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In case you haven't noticed, Judgment Day have kind of become the talk of the professional business as of late, with Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, Finn Balor, and Dominik Mysterio being discussed by everyone from Adam “Edge” Copeland to Christian Cage, and pretty much every member of the WWE roster from RAW to SmackDown, and even NXT, keeping an eye on the purple and black faction.
Sure, the faction isn't exactly operating in a position of strength at the moment, as since Payback the faction last lost two important matches to Trick Williams at No Mercy and the team of Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso at Fastlane and have been feuding internally over the inclusion of JD McDonagh as part of the group, but as a general rule, the group remains a heavy hitter within the WWE Universe.
Need proof? Well, ask none other than the “Archer of Infamy, ” Damian Priest, who informed Matt Camp, Megan Morant, and company on The Bump that everything is fine within the faction, and they all work together to lead the group into the future.
“They’re right. I think a few short weeks ago, I was the one everybody was saying was the leader. A few months before that, it was Finn Balor. Before that, well, nobody really ever says Dom. But it’s interchangeable. We’re all leaders, so they are right. She is a leader, and I think Finn Balor’s a leader. I’m a leader. I think we all share in that leadership role, and right now, she’s just taking more of it because we obviously at times don’t act like ourselves,” Damian Preist noted.
“In this instance, she was there to lead me the right way. When she wasn’t around, I kind of took the reigns of leading the guys in a certain way. Other times, when Rhea was distracted and I was distracted, Finn Balor stepped in. That’s the beauty about what we got going on. We can all lean on each other, and somebody’s always gonna step up and take that leadership role when it’s needed.”
While some may suggest that Priest is posturing for the cameras, as Ripley has clearly been wheelin' and dealin' for the faction while forming alliances with Paul Heyman and The Bloodline and pushing Adam Pearce for important matches, keeping things open does make things easier for everyone involved, as fans all saw what happened the last time Judgment Day had a designated leader.
Could Damian Priest fit in factions outside of Judgment Day?
While Damian Priest is doing just fine as a member of the WWE Universe, as he's doing well in Judgment Day, won the Undisputed Tag Team Championships for a time, and is the current Money in the Bank contract holder, Señor Money in the Bank isn't just a byproduct of the faction founded by Edge.
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No, according to another WWE Hall of Famer, Shawn Waltman, aka X-Pac, aka Syx, aka The 1-2-3 Kid, Priest is the sort of performer who could pretty much work in any faction past or present, as he has an interchangeable skillset that could work anywhere, as he told Fightful in an exclusive interview.
“In WWE, I’m a big supporter of Damian Priest. He’s been one of my draft picks, as Scott Hall used to say, since before he even got into the WWE,” Shawn Waltman told Fightful. “Especially after he got signed by them and started really putting in all the work. He’s got that Money in the Bank briefcase now. Anyways, he’d look sweet in nWo shirt on or DX.”
Turning his attention to Priest's time in NXT, Waltman recalls two members of the creative team arguing over how he should be presented, with one suggesting the “Punishment” of the Judgment Day should work like a babyface and another rejecting that idea.
In Waltman's opinion, Preist working the way he does was the right call, as he's a dominant bigman even if he's built more like a small forward than an NBA center.
“Yeah. I remember NXT, I’m not gonna name names, but somebody that’s in charge, that would be the guy that would be calling the shots, said, ‘Yeah, I want him working like a big guy,’ and then another guy that I really respect was like, ‘He’s not a big guy.’ It’s like, who cares? He’s 6-foot-6, and he goes out there and works like it and gets over. Anyway, I’m getting into the weeds here.”
When the day eventually comes when Judgment Day comes to an end, what will the future hold for Priest? Only time will tell, but based on Waltman's assertion, it's clear he can work any style in any group regardless of the design.
