Just prior to WrestleMania 38, WWE Hall of Famer Edge turned heel decisively for the first time since his sensational 2020 return to wrestling, following what was believed to be a career-ending injury. Since then, he has begun recruiting individuals into a stable, with him procuring both Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley thus far. Both of those individuals needed something new, and this group has provided them with a platform to grow their star power. The name of the faction has also been revealed too – Judgment Day. There are a few reasons as to why this is the name of the group, with one of those being a fun nod to the past.
Edge Sees Himself As A Omnipotent Entity
Edge’s new heel persona is different from his old personalities, and certainly far away from the “Rated-R Superstar”. This new version of Edge is much darker, sinister, and controlling, with his wealth of experience leading him to believe that he is the smartest man in any given room, or as he puts it, on top of the “mountain of omnipotence”. Edge now fancies himself to be a God-like figure, who deems himself worthy of looking over and judging anyone.
In terms of his character, he is the “Judge”, so the name “Judgment Day” fits seamlessly. It has a lot of religious connotations, in terms of people being judged by a divine figure, but with the way Edge delivers his promos, with his now extended vocabulary, this all ties into him the decider of deeming people worthy of his joining the cause, or deciding that others such as AJ Styles, Finn Balor, and Liv Morgan, should suffer.
It Is A Reference To The 2009 Judgment Day Poster
The name of Judgment Day is also a fun call-back to 2009. The final ever PPV of that name took place in 2009, and the poster saw Edge behind a stand or table, and on it stood a set of brass scales. This is a great PPV poster, back when they were more of a big deal. In recent promos, Edge has brought these scales back, with them sitting next to him or else being the focal point of a grander metaphor. The PPV poster likely played into influencing the group’s name, seen as the scales remain a factor in the character.
Aside from those two reasons, there aren’t many other deeper meanings behind the name, which is probably a good thing. It has been kept simple, effective, and to the point, with it already feeling like it could be one of the best acts in WWE going forwards. There are rumors that other superstars on the roster, such as Tommaso Ciampa, could be added to the ranks, and that would no doubt propel the group to an even higher level. Singles, tag team, and women’s championship successes could be within the factions' near future if their numbers continue to grow at this rate.
In terms of the PPV, it could be fun if WWE were to bring it back at some point over the next year, especially with how poorly received their gimmick PPVs are becoming. Back in the day, when WWE produced the “In Your House” PPVs, they were often influenced by those on the roster, such as “Its Time”, “Buried Alive”, “Revenge of the Taker”, and others. This hasn’t been done very often in recent years, with perhaps the closest examples being network events such as “The Shield’s Final Chapter” and “Beast in the East”. Featuring a multi-person match at a Judgment Day PPV which involves the faction could be a fun scenario, and it would fully play into the influences behind the name of the group. The stable is still young, but it certainly has great potential going forwards.