Why Judgment Day Betraying Edge Now Makes No Sense
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After the Judgement Day teased a new member for weeks, we finally got to know their identity: Finn Balor! While that made sense, what did not is the faction turning on Edge on the very same night.
It was a shocker alright, especially this early into their run together, and it leaves the group in a very interesting position going forward. And while turning on Edge eventually could have been an excellent storyline, right now it should not have happened and the booking has to be questioned.
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Judgement Day Betraying Edge Feels Rushed
It was less than a month ago that Rhea Ripley had joined the Judgement Day, at WrestleMania Backlash. Thus, it is safe to say that the trios run together had been very short and while it had not set the world on fire, it had certainly shown a lot of potential and could have done very well if given more time to succeed.
The decision to turn on Edge and have Balor as the leader of the group just feels premature and something that was not well-thought-out ahead of time.
Edge Did Not Do Anything Wrong Leading Up To The Betrayal
There are two things that are needed to make a betrayal in wrestling work. The first is the longevity in the relationship of those involved, which the Judgement Day did not have, having been together only a short time. The second is the reason due to which the turn takes place.
Edge was the one who had gotten the pin over Balor at Hell in a Cell the previous night. He was the one who had brought Priest and Ripley together. Then, the question is, why would they turn on him and side with Balor? And if the turn was going to happen anyway, why was Edge given the win at Hell in a Cell? So many things about this just make no sense.
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Finn Balor Does Not Have The Name Value That Edge Has
On his day, Balor is one of the best wrestlers on the planet and has been for a long time. But barring his initial push, he has been heavily underutilized in the WWE and has been pretty much an afterthought for several years now, so much so that he was sent back to NXT not too long.
On the other hand, Edge is a bona fide legend and will be a feature near the top of the card for the rest of his career, no matter how long is left in it. He is one of the few true stars left in wrestling today.
As a result, it will be very interesting to see what kind of attention Judgement Day gets with Balor as the leader instead of Edge.
It Makes It Harder For Rhea Ripley And Damian Priest To Get Over As Top Stars
One would suspect that one of the biggest reasons that the Judgement Day was created was to get the likes of Ripley and Priest over as main event level stars in the company. Both have incredible potential but had seemed lost in the shuffle for quite some time.
Being associated with Edge almost guaranteed that they would be featured high up the card, in important feuds that would give them time to shine.
With Balor though, there is far less certainty about what the future holds for them. It has been a long time since Balor was anywhere near the top of the card in the WWE and if he fails to get over this time around, the group could very well end up lost in mid-card mediocrity.
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Judgment Day Betraying Edge Could Have Been Great
Balor turning on Edge and taking over his group could have been a fantastic storyline if it had been given the proper time.
Balor should have initially joined as just a member, have slowly gotten frustrated with Edge and finally betrayed him to become the new leader of the group. This would have had much more impact than ending an association that had barely existed for a month.
Of course, there is still a lot of potential in the group. Balor has shown in the past that he can do a wonderful job as the leader of a heel group. After all, he was the first leader of the Bullet Club!
On the other hand, both Ripley and Priest have all the tools needed to be main event stars in the future if the WWE play their cards right. A lot will depend on how Judgement Day works out though.
