously, you know, busting his chops and there was a moment when they did say he’s gonna say a few words. I remember I just turned to my table and I was like, ‘We got to do it. We’re doing it. right’, and I just turned back around and I did it. Then my table followed in and I was like, Okay, that was nice. Then he went to speak again and the entire wedding party, like, everybody did it, and then I really laughed and he just gave me a look. That was a good one. But man, the whole thing was, what a good day for him and his wife. So that was a special night. Like I said, I was just honored to be there.”
What’s Next For Judgment Day
The Judgment Day are still Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, and they are looking strong on the road to WrestleMania. Only time will tell if they will carry those titles out of the show of shows, but they are certainly making the most of things at this point.
Dominik Mysterio hasn’t brought his recent wedding up in the storyline, because it wouldn’t fit his heel persona. After all, he got booed at his wedding already.
SEScoops will have more on this story if there are any updates. Keep checking back for more of the headlines you need.
WWE has a few stars on their roster who love to ruffle the feathers of fans all across the world. Few have received the overall disdain from fans that Dominik Mysterio gets on a daily basis. According to the former NXT North American Champion, those boos are 100% authentic.
Dominik Mysterio’s Heel Reaction
WWE has piped in crowd responses in the past, especially when they want to prime the pump or get a chant started. Apparently, those tricks are not needed to assist fans in feeling comfortable about expressing how much they hate Dirty Dom.
Dominik recently appeared on K100 with Konnan, where he addressed the boos that he receives from the WWE Universe. The 2nd generation Superstar confirmed that those boos are organic, and they don’t need to pipe them in.
“They like it when I do that, when I go out and try to cut a promo, especially if they need to cut time out of something or they need to save time, I can go out there with a mic for two to three minutes, pretend to cut a promo. I’m still blessed to get booed. I can’t tell you, every city I go out to, it gets louder and louder.”
There is an idea out there that WWE lowers Dom’s microphone when fans are booing to make them appear that they are louder. It appears that may not be the case, at least Dominik isn’t admitting to any of those tactics.
What’s Next For Dominik Mysterio
Dominik will join forces with The Judgment Day comprising Damian Priest, Finn Balor, and JD McDonagh to take on DIY, consisting of Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano, as well as The Miz and R-Truth on Monday’s WWE RAW.
He was supposed to face Brock Lesnar at the Elimination Chamber event in Perth, Australia. Sadly for Dom, that match is not happening now, because Lesnar was removed from WWE’s landscape and all creative was nixed after his name was associated with the groundbreaking allegations in Janel Grant’s lawsuit.
WWE has many traditions, and their Money in the Bank gimmick is one long-standing idea that hasn’t gone away. If anything, when someone like Damien Priest holds the guaranteed contract for a title match, you never know what can happen.
Damian Priest Talks Cashing In Money in the Bank Contract
During last year’s Money In The Bank event, Damian Priest emerged victorious, claiming the Señor Money In The Bank title. Despite holding the contract, he has refrained from cashing it in.
Priest has recently hinted at the prospect of cashing in at WrestleMania 40. Since winning the briefcase, speculation has been rife regarding the timing of Priest’s cash-in. With more than seven months elapsed since his victory, significant developments have unfolded on WWE RAW, but he is still carrying his briefcase alongside Judgment Day.
While speaking on Sony Liv’s WWE Super Dhamaal, Damian Priest opened up about the possibilities ahead of him right now. He could cash in his Money in the Bank contract at any time, and there are some interesting options.
At this point, Priest seems very excited about the possibility of ruining someone’s night with that cash-in.
“Umm, yeah, like I said, there’s no rush, but knowing what’s coming up, WrestleMania, you got Cody, who knows what champion he’s going to face. You have [The] Rock getting involved. Obviously, Roman’s gonna be there, [and] Seth coming in as World [Heavyweight] Champion. He should be cleared by then. I could ruin a lot of people’s days. So it’s an exciting time. I don’t know exactly when or exactly who, but the options are very good.”
What’s Next
WWE has not let a Money in the Bank holder carry their briefcase until the next year’s event yet. They are certainly getting closer to that happening this time around, but Priest seems excited to cash in.
