Subhojeet Mukherjee on March 13, 2026
Finn Bálor getting kicked out of The Judgment Day on WWE Raw may have shocked viewers — but a new backstage report says the storyline has actually been in the works for almost a year.
According to Dave Meltzer in the March 13, 2026 edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE originally planned to split Bálor and Dominik Mysterio much earlier. The idea was reportedly discussed as far back as the lead-up to SummerSlam 2025 before creative decided to hold off because the faction was still popular on television. Meltzer noted that the attack on Bálor during the March 9 episode of Raw was designed to officially position him as a babyface after the betrayal.
“The only other significant thing this past week was the Judgment Day turning on Finn Balor, making him a babyface, which took place on the 3/9 Raw show.”
The report states that WWE originally planned a one-on-one match between Bálor and Dominik for SummerSlam 2025. However, those plans were shelved after WWE felt the Judgment Day storyline still had momentum and shouldn’t be broken up yet.
“Balor vs Dominik Mysterio was way back scheduled for SummerSlam, and then the decision was made that the Judgment Day direction was still hot and not to make that change until later.”
Instead of rushing the breakup, WWE reportedly chose to keep the faction together through the rest of 2025 and into the WrestleMania 42 season before finally pulling the trigger on the betrayal. The report also revealed another detail about the original SummerSlam plan. WWE had reportedly considered bringing back Bálor’s Demon persona for the match against Dominik.
“At that time the plan for SummerSlam was for Balor to do the Demon gimmick. Whether that happens here we don’t know, but that was the plan last year.”
The long-delayed storyline finally took place on the March 9, 2026 episode of Raw in Seattle, when Dominik confronted Bálor after tensions within the group boiled over. The situation escalated quickly as Judgment Day turned on their longtime leader, leaving Bálor laid out after Dominik smashed him with a hammer and delivered a 6-1-9.
Dominik later addressed the moment during a March 12 interview with Brad Gilmore, saying the group had reached a breaking point after months of internal issues.
Now that Bálor has been removed from Judgment Day and positioned as a babyface, the long-planned feud between him and Dominik Mysterio appears to be moving forward — nearly a year after WWE first considered it. With WrestleMania 42 approaching, the delayed storyline could now become one of the biggest personal rivalries on the card if WWE finally brings Bálor vs Dominik to the ring.
Do you think WWE made the right call by delaying the Finn Bálor vs Dominik Mysterio feud for so long? And would you like to see Bálor bring back the Demon character for the showdown? Let us know your thoughts below.
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