In 2023, few WWE performers have as much heat with wrestling audiences as Dominik Mysterio.

The only son of WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio, “Dirty” Dom has transitioned from an unpopular – in a bad way – tag team specialist to an even more unpopular – in a good way – heel as the smarmiest member of the most popular heel faction on RAW, the Judgment Day. Though his addition to the group was initially something of a gimmick, a way to potentially mess with the elder Mysterio, if not the entire WWE Universe, the connection has proven to be one of the best ideas of the Paul “Triple H” Levesque creative era, with a North American Championship reign in NXT rounding out the championship pedigree of the faction.

Discussing the developments of the Judgment Day as a whole and Mysterio as a pro, specifically in an interview on Ringer Wrestling Show, “Grand Slam” Finn Balor let it be known that he's incredibly proud of his faction.

“All three. I thought they were good. I didn't know they were that good. Damian [Priest], I knew he had it in him. He just didn't….maybe he didn't realise it himself or he needed that extra like kick up the ass to kind of get going and I feel like in the last couple of months, especially since winning Money In The Bank, and becoming Señor Money In The Bank, he's really stepped it up a gear,” Finn Balor said via SE Scoops.

“Rhea [Ripley], I think everyone knew was a superstar from the day she walked in the door. It was just a matter of time. For me the biggest surprise was Dominik because he's kind of completely stepped out, and probably exceeded any expectation that anyone had for his entire career in one year. In one year. Last weekend was the one-year anniversary since he joined the Judgement Day.”

Turning his attention to Mysterio specifically, Balor complemented how quickly the second-generation WWE Superstar has gotten his game together, having to grow up on national television without the benefit of a developmental run.

“I feel like he was given kind of a warm reception when he came in because he was the son of Hall of Famer, son of Rey Mysterio. He was kind of like accepted because he was the blood of Rey Mysterio. It was like ‘Ah we appreciate you're doing this for us. Because we love your dad so much, we're gonna cheer for you too,'” Balor added.

“Once he stepped out from under that tree and started fending for himself, he's just been a completely different animal. Not only the growth he's shown, outside of the ring and on his promos and his character work, but his growth inside of the ring has been absolutely monumental for someone who has had very little training, no NXT experience pretty much. Most of his training has been done on the job, on live TV. This kid is the future of the business, in my opinion.”

Though he may be polarizing, Mysterio really has taken steps forward both as a wrestler and on the mic, with his pairing with Rhea Ripley becoming one of the true highlights of Levesque's creative output. Boo him if you'd like, but Mysterio is what he is, and it doesn't look like WWE is going to lean off the gas any time soon.

Bully Ray is proud of Dominik Mysterio's emotional growth.

While Dominik Mysterio may generate most of his heat from the WWE Universe for being a selfish nepo baby who is very good at being bad, on the most recent edition of RAW, the second-generation Superstar showed some unlikely emotional depth in his conversation with Jey Uso, whom he tried to connect with over their shared family issues.

Evaluating this RAW segment on Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray complimented Mysterio for his unlikely emotional depth, noting that professional wrestling is built around emotions.

“[Dom is] hated, absolutely hated, gets booed out of the building — but now he's tugging at your heartstrings,” Bully Ray said via Wrestling Inc.

“See what happens when this is done the right way? Then when it's all over, you're saying to yourself, ‘What the h*ll. Did I just feel bad for him? I hate Dom Mysterio.' This is the importance of emotion. It's the No. 1 thing that wrestling is built on — emotional connection, not emotionally connecting to a move.”

Does Mysterio genuinely believe Jey Uso will join the Judgment Day? It's impossible to know, but it's safe to say this development will be one to watch over the next few weeks.