WWE’s roster has a few big contracts that are set to expire in 2024. Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Sheamus, and Drew McIntyre are just scratching the surface. Now, it has been confirmed that Finn Balor’s deal is set to end soon as well.
Finn Balor’s WWE Contract Is Expiring
Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select that another WWE contract is approaching its expiration this year. Balor’s deal with WWE is set to expire, which confirms a previous report.
On January 22nd, Wrestling Inc founder Raj Giri tweeted, “Finn Balor’s WWE contract is up after #WrestleMania. The word I’ve gotten is that he hasn’t been approached to renew yet.”
Finn Balor's WWE contract is up after #WrestleMania . The word I've gotten is that he hasn't been approached to renew yet
Fightful was able to verify with sources close to Balor that his WWE contract will conclude this year. His deal is expected to end “not immediately after WrestleMania.”
Fightful has confirmed with sources close to Balor that his WWE contract is up this year, but they claim it is “not immediately after WrestleMania,” instead saying it would be up within a few months of WrestleMania.
WWE Contracts After TKO Merger
The trend of WWE not initiating discussions about contract extensions has been observed for several wrestlers whose contracts are ending. There are several deals expiring soon, and it is interesting to see how WWE handles such a business move under new ownership.
Finn Balor is currently 1/2 of the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions alongside Damian Priest. As an important part of the Judgment Day faction, it stands to reason that WWE would want to keep the first-ever Universal Champion around.
WWE has a few sure-fire angles going, one that are guaranteed to be money-makers. R-Truth’s story with the Judgment Day shocked everyone to see how rapidly the WWE Universe responded.
R-Truth In Judgment Day
Judgement Day is comprised of Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh. It is hard to get into their family, but R-Truth apparently found a way through their bank accounts.
WWE ran an angle on RAW this week where R-Truth made direct reference to how well his new Judgment Day t-shirt is selling. He gave Priest his cut of the profits, and that calmed him down a bit.
While speaking to Busted Open Radio, R-Truth revealed that it was Damian Priest who pushed for him to remain in the Judgment Day stable. Señor Money in the Bank saw that the angle was working, and he was very correct in his observation.
“I was happy. I was ready to get out of the house and go back to the sport that I love. When they said I was working with Judgment Day, I was like, ‘Let’s do it. What are we doing?’ They could have said I was working with anybody and I was ready. I will say this, Judgment Day, they all want me.”
“I will say Damian Priest, he was like, ‘Bro, we should keep you around. This thing is working.’ He actually went to, I think it was Hunter [Triple H] and the writers. Damian Priest fought for it.”
R-Truth Is Raking In Cash For Judgment Day
R-Truth became the top merchandise seller in WWE after his Judgment Day angle took off. He dethroned CM Punk from his #1 position, a place the Second City Savior has been since his November 25th WWE Survivor Series return.
Judgment Day has not officially accepted R-Truth into the stable yet. If he can keep bringing in this kind of revenue, then that may grease the wheels.
Wrestling factions can go through a lot of changes in their lifetimes. Groups and and remove members, often violently.
WWE Hall of Famer Edge (Adam Copeland) and Damian Priest launched The Judgment Day as a duo, but it did not stay like that for long. Today’s incarnation is one of the most dominant forces in WWE, but the group looks quite different from what Copeland originally had in mind.
Judgment Day grew to be one of the biggest draws in WWE. With Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio, the group is featured heavily on WWE television. Although they never took a turn into the supernatural realm as was originally rumored for the stable, they certainly took on a new life of their own.
While speaking to Sam Roberts on the Not Sam Wrestling podcast, Copeland spoke about the original concept for the Judgment Day.
Original Plan For WWE’s Judgment Day Stable
The Rated R Superstar says the Judgment Day came about when he was approached about starting up a ‘New Brood,’ the Attitude Era’s gothic trio of Edge, Christian and Gangrel. The Brood helped put Edge and Christian on the map when they first arrived on the scene in WWE, so maybe Copeland could do something similar for one of WWE’s rising stars.
“Well, you know, with the initial inception of the Judgement Day, I really I wanted it to be these underutilized talents that I thought could be far more than what they were being utilized for. Rhea Ripley is a star and Damian Priest is a star and Finn Balor’s a star.
So initially, it was brought to me like, ‘Hey, we want to kind of start a New Brood,’ or something that feels somewhat like that. I’m like, ‘Who would it be?’ I was like, ‘Ripley and Priest.’ ‘Well, we want it go be four.’ So, it’s like.. Balor! Okay, well, then it was like, ‘We want somebody really huge.’ I was like, okay.. all right.. and then I got a text two weeks later. ‘How about Balor?’ I’m like, ‘Yep! amazing idea.’ [Laughing]”
Edge was kicked out of Judgment Day when Finn Balor made his way to the stable. After that, the Rated R Superstar and his former stable went their separate ways.
As Judgment Day remains a stable on WWE programming, they still have Edge to thank. They might not publicly thank the man who helped start the faction, because he is with AEW now, but they know where the genesis of that sable came from.
The Judgment Day stands as one of WWE’s best factions, as they took over in 2023. Judgment Day also added JD McDonagh to their ranks in recent memory. However, a recent glitch occurred when a member of the faction faced a big logistical problem while trying to attend the December 29th WWE house show.
Judgment Day Member’s Issue in Canada
During the December 29th WWE house show at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Judgment Day’s dynamic was on display. Rhea Ripley, Finn Balor, and Damian Priest actively participated in the event, while Dominik Mysterio provided corner support for Ripley.
However, JD McDonagh was notably absent from the scene. Finn Balor took to Twitter, sharing an image of The Judgment Day backstage in Canada. In the accompanying caption, he revealed McDonagh’s absence, attributing it to paperwork troubles that prevented him from joining the Canadian event.
”The only reason JD ain’t here is cos he didn’t have paperwork to travel to Canada.. the lucky SOB! @ArcherOfInfamy @RheaRipley_WWE @DomMysterio35 @jd_mcdonagh #wwetoronto”
The incident shed light on the logistical challenges faced by WWE Superstars, showcasing the intricate details behind their appearances. We can only hope that they straighten this out, so JD McDonagh doesn’t have to miss any more events outside the United States.
WWE has made history in Madison Square Garden many times in the past. They ran the famous venue on December 26th, and their trend of historic moments continued. The event was already set to be memorable for many reasons, but they also broke a financial record.
According to Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful Select, the December 26th Madison Square Garden live event set a massive record. It was the highest-grossing non-televised domestic WWE event ever.
Internal WWE live events reports claim that WWE’s live event in Madison Square Garden was sold out. The event was said to be the highest grossing domestic non-televised event of all-time for WWE.
WWE MSG 12/26 Results:
The event included four championship matches, concluding with the main event between Drew McIntyre and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.
In the opening match of the night, Becky Lynch defeated Zoey Stark. Then, Kofi Kingston beat Ludwig Kaiser, and the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships match saw Kayden Carter & Katana Chance successfully defend against Chelsea Green & Piper Niven.
Omos, accompanied by MVP, and he beat against R-Truth. In the WWE Women’s World Championship Triple Threat Match, Rhea Ripley defended her title by defeating Ivy Nile & Shayna Baszler.
The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships remained with Judgment Day after they defeated Jey Uso & Sami Zayn. That match marked Sami’s return to in-ring action after a short hiatus.
CM Punk secured a win against Dominik Mysterio. Rhea Ripley was with Dirty Dominik during the match, and it also marked Punk’s first WWE match since 2014.
Ricochet beat Bronson Reed. Then, Cody Rhodes beat Shinsuke Nakamura in a bull rope match. The final match of the night was for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a No-DQ Match, where Seth Rollins successfully defended his title against Drew McIntyre.
Judgment Day is known for their family vibe, and this new video drop from WWE shows that in full HD. The WWE stable recently had a Secret Santa gift exchange between each other, and it created a great Christmastime video.
During the festive season of gift-giving, the Judgment Day crew decided to participate in a Secret Santa gift exchange, and WWE’s cameras captured the heartwarming moments. Each of them actually put thought into their gifts, so this wasn’t a kayfabe segment meant for an angle.
Judgment Day’s Secret Santa Gifts Revealed
Finn Balor drew Rhea Ripley’s name, and he got her a Stranger Things bag, a book about women with tattoos and a beanie with “Mami” on it. Rhea Ripley got Damian Priest as her Secret Santa and gave him some Australian candy and a boomerang that she must have brought back from her recent trip Down Under.
