Finn Bálor Praises Dominik Mysterio, Calls Him ‘Still On The Rise’

Finn Bálor is still tipping his cap to his old Judgment Day running mate. In new comments, Bálor described Dominik Mysterio as “effortlessly cool” and “annoyingly cool,” adding that he believes Mysterio is “still on the rise” and that he’s excited to see where his career goes from here.

It’s a notable bit of praise given the history between the two. Bálor and Mysterio were aligned in Judgment Day dating back to WWE’s first Clash at the Castle event, when Dominik turned his back on his father Rey Mysterio and on Edge to align with the villainous stable. That betrayal became one of the most talked-about heel turns of the past few years and helped transform Dominik from a supporting player in his father’s story into a genuine main-roster attraction with his own drawing power, complete with the “Dirty Dom” persona and, eventually, a real connection with Liv Morgan that further fueled his rise.

Bálor, of course, is no longer part of that picture inside the group. He was ejected from Judgment Day earlier this year, closing the book on one of the more successful stable runs of the recent WWE era. Judgment Day, in its various forms, gave Bálor a level of relevance and momentum he hadn’t consistently had since his original NXT run and his brief world title reign years earlier. It also gave Dominik a launching pad, positioning him alongside established veterans like Bálor, Rhea Ripley, and Damian Priest while he grew into a bigger role.

What makes Bálor’s comments interesting isn’t just the compliment itself, but what it says about how respected Dominik has become among his peers, even those no longer sharing a locker room storyline with him. Dominik Mysterio has spent the better part of two years as one of the most effective heels on the roster, drawing genuine heat with relatively simple tools: a smug grin, a knack for cheap victories, and an ability to make audiences want to see him get his comeback beaten out of him. That kind of heat is hard to manufacture, and it speaks to real natural instincts for a performer who entered the business largely defined by his last name.

For Bálor, distancing himself from Judgment Day opens a new chapter of his own, one where he’ll need to redefine his role without the group dynamic that had carried him through much of the past several years. Praising a former stablemate’s upward trajectory, rather than sniping at the group he left, suggests Bálor isn’t looking to manufacture animosity for its own sake, at least for now.

Whether Bálor and Mysterio cross paths again as rivals, or simply as two former allies moving in different directions on the roster, remains to be seen. But with Dominik continuing to be positioned as a key piece of WWE’s upper midcard heel scene, and Bálor searching for his next definitive program, it wouldn’t be surprising if their paths intersect again down the line.