Booking Judgment Day's Breakup on WWE Raw and What's Next for Ripley, Priest, Bálor

After two years of dominance on WWE Raw, The Judgment Day might finally be on the brink of collapse.

Damian Priest, Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh are all still riding high as champions, but their respective reigns aren't expected to last much longer. Bálor and McDonagh recently regained the World Tag Team Championship from Awesome Truth while Priest is set to defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Gunther at SummerSlam.

The greatest tension within Judgment Day currently lies with Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley, who returned on Monday's Raw to confront Mysterio following weeks' worth of interactions with Liv Morgan.

They'll likely remain a unit for the foreseeable future, but their days together are most definitely numbered.

For a group that nearly ended before it could get going in 2022, Judgment Day have exceeded all expectations and have been a massive focal point on the Raw roster. Their gradual breakup has been playing out since WrestleMania 40 and should culminate in epic fashion.

Once Judgment Day finally implodes, it's imperative WWE nail the aftermath to ensure every member is being utilized in some form or fashion.

WWE turned an unfortunate turn of events with Rhea Ripley getting injured immediately following WrestleMania 40 and having to relinquish her Women's World Championship in a massive positive.

Everything that's unfolded with Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan in the past three months wouldn't have been possible if Ripley was still active. Morgan has done an exceptional job of attempting to seduce Dirty Dom and now fans are left to question where his allegiance lies.

If Ripley is indeed cleared to compete, the match that makes the most sense for SummerSlam is her challenging Morgan for the Women's World Championship. Mysterio being appointed the special guest referee would only add to the unpredictability surrounding the outcome.

There, Mysterio could swerve "Mami" by choosing to align with Morgan, effectively cementing Ripley's status as a babyface and her exit from Judgment Day.

With Damian Priest being the one responsible for Ripley's return on Monday's Raw, Mysterio betraying her would further cause a rift between Priest and the rest of the stable and seamlessly tie into the subtle tension that's been teased with him and Finn Bálor.

Ripley really was the glue that held Judgment Day together for its first two years, and without her around, the cracks within the group have started to show more and more by the week.

Damian Priest has been adamant about Judgment Day not interfering in his World Heavyweight Championship defense. He disapproved of their involvement in his match against Jey Uso at Backlash and went so far as to tell Seth Rollins in the buildup to Money in the Bank that Judgment Day needed him more than he needed them.

Priest would've been forced to leave the stable had he lost to Rollins at the event, but his victory kept his spot safe—if only temporarily.

Bálor booting Priest from Judgment Day has been in the works for a while. Priest losing the prestigious prize to Gunther at SummerSlam should be the catalyst for his departure, whether Bálor factors into the finish or not.

Bálor attacking Priest can just as easily be saved for the subsequent Raw or a little later down the road if they want to continue to take the slow-burn approach. If Priest and Ripely stay united, a Judgment Day civil war is sure to follow.

Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley having each other's back sets them up perfectly for a mixed tag team match against Liv Morgan and either Dominik Mysterio or Finn Bálor, but there's much more depth to the program than that.

That matchup can be the blow-off, but leading up to it, Ripley and Morgan can resume their rivalry over the Women's World Championship. Ripley regaining the title she was never beaten for should be the endgame.

Priest vs. Bálor is also a logical match to do at some point. Priest has gradually been teasing a babyface turn for months by wanting to win on his own and a feud with Bálor and the remaining members of Judgment Day will get him over with the audience in that role.

The fallout from Priest and Ripley being exiled from Judgment Day should play out through the rest of 2024. Other than Judgment Day potentially recruiting Morgan, there's no need for the faction to extend beyond Bálor, Mysterio and McDonagh.

Once the Judgment Day civil war runs its course, the stable should quietly part ways as it wouldn't be remotely the same without two of its original members in Ripley and Priest.

Mysterio can remain aligned with Bálor and McDonagh in the months following The Judgment Day's demise, but all roads will eventually lead to him reuniting with Rhea Ripley.

They've developed excellent on-screen chemistry together since Mysterio was initially recruited into Judgment Day back in the fall of 2022. Their dynamic has played an important role in the group's success as well as Ripley and Mysterio both coming into their own as characters.

Mysterio ditching Ripley for Liv Morgan at SummerSlam would make for a fun swerve, but it wouldn't be long before they're back on the same side. If and when that happens, there's no telling how the crowd will react to Dirty Dom in the babyface role.

He receives such strong heat as a heel that it'd be difficult to be turn him into a full-fledged face, but if he's associated with the uber-popular Ripley, he'll be a fan favorite that the crowd loves to hate.

Mysterio would do just fine as a singles star if WWE were to have him on his own post-Judgment Day, but his act with Ripley is undoubtedly entertaining enough to last for years to come—even with the occasional brief breakup.

Bálor is long overdue for a significant singles push, but with there being an abundance of tremendous talent on Raw right now, it isn't realistic to assume he'll be in line for one post-Judgment Day beyond the inevitable feud with Priest.

Meanwhile, McDonagh has the highest chance of getting lost in the shuffle on Raw and likely being relegated to undercard purgatory once Judgment Day dissolves, so keeping them in the tag team ranks on Raw would be their best bet until the next Draft.

As has been well documented on WWE TV, Bálor had a hand in training McDonagh early on in his career, which is how McDonagh got recruited into Judgment Day to begin with. They've had quality chemistry any time they've teamed up and can be a solid staple in the tag title scene for a few months.

Ultimately, Bálor should be competing for singles gold. He's helped elevate others for years and is ready a real opportunity on his own, even if he still has McDonagh doubling as his apprentice and lackey.

It might not be until 2025 at the earliest, but Bálor will be back in the singles spotlight someday down the road.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.