Dominik Mysterio shared the holiday spirit by giving Finn Balor a Louis Vuitton hat. The moment that Louis Vuitton logo was seen, it captured attention, making all of us think about Dirty Dominik’s new WWE contract.
JD McDonagh drew Dominik Mysterio’s name, and he gave him some custom gold pens, with his name inscribed on them. He received some heckling over the gift, after trying to blame Finn Balor for the gift idea. Balor then revealed that he told JD to get Dominik a Rolex watch, but he’s too cheap.
To complete the gift exchange, Damian Priest gave JD McDonagh a very thoughtful present. He explained that every member of the Judgment Day was given a steel bracelet, a symbolic gesture meaning that they are officially in the stable. Now, JD has one, too.
Some fans may forget that Judgment Day was originally just Edge and Damian Priest, meaning Priest is the only OG member of the stable. That gift of a steel bracelet obviously meant a lot to JD McDonagh.
What’s Next For Judgment Day In WWE
Judgment Day is getting a little break from the road, along with the rest of the WWE roster. There is little rest for them, though, because Dominik Mysterio is booked to wrestle CM Punk in Madison Square Garden on December 26th. Odds are, he will have his Judgment Day family with him at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
Dominik Mysterio has been an absolute workhorse for WWE in 2023. As we enjoy Dominik Mysterio’s rise in WWE, it’s always important to remember when he came from.
Dominik Mysterio’s Arrest Situation
Many fans consider Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley invading Rey Mysterio’s home on Christmas as one of the benchmarks for his rise as a heel in WWE.
That was quite a fiasco, resulting in a viral video, and the “My mom hit Mami” meme. The Judgment Day members were just getting started, and that viral video created quite a storm. It also caused the catalyst for the Prison Dominik character.
That all went down one year ago today, and WWE wanted to make sure that fans remember that monumental event in Dominik Mysterio’s WWE career. The company’s social media account posted the video, along with a caption, to celebrate the one-year anniversary of that memorable moment.
Dominik Mysterio recently inked a new WWE contract. He will be with the company for years to come. Although it wasn’t 100% confirmed, the belief is that Dirty Dominik’s new WWE deal is a five-year contract.
So far in 2023, Dominik Mysterio has wrestled 102 matches, doubling his number from 2022. He’s not finished yet, because Dominik still has two matches against CM Punk coming up at WWE live events.
Dominik Mysterio may be a hardened ex-convict (at least in his own mind) but the young Superstar has been getting into some actual trouble with WWE.
At WWE Clash at the Castle last September, Mysterio turned heel by attacking his father Rey Mysterio and Edge and has since joined the Judgment Day.
After being ‘arrested’ for showing up to his father’s home over the holidays, the younger Mysterio has adopted an ‘ex-con’ character despite being bailed out after a few hours.
Missing Flights
Mysterio’s arrest was of course just for show, but there has been a slight issue with the young Superstar’s organization and punctuality.
Appearing on the latest K100 podcast, Dominik was asked by Konnan if he has been scolded backstage by WWE management yet.
“I don’t think so but they have gotten on me because I’ve gotten a reputation of missing some flights.”
Dominik Mysterio.
Interestingly, many have compared Mysterio’s attire on this week’s Raw to Konnan during the latter’s WCW days.
What’s next?
During this week’s Raw, Mysterio competed on behalf of the Judgment Day in a tag-team gauntlet main event.
Replacing Finn Balor, who was deemed unable to compete mid-match, Mysterio and Damian Priest won the match and earned a shot at the Raw Tag Team Championships.
The Bloodline and Judgment Day are two of the strongest forces in WWE. What would happen if those forces collided?
The Bloodline is comprised of Roman Reigns, The Usos, Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman (plus Sami Zayn, the honorary Uce). Reigns and The Usos hold the top singles and tag team championships in WWE. Meanwhile, Judgement Day includes Finn Balor, Rhea Ripley, Damian Priest and Dominick Mysterio.
