How WWE Just Saved One Of Its Worst Ideas EVER

Dominik Mysterio Rhea Ripley
WWE.com

Dominik Mysterio's heel turn galvanised The Judgement Day in a way hard to imagine until it was actually manifested.

If he was any better a wrestler, it wouldn't work as well. If he was another wrestler's son, it might not resonate as powerfully. If the rest of the group weren't absolutely sensational in the way they cruelly celebrate these specific aspects of his turn, the connection between the four wouldn't feel as authentic. They've taken to absolutely p*ssing themselves laughing whenever the smallest thing goes well, which lately has been outnumbering and out-gunning The O.C after beating Edge and Beth Phoenix back onto the injured reserve list at Extreme Rules. The boos for the group are some of the loudest on the show, and the engagement is growing in a way both revelatory and refreshing.

The one thing not surprising about any of this is that Triple H has been the head of creative behind it. They say write about what you know, and 'The Game' has a very good handle on a) being in groups and b) being an insufferable d*ckhead. The Judgment Day's shift from weirdos to w*nkers has been magnificent, and if anybody can provide salient advice on how to project lashings of the latter, it's Paul Levesque.

Credit where it's due to him though, and indeed the the quartet themselves. Rich in chemistry and shared purpose, the stable's road to recovery was completed at Clash At The Castle, and everything since has reflected a brand new journey entirely; onwards and upwards through WWE’s ranks, and into a WrestleMania season that wouldn’t have been anywhere near as fun without them.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett