4 replacements for Damian Priest if not medically cleared for WWE Fastlane 2023
This Saturday at Fastlane, Finn Balor and Damian Priest are set to put their Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles on the line against Cody Rhodes and Finn Balor.
However, this past Monday on RAW, Rhea Ripley of The Judgment Day revealed that Priest was not medically cleared that night to face Jey in one-on-one action, casting doubt on whether he is available to wrestle this weekend.
If Senor Money In The Bank does indeed miss out on WWE Fastlane, we will look at four superstars who could join Finn Balor in tag team action in Indianapolis.
#4. Dirty Dom aids WWE's biggest faction
As well as Priest and Balor, the other male member of The Judgment Day is the cowardly NXT North American Champion, Dominik Mysterio.
With no match booked for the show and ever one to want to continue the dominance of his faction, Dom would be the obvious choice to take Damian Priest's spot at WWE Fastlane.
During a recent interview on the Ringer Wrestling Show, Finn Balor gave his thoughts on the progress of Mysterio since he left his father Rey's side last year and joined The Judgment Day.
"Once he stepped out from under that tree and started fending for himself, he’s just been a completely different animal. Not only the growth he’s shown, outside of the ring and on his promos and his character work, but his growth inside of the ring has been absolutely monumental for someone who has had very little training, no NXT experience pretty much. Most of his training has been done on the job, on live TV. This kid is the future of the business, in my opinion." (H/T TJRWrestling)
#3. Finn Balor gets help from home
While The Judgment Day has found most of its success as a four, in recent months, the young Irish star JD McDonagh, who has a long history with Finn Balor, has looked to integrate himself into the faction.
Initially, Priest, Mysterio, and Ripley seemed very hesitant to have McDonagh interfere in their affairs, but in recent weeks, with JD performing selfless acts like gifting Damian his new Money In The Bank briefcase, his worth to the faction has increased.
Speaking on WWE's The Bump, Finn Balor was asked about JD McDonagh possibly becoming a permanent member of The Judgment Day.
"Listen, there’s been a lot of fuss and a lot of talk about JD McDonagh. Is he an ally of The Judgment Day? Is he somewhat a soon-to-be member of The Judgment Day? That we don’t know. The only thing that I know for sure, is that JD McDonagh has been an ally of Finn for 20 years. That is something that not many people can say. So, I trust him." (H/T Wrestling Inc)
Prior to making it in WWE, both Balor and McDonagh worked very closely together in their home country of Ireland, forming a professional and personal bond.
#2. Judgement Day's matriarch shows how it's done
Although all four members of The Judgment Day carry gold, the group's biggest star and seemingly leader is undeniably the reigning Women's World Champion, Rhea Ripley.
As one of the most athletic and powerful superstars on the roster regardless of gender, Rhea Ripley has shown that she can lift and slam even the biggest of stars, such as Kevin Owens and Luke Gallows.
With many fans wanting to see Rhea on-screen more and more, Ripley was asked by FOX 61 about the possibility of her and other women competing against the male stars in intergender matches.
"So for me, I would like to see it just for the pure fact that I also love beating up the men. I love showing them exactly who I am and proving my dominance," she added. "It's a different kind of excitement for me because you get to see the fear in their eyes when they realize that they've taken you lightly. Like, they didn't take you as a threat to begin with." (H/T Wrestling Inc)
#1. Main Event Jey turns on Cody Rhodes
In recent weeks, The Judgment Day's newest rival Jey Uso has taken shots at all the group's members with the exception of its leader Rhea Ripley, with the former member of The Bloodline taking a likening to WWE's eradicator.
The pair have been interacting with one another on social media, with Rhea not against Jey's flirtatious behavior.
Despite currently set to face The Judgment Day, over the years, WWE fans have seen stars switch teams before and during tag team matches. This includes Jey's teammate Cody Rhodes, who did the very same in 2008 when he turned on his tag team partner Hardcore Holly.