It’s inevitable that these two groups will cross paths. If you ask Priest about who would win, he feels pretty good about his group’s chances. The Archer of Infamy discussed this topic and more on The Five Count, a podcast hosted by Dustin Wilmes & Juston “Ton” Cline.
Judgement Day vs. The Bloodline
Priest was asked about a Judgement Day vs. Bloodline feud, he took a moment to appreciate the vast amount of talent on WWE’s roster. That depth ebbs and flows over the years, but Priest thinks it’s a golden era for wrestling fans.
“There are a crazy amount of names when you think about the WWE,” he began. “It’s the best of the best, you have the best talent in the world and all these larger than life names and characters. It’s hard to pick one over the other, but it’d be a lie if I didn’t say at some point, we need the Judgment Day and the Bloodline to get in there and mix it up.”
Priest wants his name to live forever. He wants the fame, fortune and stardom that come with being a main event player. If you want to be the top dog, you need to test yourself against the best. Right now, that’s Roman Reigns.
“I have to do that, I have to run through Roman Reigns,” Priest continued. “That has to happen. At some point, I’m sure it will, we’ll cross paths down the line.”
Priest says working with Reigns is “always a thought in my head” and the two of them need to handle some business together.
When will these showdowns happen? When will Priest feel ready to challenge Reigns, and for Judgement Day to challenge the Bloodline? Surprisingly, he doesn’t think Judgement Day is ready just yet. “I know that’ll be great when it does happen.. We need to get the Judgment Day up to that level first.”
Michael Cole may have bitten off more than he can chew with a recent remark he made about Rhea Ripley.
The 26-year-old grappler from Adelaide, Australia is one of the most feared Superstars in WWE – and we’re not just talking about the women’s division. Ripley’s career was growing stagnant earlier this year, and she even spoke about the need to get herself back on track. She did just that earlier this year when she joined the Judgment Day faction, which also includes Finn Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio.
The group has been feuding with AJ Styles and The OC. The Judgment Day has gotten the upper hand in this gang warfare so far, with OC leader stating that Ripley is the reason the group has been so dominant.
At WWE’s recent Crown Jewel premium live event, announcer Michael Cole said that someone needs to kick Ripley’s ass. That didn’t go over so well with Ripley. She’s letting Cole know comments like that won’t be tolerated and has since challenge him to a fight.
On Saturday morning, Ripley wrote on Twitter, “Fight me @Michael Cole”
Doin’t expect to see Cole take her up on this challenge. However, one thing is for sure. You can’t just run your mouth about the Judgment Day’s toughest member.
The OC recently brought in Mia Yim to feud with Ripley as part of this ongoing feud.
For the last few months, Finn Balor and his Judgment Day cohorts have been at odds with the man who brought them together: Edge. At WWE Extreme Rules, the two will have an “I Quit” match.
Balor feels like this is the only way to settle their story. He told the New York Post, “Edge says he won’t quit, but he’s clearly quit one time before 11 years ago. I can promise you I’ve never quit once in my career in the ring or outside of the ring. That will remain the same at the Extreme Rules.”
For Balor, this feud with Edge has been a long time coming. Due to Edge’s sudden retirement, Balor thought he’d never get to face “The Rated R Superstar”. “Any idea or hope or dream I had of wrestling Edge in the ring kind of evaporated. He returned to the ring at Royal Rumble (in 2020) and that spark was reignited. Our careers had not been aligned up until recently and I feel like everything has kind of fallen into place the last couple months and the match is finally happening. “
Judgment Day allows Balor to be more authentic
(via WWE)
Balor has found success with his new stable. He believes that’s due to being allowed to be a heel and not boxed in as a babyface like he was in his early WWE career.
“I’ve kind of tapped into a more real, authentic version of Finn that has kind of been suppressed the last couple of years in WWE. I feel like I’m finally able to create the version of myself that I feel comfortable with and that is certainly a more vicious, aggressive style of wrestling.”
Being a part of Judgment Day has breathed new life into his character. “I’ve worked for most of my career as a heel or more naturally as a nasty, vicious heel and I was framed to be a babyface by WWE, really against my will. It’s not something that I feel comfortable with or I feel like I execute to the best of my abilities and I feel a lot more comfortable in the role that I’m in now. It doesn’t really feel like a stretch of the imagination. I just really feel like I have to go out there and be myself. That allows me to be a lot more at home in the character and a lot more comfortable in the ring. I’m able to showcase the abilities that I have that I’m not able to showcase as a babyface.”
