It started with a silly name. What exactly did the name “The Judgment Day” really mean? Wasn't that the name of a former WWE pay-per-view? Was the newly formed faction going to be this era's version of The Brood? Which in retrospect wasn't that successful of a wrestling stable as everyone previously thought.

The Judgment Day… without Edge

If you've followed WWE for a good length a time, you probably have a pretty good idea on where their creative directions are leaning. You may not know step for step, but if you're a longtime fan, you know the tropes.

When Edge formed The Judgment Day after WrestleMania 38 and turned heel, the hope was to establish new stars in the form of Damien Priest, Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley (and later Dominik). Like any good heel faction, Edge as the leader would wrestle less often, allowing his fellow members to take on matches and bumps for him that would also help lengthen the 49-year-olds career. It's a classic WWE recipe.

Edge was then and now at the point in his career to help make new stars, as he told Corey Graves and Kevin Patrick back in March on WWE's After the Bell. Most thought that would have been in the form of opponents as there was little to believe that the hall of famer could viably come back as a heel. His comeback story was too good to allow such a move, not to mention his legendary status that typically garners respectful applause from fans would overrule such a move.

Well, it certainly didn't last long, as two months into the faction's genesis, the group turned on Edge in classic wrestling fable. This was, of course, after Balor had joined, essentially becoming the new leader and turning heel himself.

There were rumors swirling the reason for Edge's abrupt leaving the group was due to the “supernatural” creative direction he wasn't in favor of, according to The Wrestling Observer. This was never confirmed but it would make sense as to his sudden departure.

Most believed that this was probably the end of The Judgment Day and yet another abrupt Vince McMahon move. It ended up being the best thing for the faction.

Since that night back in June when Balor joined, The Judgment Day has been taken to heights that no one would have seen. And believe it or not, that's still in large part due to Edge, along with a string of other opponents.

Finn Balor

WWE has put every member of The Judgment Day in the best positions possible. They extended a feud with Edge to nearly a year, culminating in a Hell in a Cell match with Balor at WrestleMania 39. Now, Balor is looking meaner and more vengeful than he has in years, and will be challenging Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship at Money in the Bank. WWE has even been using Rollins to tell how Balor is back to “the guy who beat me seven years ago.” Balor, who has never been the biggest guy in the ring, looks like a viable challenger for the title.

Rhea Ripley

Rhea Ripley, meanwhile, has become the absolute star of the women's division. She and Charlotte Flair put on an absolute classic at WrestleMania 39. She hasn't missed a beat since defeating Charlotte, as her stock has only continued to rise, particularly with her relationship with Dominik Mysterio. In fact, it's probably due to Dominik's presence the only way she's been able to maintain her heel status. Ripley has become dominating force, from her entrance to her ring work and overall appearance that she's starting to get more cheers than jeers.

Dominik

Speaking of Dominik, he's the absolute heat seeker of the group, and perhaps maybe it's savior to a degree. Whether WWE has been pumping in boo's at shows or not, Dom Dom might have the most heat of anyone in the WWE right now, which is saying something considering he was almost sent down to NXT before joining The Judgment Day and turning on his father last year. It's his feud with his own, real-life father, Rey Mysterio, that has catapulted him and The Judgment Day into a new stratosphere, not excluding Rey.

Damien Priest

Damien Priest was always thought to have a tremendous upside to him. He was big, strong, with the look of a good, nasty heel to be. But nothing ever quite materialized until he joined The Judgment Day. However, Priest's best work since joining was when he worked with international pop star Bad Bunny at Backlash this year. Add in the Puerto Rico setting with a red hot crowd with two Latino's in the middle of the ring, and it was a the perfect recipe for success. Although Priest lost the match to a celebrity vocalist, he set himself apart that night in a lot of ways, becoming more popular than he's ever been and has continued to climb since.

The Judgment Day rules Raw

In a year's time, The Judgment Day have become a vital emphasis on Raw. They're arguably the top heels on the show every week, where everything flows through what they do. To see what they've come from after most thought they would be nothing more than a failed attempt at establishing a bunch of never-would-be's, they've flourished into one of the best parts of WWE programming.