Over the years, we’ve seen several acts come and go without a whimper in WWE storylines. For whatever reason, they just don’t seem to click with the audience.
It could be a flat-out, terrible idea or just the wrong people in the wrong roles, but many an angle has been the equivalent of sticking a round peg in a square hole. It just didn’t fit. More often than not, these ideas find themselves quickly dispatched to the nearest dumpster.
However, one current WWE angle that looked like it was ready for the scrap heap has been successfully recycled. Or, possibly even resurrected. And that’s following a rocky beginning where the very existence of the story was being called into question. Not just by the fans, but by critics and observers, as well.
The Judgment Day was originally designed to be younger stars headed by a newly-turned-heel Edge back in the formation of the faction. It went over terribly, as the fans didn’t want to see the wildly popular Rated-R Superstar play the role of ‘the bad guy’. Even with the tantalizing prospect of seeing Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest finally getting some time in the spotlight, most in the WWE Universe shunned the angle.
That’s when WWE became contrite. They made amends by replacing Edge as the leader of Judgment Day with Finn Balor. Even then, it seemed like the group was skating on thin ice. They were still being crucified, despite their best efforts.
It Was Time for Judgment Day to Try One Last Time to Reach the Promised Land. And Ironically? It Was a Child Who Would Lead Them
Well, maybe not a child, but an incredibly young performer, who was the unlikeliest of shepherds.
The heel turn of Dominik Mysterio seemed almost silly to some at the time. Basically being dismissed as ‘Rey’s son’, he hadn’t really found his own persona yet. Several people even questioned if he was ready for the main roster. Maybe he needed more seasoning or some time away from his father on NXT. It just wasn’t clicking for the youngster, and there was a lot of chatter online that he was simply riding his family’s legendary coattails. Something had to give.
However, his embrace of the ‘dark side’ – and then subsequently the ‘weird’ storyline with Ripley that has followed – has been the impetus for Judgment Day’s miracle turnaround. In what seemed like an afterthought at the time, it totally changed their image. They morphed from comedically gothic supervillains to a scary scourge on RAW’s roster.
In the end, they’ve been better off for it. All because of a hail mary that happened to result in a touchdown. The Dom storyline probably shouldn’t have worked. But somehow it did, and everything just went from there.
That was in June. Throughout the second half of 2022, Judgment Day was upon us. And they were in the business of taking souls.
Given New Life, the Faction’s Turnaround Has Been Nothing Short of Miraculous
Once considered just placeholders on weekly programming, they’ve proven all the Doubting Thomases wrong. They’ve repaid Triple H’s faith in them by becoming big-time players on TV. Now, Judgment Day is one of WWE’s more successful acts.
In an era where it seems like everyone in pro wrestling is in some sort of group, clique, or faction, it’s hard for any of them to have much meaning. Carving out your own niche or identity is almost impossible. But Judgment Day has done just that, with each member playing a significant role in their success.
It’s like perfect synergy. The kind that never would have happened if WWE pulled the plug on this faction when many were calling for it. Instead, they have been re-born. Resurrected on RAW, if you will.
Now that they have risen and are climbing the ranks of wrestling royalty, the group has reached superstar status. It’s likely that they will stick around long-term and may be one of those groups that will drop and add members to their flock over the years. But make no mistake about it, they’re here to stay for quite a while.
It’s amazing to speculate on what Balor, Priest, Rhea, and Dominik would be doing right now if all the pieces hadn’t fallen into place. They would all likely be floundering in some form of their previous selves. But now, as a group, they shine. Together, they have brought life to an angle that was once buried. Instead, they’ve led it back to the light.
Now, they are poised to strike down the WWE roster with great vengeance and furious anger.
All in the name of redemption.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on the WWE Network and Peacock.
