On the road to WrestleMania 38, Edge issued an open challenge to a match which AJ Styles responded to. A dream match for many, WWE Added a wrinkle to the story by having the superstar hit styles noted with a low blow and Conchairto. It was a Swerve that fans didn’t see coming, with Edge Talking Talel for the first time since 2010.
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Fans resisted Bouing Edge, but he threw himself into the gimmick with a very new presentation that intrigued the audience. His run as leader of the Judgment Day faction would be short-lived, as he would be ousted by Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, and newest member, Finn Balor. The reason for this is unclear. Some reports suggest that Edge and WWE Creative were not on the same page, while others suggest that WWE needed a major babyface Afterwards Cody Rhodes tore his PEC and would miss months of raw. Regardless of this change and all subsequent twists and turns in the Judgment Day story, the faction has accomplished exactly what Edge wanted in the first place.
Judgment day is born to build new stars
Edge believed in Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley
- Edge wanted to get Priest and Ripley with the fans.
- Both Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley had been struggling for some time.
- Judgment Day was supposed to be a star vehicle.
As is the case with many factions in professional wrestling, Judgment Day was built to help build stars and get them over with the fans. This was exactly what Edge wanted to achieve, Tell WWE after the bell:
“I was watching them all from NXT and kind of kept tabs on them and kept my eye on them all these years. So when I was asked to start a group and I was asked who would be in it, the first names that I said were Priest, Ripley, Balor” (H/T. TJR Wrestling)
This was an interesting situation, as Balor had already been cemented as a mid-card guy, and his subsequent booking did nothing to change that. But at the time, Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley were struggling to stand out. The priest had a bland character and fans had no reason to invest in him. Ripley was full of potential but failed to take the next big step toward true superstar status, instead floating from one aimless tag team to another. So while Edge probably saw something in Balor, Judgment Day was never supposed to be a star-studded vehicle for Mami and punishment. But this road would become much more complicated in the months to follow.
Judgment Day needed time to settle after the edge of the left
It was a sink or swim moment for Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley
- Judgment Day needed time to stabilize the ship after going overboard.
- Finn Balor didn’t have the same star power, so the other members had to step up.
- Judgment Day really started to evolve after Edge was thrown out.
From the moment Edge turned heel, it became clear that fans would have to adapt to the idea of booing him. But that didn’t last long, as Finn Balor’s addition coincided with his removal from the faction, courtesy of a Conchairto. Without an edge, Judgment Day no longer had the major name they needed to anchor the faction.
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At this point, WWE Creative made the smart decision to highlight one group member at a time. While Balor tried and failed to deal with Edge alone, he teamed up with Priest in Tag Team Action. During this time, Rhea Ripley became the dominant force within the group and was instrumental in Dominik Mysterio’s heel transformation and helping him develop his character. It was an interesting balance; Where Balor was failing, Ripley was thriving and the Priest was relatively directionless.
As Mami won championship gold and Edge finally put Balor out at WrestleMania 39, Mysterio got the chance to refine his character, while Priest was pushed into the spotlight. A high-profile feud and great match with Bad Bunny led to him winning the money in the bank case. JD McDonagh joined the group and signs of impending trouble between Balor and Priest kept the group moving forward. Priest’s successful cash-in at WrestleMania 40 to become the World Heavyweight Champion began his rise to main event status. His run with the briefcase had been disappointing, so this reign was probably his only chance to make it big.
Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley are massively over
Edge’s original vision for Judgment Day is a reality
- Priest began to get the fans on his side as the heavyweight champion of the world.
- Fans were already in love with Ripley and she had a megastar aura.
- The public had great reactions to the terrorist twins.
The tension between Balor and Priest was at the heart of much of the latter’s World Heavyweight Championship reign. Priest had previously cost Balor his shot at revenge against Seth Rollins for the title, and the prince began to play the long game. Their exchanges allowed Priest to evolve as a character, adding the best elements of his previous status as the Archer of Infamy, making him a cool character for fans to start rooting for.
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This was key, as Ripley’s budding feud with Liv Morgan had to be put on hold due to a legitimate injury that also sent Mami to the championship. Priest thrived under pressure, and when Ripley finally returned, the fans were more than ready to cheer. This is what happened at Summerslam 2024, also known as Judgment Day, imploded.
In the first match of the evening, “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio turned on Ripley and helped Liv Morgan retain the Women’s World Championship. It was a shocking conclusion that managed to transform Mysterio even more. In the penultimate match, Priest worked an incredible fight against Gunther with his World Heavyweight Championship on the line. That’s when the Prince struck, and Priest getting distracted cost him his title .
Judgment Day the new look added Morgan to its ranks, along with Carlito, who had joined earlier. Meanwhile, fans went Berserk for Priest and Ripley, as they fended off their former comrades as terrorist twins. Although Priest and Ripley love each other, they have since grown apart. Mami is still in the lead, having finally defeated Morgan for the Women’s World Championship when Raw debuted on Netflix. The Priest finally put Balor on the same night, and his status as a main event star is unquestionable.
A lot has changed since Edge formed Judgment Day at WrestleMania 38, but the faction accomplished exactly what he set out to do; Getting Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley as main event stars of a new generation.
