WWE Bad Blood 2024 Results: Damian Priest Defeats Finn Balor

Damian Priest and Finn Balor were once stablemates in The Judgment Day, but at WWE Bad Blood 2024, the former friends-turned-foes faced off for the first time—and in the end, Priest stood tall.

In a heated battle between two former world champions, Priest toppled Balor despite attempts from the new-look Judgment Day’s JD McDonagh and Carlito to cost Priest the match. Toward the conclusion of the bout, McDonagh and Carlito—unsurprisingly—emerged and attempted to give Balor one of his biggest singles wins in years.

Instead, Balor lost yet another marquee match, and Priest continued his rise as one of Raw’s best babyfaces.

Despite Balor being the first-ever Universal Champion and a former NXT Champion, it’s been years since he felt truly relevant as a singles stars. He spent the better part of the past half decade struggling to break through that proverbial glass ceiling as a babyface, only to be surprisingly reinvigorated with a heel turn and wildly successful run with The Judgment Day.

But WWE re-signed Balor to a “big money” contract earlier this year, and with Priest’s exit from The Judgment Day, Balor has taken over Priest’s old role as the de facto leader of the group’s current incarnation. Even with Priest and Rhea Ripley exiting Judgment Day, the stable remains a key part of Monday Night Raw, which has been the best-booked pro wrestling show of 2024.

Now that Priest, who just lost the World Heavyweight Championship two months ago, and Ripley, arguably the top star in WWE’s entire women’s division, are gone from the stable, it’s imperative that Balor be booked as a top-level star who can carry the stable moving forward. After all, the rest of Judgment Day, outside of Liv Morgan, is largely booked like a group of losers, with McDonagh, Carlito and Domink Mysterio rarely ever winning singles matches.

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Balor is the most credible performer in the faction, with a long list of accomplishments, including runs with the Intercontinental and United States titles, and marquee matches. As such, he should be positioned as a believable top heel on Raw, which has amassed an impressive roster of villains already.

Instead, WWE decided to continue cementing Priest as a top star—this time as a beloved fan favorite.

Priest, who also re-signed with WWE earlier this year, has been an unsung hero of sorts for WWE this year. The former world champion has been one of WWE’s top heels and arguably its most improved performer, and his feud with Gunther—and removal from Judgment Day—has now established him as one of the red brand’s most beloved fan favorites.

Given Priest’s high-profile role on Raw and his unfinished business with The Judgment Day, he certainly didn’t need to pick up the victory at Bad Blood because there is still much more of a story to tell with Priest, Ripley and their desire to destroy the group that almost destroyed them.

Ripley is still gunning for Morgan’s women’s title while Priest will look to continue to be a thorn in the side of Judgment Day until the faction is done for good. Whether that happens is another story, however. WWE has reportedly long viewed Judgment Day as a “successor” of sorts to The Bloodline, the historically great faction that has created epic storylines since 2020.

While Judgment Day likely won’t last as long as The Bloodline does, the faction’s storyline continues to click on all cylinders. Priest’s win doesn’t give any immediate indications of where this feud is headed, but if there’s one thing Triple H has committed to, it’s long-term storytelling.

Even though Priest picked up a victory at Bad Blood that Balor needed more than he did, The Judgment Day’s history suggests their rivalry is far from over.