“So I feel like this is really the direction I wanted the heel NXT version of Finn to go. We just never had a chance to fully execute that. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.”
At WWE Clash at the Castle, Dominik Mysterio turned heel on his father Rey and Edge, who had won their match with The Judgment Day’s Finn Balor and Damian Priest.
For many, Dominik’s heel turn had been a long-time coming, having been teased all the way back in 2020 during Rey’s feud with Seth Rollins.
On last week’s Raw Dominik was welcomed as an official member of The Judgment Day.
Monday Night Raw
Tonight, Dominik will have his first official match since turning heel, when he faces Edge on Monday Night Raw.
According to a report from PW Insider, a match may not be all from Dominik, as an angle could be shown from Edge’s home (via Cageside Seats.)
“PW Insider notes Rey & Dominik Mysterio were both in Asheville, North Carolina this past weekend, leading to speculation they may have shot an angle, or filmed something, at Edge’s house because that’s where he lives.”
The Rated-R Home
Edge, who ironically invaded John Cena’s home in 2006, is having to get used to uninvited guests in his domain.
Last October, Seth Rollins invaded Edge’s home during their feud, with the Rated-R Superstar rushing from SmackDown.
Edge even referenced AEW tag-team FTR, using the real names of Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood on a phone call to his wife Beth Phoenix.
In a recent interview, Rollins said that the idea for the home invasion came from Edge, and that this too was filmed in Asheville, North Carolina.
Finn Balor would like to have AJ Styles to join his Judgment Day faction.
Balor was the latest guest on the Out of Character podcast with Ryan Satin. This was recorded during SummerSlam weekend in Nashville.
During their discussion, they spoke about a wide range of topics, including his experience living through the pandemic. Balor says the pandemic was the most mentally challenging period of his life, without question.
He was landlocked in the United States and dealing with visa issues that prevented him from going back to Ireland and resolving things. He vented that it was super challenging. His father got sick and he couldn’t be there for him. He also couldn’t see his siblings or their children, who were babies before the pandemic and ‘little humans’ 2 years later.
Judgment Day
Balor said he’s really excited about the Judgment Day faction. He really enjoys working with his partners, Damien Priest and Rhea Ripley.
He thinks Priest has a really cool look and is a total badass. Ripley has big star potential and feels this could be the vehicle to solidify her in that role.
All three of them get along great and he loves that the group is presented as equals. There is no leader and he’s truly excited for what lies ahead. However, he said, “Hopefully we add more members.”
Adding Another Member
This got Ryan Satin’s attention, who pressed Balor on who he’d like to add to the faction. He said this could be talent from Raw, SmackDown or NXT. Balor threw out several names, but focused on one man he’d most like to see in the group.
“I had thought of a couple people, said Balor. “I love Walter (Gunther), but he’s doing his own thing. Tommaso Ciampa is doing his thing with Miz, so that’s kind of off the table.”
“Maybe AJ, you know. We haven’t essentially fallen out, we’re just not on the same page. Maybe AJ, bring AJ in. I think his work as a heel is just, pardon the pun, but phenomenal.
– Finn Balor
“.. or we could go and find someone new, a fresh face from NXT. Given a little more time to think about it, I could have given you a better answer. I’d love Brock in the Judgment Day.”
Listen to Finn Balor’s appearance on the Out of Character podcast with Ryan Satin:
When WWE talent transitions from developmental (NXT) to the main roster, there’s always the issue of how much of their act will be changed. There is the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” When talking about the creative side of pro wrestling, this adage isn’t always followed.
Damien Priest is one of the lucky performers who did not skip a beat after leaving NXT. His success in WWE comes down to timing, but also making the most of an opportunity. The Bad Bunny mainstream rub certainly helped. At the same time, the two’s alliance felt far deeper than your typical celebrity involvement. Priest was entrusted with helping one of the biggest music stars in the world succeed in the ring. The imposing Raw superstar opened eyes and turned heads, showing what he could do when given the ball.
