The Judgment Day's Breakout 2023 Makes Them WWE Raw's MVPs

The Judgment Day have seized opportunity thus far in 2023 and made the most of it, becoming the MVPs of WWE Raw, overcoming shoddy creative and directionless creative just one year ago to become essential players on Monday nights.

Twelve months ago, the faction appeared to be a collective of heels designed to be fodder for babyfaces such as Edge and AJ Styles. They did not win much and hardly felt like a faction that had the complete support of Vince McMahon's creative regime.

Then came Triple H's rise to power and things changed, beginning with Dominik Mysterio's heel turn and on-screen pairing with Rhea Ripley. Finn Bálor was rightly emphasized from that point, while Damian Priest also built momentum.

As the new year dawned, Mysterio was the hottest heel in the business thanks to a feud with his father, Rey, and Ripley became one of the most magnetizing performers on the entire roster.

Bálor became a workhorse for the red brand, competing in top matches against top stars as Triple H better understood the asset the Irishman is.

Post-WrestleMania 39, Priest had a breakout feud and match at Backlash in Puerto Rico with Bad Bunny that earned rave reviews. An increased presence, coupled with the first hints at dissension within the group, earned him the men's Money in the Bank briefcase Saturday at the same-titled pay-per-view in London.

Even as they face inner turmoil and questions about the long-term future of the group, it is nearly impossible to argue that The Judgment Day are not the MVPs of Raw, if not WWE as a whole.

The faction has spun off three stars of the future in Priest, Mysterio and Ripley and given them a platform on which to showcase their skills and personalities, something that had not really happened for them prior to their inclusion in the faction.

It has provided Bálor with an opportunity to become relevant again after it became painfully clear under Vince McMahon that the former NXT and universal champion was always going to be a "good hand" but little else.

The group has not only enjoyed success, but it has also helped Raw out as a whole, eating up time on the three-hour broadcast, in multiple segments with different ongoing stories while also creating stars that Triple H and his writing team can build around.

Ripley is one of the most over performers on the entire roster, and her relationship with Mysterio has created one of the most reviled heels in modern times. Their dynamic is a huge reason the latter has managed to receive one of the loudest ovations in any arena he walks into.

Now, Bálor and Priest appear poised for a civil war within The Judgment Day, thanks to mounting tension between them and continued hints at a falling out.

If that is the case, both Triple H and Bálor can rest easy knowing they have helped elevate The Archer of Infamy from a credibility standpoint to the point that he is believable as the next leader of the group.

The argument can be made that Seth Rollins, not the heel faction, is the MVP of the flagship show but he was already over with the fans.

The Visionary was a star long before people started singing his song and had long been a foundational building block for the show.

The Judgment Day were a ragtag bunch of competitors with nothing else going on, brought together for a feud with Edge that did not quite develop the way management had hoped and were left to wallow in mediocrity for far too long.

Given a chance to shine by Triple H and WWE Creative, they have seized it and helped become for Raw what The Bloodline has been for SmackDown: the creative centerpiece.

If the group does split in the coming weeks or months, it does so having provided the company with four individual stars around whom it can effectively tell stories, book matches and feel comfortable placing in high-profile positions.

That is a testament to the talent involved, the patience of those in creative and the fans for accepting The Judgment Day even when it looked like those in power had left it for dead.