Summary

Finn Bálor said Dominik Mysterio's natural feel for live promos quickly changed the dynamic inside Judgment Day after Mysterio joined the group.

Speaking on Stephanie McMahon's podcast, Bálor recalled trying to help Mysterio prepare for the faction's first promo after his heel turn. Instead, Mysterio told him he would work it out once he got in front of the crowd. Bálor said the reaction that followed made it clear Mysterio was not the one who needed lifting.

Bálor said the idea at the time was for Judgment Day to help Mysterio settle into the role, but he came away believing the opposite happened. He said Mysterio's crowd heat gave the group a boost and helped take it to another level.

Quote from Finn Bálor

"I'll never forget, I'll tell a story about Dominik (Mysterio). So, Dominik comes into The Judgment Day and he's just turned from babyface to heel, and we're going out to deliver our first group Judgment Day promo on Raw, and I'd kind of told Rey (Mysterio), 'Hey, I'm gonna look out for Dominik. If he needs any help, I'll try and guide him as best as I can,' and we're about to go out for the promo in Gorilla and I said, 'Hey Dominik, do you wanna come outside Gorilla and go over your promo with me?' So, we go outside Gorilla and I say, 'Okay, so, do you wanna tell me what you're gonna say? Just to rehearse it and practice it,' and he goes, 'Ehh, not sure what I'm gonna say dawg.' 'Are you okay? Do you wanna talk to a writer?' 'No, no, no. I'll figure it out when I'm out there,' and that's been him for the last four years in The Judgment Day. He's just so easygoing. I was more stressed for him than he was for himself, and of course, it was electric. They booed him out the building, and I remember standing in the ring that night and they were booing, I'm going, 'Oh my God,' because at the time, it was kind of positioned to put Dominik with The Judgment Day so The Judgment Day could help Dominik. But, pretty much from day one, it was Dominik helping The Judgment Day. With that heat, it just took us to the next level. Because I always felt like I was swimming upstream, like trying to be heel."

What it means for Bálor and Mysterio on WWE TV

Bálor's comments frame Mysterio as one of the key reasons Judgment Day clicked as a heel act, which matters a little more now that the two are on opposite sides of the fallout. WWE has already kept that tension alive after WrestleMania 42, including Bálor confronting Mysterio ahead of his AAA Mega Championship appearance on Raw.

The bigger takeaway is that Bálor is not just revisiting old faction history for nostalgia. By openly crediting Mysterio's confidence and crowd connection, he is also reinforcing why their split still has weight on television.

Sources

Finn Bálor while speaking on Stephanie McMahon's What's Your Story? podcast