The former United States champion continues to prove himself as a pillar of Judgment Day. Among his biggest tests comes in a marquee match on Raw against rival Edge from his hometown of Toronto.
Over SummerSlam weekend I had the chance to sit down with Priest to reflect on some of his biggest recent moments, the impact Bad Bunny made, and Judgment Day’s future.
Rey Mysterio’s Influence
You were part of Rey Mysterio’s big 20th anniversary in WWE live from Madison Square Garden. What did that night mean to you as a fan and New Yorker?
Damian Priest: “Obviously, we’re feuding, but realistically, when I go out, the main thing I get told is ‘Thank you’ for representing. There isn’t any of that without Rey Mysterio. He was someone who was looked at as somebody who shouldn’t have achieved the success he has. Forget his size. Just being Latino. That meant a lot. I remember growing up watching him, so it was meaningful. Now I’m in that role of also someone representing our culture.
I’m still learning a lot from him. The way he treats people and tries to enhance representation. It was a big deal. Then it’s The Garden, so many things. Talk about the perfect place and time. It became, ‘Man, I just worked Rey Mysterio in Madison Square Garden on the night he was celebrating his 20th anniversary with WWE.’ That was just wild to me.”
Judgment Day
(via WWE)
It seemed things were really picking up with Edge leading Judgment Day. How did you react to this change of guard?
Damian Priest: “Our idea is still the same. With Rhea Ripley healthy, we’re excited. We’re all giddy in the back talking about the chaos we’re going to cause. Even without the cameras on, we’re dangerous. The three of us are dangerous together. We’ve been looking forward to this. That’s the idea. We were all fine on our own and as singles competitors, but this gives us a different look. A different vibe, and opportunity. Growing up I’ve always wanted to be in a faction. I was a big faction guy. The nWo, DX, Four Horsemen, Evolution. So many groups I was a fan of.
To be a part of one and the idea there is no leader. We support each other. Whoever a particular moment is about, we’re going to support that person in the front. It’s all the same. It’s a revolving door of leadership. As long as we maintain that mentality, I think now the fans are really going to see something special. We haven’t really been able to do it yet, but we’re just getting started. The future is going to be really cool for us and for the fans.
Working with Bad Bunny
Your profile really grew alongside Bad Bunny. You can see he really put in the work. Do you think he helped change the overall perception when celebrities decide they want to wrestle? That it’s more than a publicity stunt.
Damian Priest: “We’ve had celebrities before, but I think he is an example of what someone from a different world can do in our world. You don’t have to come in, promote something and leave. You can earn the respect of the fans and the talent. You can create something special for yourself, your fanbase, and us working together.
I haven’t been here the longest, so I can’t speak on celebrities who have been here before, but what he did was unprecedented in the way he treated us and this business. The respect he showed everyone. When you have guys like Randy Orton going up to him saying, “Hey, thanks for showing us respect. Thanks for doing this. You are one of the boys.” I was there and felt emotion for Bad Bunny.
That’s amazing when you have someone of that caliber saying that to you. That’s awesome. Now you got guys like Logan Paul signing a contract. These guys are not coming in for just a one-off or for a joke or laugh. They are taking this seriously. Bad Bunny may have changed the narrative about how celebrities should treat us and how the company should accept celebrities coming in. Not just opening the doors to anybody. Earn it. He may have changed a little bit of that culture.”
Could a new member be making his way to The Judgment Day?
Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley made waves when they turned on Edge in order to align themselves with Finn Balor. All three of them kicked Edge out of the group he created.
Ever since Priest laid out Edge with a Conchairto, the “Rated-R Superstar” hasn’t been seen on WWE TV.
While Balor, Priest, and Rhea appear to be formidable on their own, they may be adding a new member.
WWE’s Judgment Day faction underwent a significant shakeup this week. At the conclusion of Monday’s Raw, we saw Finn Balor align himself with Edge, Damien Priest and Rhea Ripley. Balor is a strong addition, but they would not remain a foursome for long.
Within moments, Balor, Priest and Ripley turned on Edge and kicked him out of the group he founded. It was a swerve that fans, nor Edge, saw coming.
Damien Priest spoke with TV Insider this week about the rise of Judgment Day, how he’s changed since joining and an NXT star he could see joining their ranks.
