Damian Priest says The Judgment Day is fine.
In recent weeks, tensions have been rising between Priest and Finn Balor. At WWE Money in the Bank, Balor challenged Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Earleir in the show, Priest won the Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match. He then came to ringside during Balor's match and accidentally distracted him. Rollins then capitalized and scored the win over Balor. On the July 3 episode of WWE Raw, Priest was seemingly on the verge of cashing in his contract on Rollins, but Balor attacked the champion and inadvertently helped Rollins escape.
Speaking on WWE's The Bump, Priest was asked about the situation, and he noted that it was caused by a lack of communication.
"That was one of those situations where [it was a] miscommunication. We hadn’t talked to Finn, and we weren’t sure if I gonna actually cash in. But obviously, Dom, myself and Rhea had discussed it. In the moment, Dom was like, ‘You should do it right now.’ So he gave me the briefcase, and I thought about it. I was like, you know what, maybe I shouldn’t wait. Maybe I’ll do this right now. Unfortunately, Finn came out, and I wasn’t expecting that. It was just a lack of communication. I have a whole year with this thing if I want to, so I’m good being patient," Priest said.
When asked about the recent tension, Priest admitted that it was fair to say that they're not on the same page. However, he stated that families argue and have fights sometimes. Priest noted that he and Balor are somewhat stepping on each other with their goals, and they have to do a better job communicating.
“I guess that’s fair. Obviously, it’s no secret we were having some arguments and whatnot on-screen. The whole world could see us. So yeah, but I have siblings, we argue, but we’re still a family, it’s okay. I think that’s where Finn and I are. We’re having some disagreements. I think our focus is a little different, and our goals, and they’re just kind of stepping on each other. But that doesn’t mean that we have a personal issue with each other. We just gotta be better at communicating, that’s all," Priest said.
Balor's title match, and Priest's indirect interference, also came up in the conversation. Priest made it clear that he wanted Balor to win, and he was just trying to get in Rollins' head. He again cited a lack of communication as the issue before he emphasized that he was never going to cash in on Balor or Rollins.
“I was simply just standing up. I wanted Finn Balor to beat him. I was out there, not to cash in, realistically. I was there to make Seth feel the pressure of me cashing in, throw him off his game so that my buddy could beat him for the title. Unfortunately, Finn Balor, again, this is our own fault, this was a lack of communication. He thought I was trying to do something else, and his eyes drifted away from the prize, and unfortunately, he got beat. But yeah, my intention was never to cash in on Finn. Actually, I wasn’t even going to cash in on Seth in that moment. I wanted Finn Balor to win," he said.
Given the conflict, it's fair to wonder how their stablemates, Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley, might be affected. When asked whether he was worried, Priest stated that The Judgment Day is a machine, and he's not concerned. He made it clear that The Judgment Day is not going anywhere, and they will continue to run WWE Raw.
“We’re a machine, ain’t no stopping us. I’m not concerned at all. The Judgment Day is not going anywhere, we’re good. Like I said, families can have arguments, but they’re still a family. Nobody’s going anywhere. I am not concerned. Rhea and Dom, I’m not concerned. We’re just as good as ever. Just because we have arguments or disagreements doesn’t mean we stop ruling the WWE. We still run Monday Night Raw. The Judgment Day will always rise," Priest said.
The Judgment Day is set to appear on the July 11 episode of WWE NXT. More information is available here.
Check out the card for the July 11 episode of WWE Raw here. Fightful will have coverage of the show as it airs.
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