Adam Copeland Calls It a ‘Shame’ Vince McMahon Didn’t Recognize Ripley and Priest’s Potential in Judgment Day

Adam Copeland has been reflecting on the early days of The Judgment Day — and he has some thoughts about how that chapter could have gone differently under WWE’s old regime.

The AEW star, known throughout his WWE career as Edge, recently opened up about the formation of the faction alongside Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest. Before The Judgment Day became the brash, arrogant heels who dominated WWE television in recent years, the group had a very different feel — a darker, more atmospheric presentation that Copeland has compared to the old Brood aesthetic. In that original incarnation, Copeland was the leader with Ripley and Priest flanking him, and the vision was clearly one rooted in menace and mood rather than the loudmouth villainy the group later leaned into.

Copeland’s remarks make clear he believed in what he, Ripley, and Priest were building together, and that he considers it a shame Vince McMahon didn’t share that belief or fully grasp what the two younger talents brought to the table. The implication is that the faction’s creative direction shifted — or was limited — by a lack of buy-in from the top.

It’s a candid take from someone with a long history of navigating WWE’s creative process. The Judgment Day, of course, ultimately became one of the most prominent factions in recent WWE history, with Ripley and Priest both ascending to world championship reigns. But Copeland’s comments suggest the group’s ceiling might have looked quite different had the original vision been given room to breathe.

Copeland has been competing in AEW since early 2024, where he currently works as a featured performer on the roster.