Coming into His Own
Damien Priest has enjoyed success in WWE, including in NXT and on the main roster. However, he feels that he’s now doing his best work and can truly realize his potential.
“The best stories are when they come from reality,” said Priest. “I was frustrated. I was doing what I was asked to do. I was this overly babyface good guy coming out smiling, happy, saying all the right things. It just didn’t click. I was doing everything everyone wanted me to do.”
Fans would cheer him whenever he was helping out WWE’s top babyface wrestlers, but that wasn’t satisfying him. Judgment Day has given him the opportunity to embrace his darker side and express himself creatively.
“I’m more comfortable now than I’ve been since joining the Raw roster.”
– Damien Priest on his role in Judgment Day
Priest was the first Superstar to embrace Edge’s dark vision. Rhea Ripley and Finn Balor would soon follow. Edge no longer fit the group’s direction, but Priest sees one NXT star in particular who would.
“If I had to pick anyone from NXT, the first person I would pick is Santos [Escobar]. I’ve always been a fan of his stuff. Just carries himself so well. Great in the ring, well-spoken. When you look at him, the guy doesn’t look like a random person. He looks like a star.”
Santos Escobar is a second-generation luchador and a former NXT Cruiserweight champion. He currently leads the Legado Del Fantasma faction. Prior to joining WWE he competed as King Cuerno in Lucha Underground.
Visit TV Insider to read their full interview with Damien Priest.
It appears Edge was none too pleased with the direction of The Judgment Day.
The seeds had been planted for a new faction led by Edge at WrestleMania 38. Damian Priest cost AJ Styles his match against Edge after interfering.
Eventually, Edge added Rhea Ripley to the group. Finn Balor ended up joining as well on the June 6 episode of WWE Raw but The Judgment Day turned on Edge and took him out of commission.
Edge Opposed Change in Direction
Fightful is reporting that WWE began to go in the direction of turning the faction into something “supernatural.” It’s been said that Edge did not like this idea at all.
WWE ultimately decided to go in this direction shortly before this week’s Raw went on the air.
The report also noted that there were discussions to turn Finn Balor heel before Hell in a Cell. At that point, there hadn’t been any mention of The Judgment Day turning on Edge.
As advertised, Edge revealed the latest member of The Judgment Day faction on Monday Night Raw and it’s Finn Balor. However, there was a twist.
Edge, Rhea Ripley, and Damian Priest came out to the ring for a promo. Edge talked about how proud he is of them and says Rhea is a superstar wrecking machine. He said Priest has confidence like no other because they listened. He introduced the newest member of the group, which was Balor.
At Sunday’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event, Judgment Day went over AJ Styles, Balor, and Liv Morgan in a six-person tag team match.
Edge said Balor reached out and put Balor over for being so great. Edge wanted to know what made Balor change his mind. Balor said he saw clarity after Hell in a Cell and joining the group was a calling that he refuses to fight because he’s tired of pretending who he is.
Priest said they were finally to let go of what was the last thing holding them back, which was Edge. They beat down Edge and kicked him out of the group. Edge was seemingly written off TV after Priest hit him with a chair.
Over the last few weeks, The WWE Hall Of Famer has been teasing that the group would be getting another member and hinted at several different names including Ciampa, Paige, Beth Phoenix, and Corey Graves.
Damian Priest wants former world champion AJ Styles to stop fighting and join their Judgement Day faction led by Edge instead.
The former US champion recently had an interview with Bleav in Pro Wrestling podcast. He talked about things such as his upcoming Hell In A Cell match and more.
When asked which star he would like to join their faction next after Rhea Ripley, Priest took the name of Styles. Damian said that when he first came to WWE, AJ was on the top of the list of people he wanted to work with:
“AJ Styles. We need him to come over to the other side. I mean stop fighting against and fight with, fight alongside. When I first signed a contract to come to WWE, he was on top of that list of people I wanted to work with and I knew he would elevate me.”
Damian Priest continued to praise the Phenomenal One. He claimed that if you can’t have a good match with Styles, then you don’t belong in WWE.
The Judgement Day is currently scheduled to compete in a six-man tag team match against Finn Balor, AJ Styles, and Liv Morgan at the Hell In A Cell PPV this Sunday.
