Forecasting the Future of Judgment Day for WWE WrestleMania 40 and Beyond

WWE WrestleMania 40 will mark two years since the first seeds were planted for what The Judgment Day would go on to become. And heading into the event, the stable is seemingly stronger than ever before.

Rhea Ripley has reigned supreme as the women's world champion and dominated the women's ranks on Raw since last year's Show of Shows. Meanwhile, Finn Bálor and Damian Priest are a united front as the defending undisputed WWE tag team champions.

Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh don't find themselves at the forefront at the moment but are playing their respective roles remarkably well in the faction's various storylines on the red brand right now.

Despite all of that, what presence The Judgment Day will have at 'Mania this year is not yet certain. It's also unknown what the future holds for them beyond the marquee premium live event and if they'll remain a cohesive unit for much longer.

With WrestleMania rapidly approaching, let's look at both the short- and long-term outlook for Raw's most mischievous group of miscreants and how they'll factor into events in Philadelphia on April 6-7.

Rhea Ripley Could Remain Women's World Champion Through SummerSlam

Even with Bálor being a former WWE world champion and Priest holding the men's Money in the Bank briefcase, to say Ripley is the biggest star in The Judgment Day at the moment would be an understatement.

She has surpassed her stablemates in that department by a wide margin, and although all of them are tremendously talented in their own right, the Australian has the brightest upside of anyone in the group.

It's already been announced that she will defend her Women's World Championship against Nia Jax at Elimination Chamber in her home nation on Feb. 24, and there's no reason to believe she won't walk into WrestleMania with the prestigious prize still in her possession.

A women's Elimination Chamber match at the same-titled event will determine Ripley's WrestleMania opponent. Liv Morgan should be considered a strong dark horse, but all signs point to Becky Lynch being the one to face The Eradicator at Lincoln Financial Field.

Lynch ending Ripley's one-year reign would be a memorable moment, but it isn't imperative that she wins. In fact, with the division being as deep as it is on both brands, there's a good chance Ripley retains and holds the gold through SummerSlam, ensuring she stays the unofficial leader of The Judgment Day.

Why Awesome Truth Should Beat Finn Bálor and Damian Priest for Tag Titles

New No. 1 contenders to the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship will be determined on Friday's SmackDown, but it's almost irrelevant who wins with it being a foregone conclusion that The Judgment Day will be champs until at least WrestleMania.

Based on the stable's storyline with R-Truth since Survivor Series, it wouldn't make sense for Bálor and Priest to defend against anyone but Awesome Truth.

The short-lived tandem from 2011 has reunited and made enemies out of everyone in the faction, despite Truth's best efforts to join them.

At this point, the only proper payoff is Truth and The Miz not only challenging The Judgment Day at 'Mania but also winning the tag titles.

There have been rumblings that Bálor and Priest could face each other at the event if they have a falling out before then, but that doesn't appear to be in the cards. It'd also be illogical to cut this ongoing angle short ahead of WWE's premier pay-per-view.

Awesome Truth doesn't need a lengthy reign as champs, but it should be the team to give The Judgment Day its comeuppance on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

No Obvious Roles for Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh at WrestleMania

With Ripley rolling as women's world champ and Bálor and Priest busy in the tag team ranks, Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh have largely been left on the outside looking in.

They've remained regulars on Raw and have had multiple matches with Awesome Truth in singles and tag team action, but they've lost more than they've won and are essentially serving as the "stepping stones" of The Judgment Day for the time being.

That will be apparent at WrestleMania when they're the only members who don't compete on the card.

This comes just one year after Dominik and his father, Rey Mysterio, stole the show on Night 1 of WrestleMania 39. Unfortunately, there's simply no obvious role for him this year other than potentially interfering in his stablemates' matches.

At best, they'll likely be involved in the annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on what has traditionally been called "WrestleMania SmackDown" that weekend. Dom winning that would be better than nothing, even if nothing of value is ever on the line.

His astronomical crowd heat should be put to better use post-WrestleMania.

Will Priest Cash in Money in the Bank at the Event?

One element of The Judgment Day's act that fans often forget about is Priest's Money in the Bank briefcase and how it remains in play until the next installment of the event on July 6.

There hasn't been an appropriate time for him to cash in since capturing the contract last summer, and with the marquee matches at WrestleMania 40 seemingly being locked in, there's little chance he cashes it in before then, either.

However, nothing is stopping Priest from pulling a page out of Seth Rollins' playbook and cashing in the contract at the event itself.

Of the two top titles, the World Heavyweight Championship would be the better fit for The Arche of Infamy, especially with it already being property of the Raw brand. A mid-match cash-in or afterward would simultaneously protect the injured Rollins in defeat and give Priest his heat back after losing the tag titles to Awesome Truth.

It could just as easily be saved for the post-WrestleMania Raw, but it would be only fitting for Rollins to be on the receiving end of a cash-in on the same stage he had his nine years earlier.

This would be the perfect opening to The Judgment Day's next–and potentially final–chapter.

Being Drafted to SmackDown in the 2024 WWE Draft

The WWE draft was brought back in the weeks following WrestleMania in 2023, and there's no reason to think it won't be held in the spring again this year.

Regardless of whether Priest is world heavyweight champion coming out of WrestleMania, The Judgment Day as a whole should be sent to SmackDown in the draft.

The stable has ruled the roost on Raw for the last two years and could benefit from the change of scenery.

Priest can make the World Heavyweight Championship the top title on SmackDown while Cody Rhodes–who ideally beats Roman Reigns at 'Mania–takes the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship to Monday nights.

It was established in last year's draft that groups can be picked as a collective unit instead of individually. As such, all five members of The Judgment Day should be assigned to the blue brand post-WrestleMania.

They'll have a fresh batch of opponents to work with, but the move doesn't necessarily need to extend their shelf life. The Judgment Day's demise should still be coming sooner rather than later, and Priest as world champion should be the centerpiece of the storyline.

Gradually Teasing Tension with Priest as World Champ and Subsequent Split

WWE strongly teased tension between Bálor and Priest last summer before going in a different direction.

It originally stemmed from the Irishman growing jealous toward his teammate for becoming Mr. Money in the Bank. And if Priest wins the World Heavyweight Championship, that storyline can be revisited.

This time around, WWE should follow through with The Judgment Day exiling Priest from the faction to cement him as a top babyface on SmackDown. The remaining members can continue to coexist for a while, but the endgame should be everyone going their separate ways.

With the wave of momentum she's currently riding, Ripley is more than ready to branch off on her own. Mysterio has enough heat to stand alone as a singles heel, but keeping him aligned with Mami would be acceptable as well.

McDonagh would likely be lost in the shuffle post-Judgment Day, but Bálor and Priest can have successful singles careers once they've finished feuding.

For as exceptional of a run as The Judgment Day has had, its days must be numbered, and this would provide the stable with a worthy conclusion to its compelling tenure.

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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.