The young wrestling veteran is one of the hottest WWE superstars on the roster currently. Despite his sustained popularity, however, the company seems to be having trouble finding prominent storylines for him. Since Survivor Series last November, Dirty Dom has made only one PLE appearance, where he lost to Finn Balor at WrestleMania 42.
During a recent interview with Esse Magazine, the AAA Mega Champion was asked about his rivalry with Finn Balor and why a match featuring him has not been announced for the Clash In Italy PPV this weekend. While Dominik Mysterio remained professional, his answer did show some disappointment with the way the company has handled him recently:
“I don’t think they know what to do with me. I’m too cool. They have lightning in a bottle, and they have no idea what to do with it, so they’re just letting it sit. I’m like you, I’m just waiting,”
Dominik Mysterio received one of the biggest pops when he won the IC title at WrestleMania 41. People expected him to move up the card and challenge for the World title after that but it hasn’t been the case. With MJF winning his third world title in AEW this past weekend, the contrast between the handling of the two young names has come into sharper focus.
When the interviewer mentioned that the former champion is part of multiple storylines at the moment, Mysterio reiterated his frustrations, suggesting that the company is holding him back:
“I could have all the storylines, but like I said, they don’t know what to do with me. I’m too good. Lightning in a bottle. They’re holding me.”
The WWE star was then asked what the company was waiting for, and Dominik first listed his accolades. He said that he doesn’t know what the officials are waiting for, mentioning that the promotion has got ‘all these old fossils’ in their working instead of the young star. Though Dom did end his remarks saying that he is a patient man, and he can wait for his opportunity.
Dominik Mysterio has unique ideas for Money In The Bank.
The AAA Mega champion recently spoke to Main Event Club to promote the upcoming Clash In Italy PPV. He talked about things such as the upcoming football World Cup, Oba Femi joining the Judgment Day and more.
During the talk, Dirty Dom was also asked how he likes the sound of Dominik Mysterio as Mr Money In The Bank in the near future. The former IC Champion claimed that it sounds like a fantastic idea, explaining how he would use the cash in opportunity to the fullest if he got the briefcase:
“It’d be fantastic. The last thing any of those boys want is for me to have that Money In The Bank briefcase. I’m an absolute sicko. I’ll cash in while you’re taking a shit. I don’t care.
They do not want me with that Money In The Bank briefcase. You’ve heard of Dennis the Menace? I’m going to be Dominik the Menace. I’ll be intolerable. It’s not going to be fun for anybody but me,”
The 29-year-old was also asked if he would prefer winning the Royal Rumble or Money In The Bank. Mysterio picked the latter, mentioning how he would have to beat fewer people, and he would be able to cash in his opportunity at any time with Money In The Bank.
Dominik Mysterio is currently not booked for a match at the Clash In Italy PPV at the end of the month. Money In The Bank this year will be taking place from Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, on September 6, 2026.
Penta made it very clear he has no sympathy for Dominik Mysterio.
Speaking live at WWE World in Las Vegas on Monday, Penta was asked by hosts Sam Roberts and Megan Morant if he felt sad watching Dominik lose to “The Demon” Finn Balor in a Street Fight at WrestleMania 42. The Intercontinental Champion’s response was immediate and unfiltered.
“Sad for what?! So fucking happy brother! Why are you sad? This stupid guy. His stupid mustache. Fake Mexican. Fake son. Fake luchador. What are you talking about man?”
Penta was not done there.
“He is not a wrestler, he’s a fucking clown bro!”
The history between the two runs deep. Penta ended Dominik’s run as Intercontinental Champion on March 2, defeating him on Raw in a 15-minute match. The title has remained around Penta’s waist ever since, and he successfully defended it on Night 2 of WrestleMania 42, surviving a six-man ladder match against Je’Von Evans, Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, Rusev, and Rey Mysterio to retain.
As for Dominik, his WrestleMania 42 night ended in defeat. “The Demon” Finn Balor defeated him in the Street Fight, hitting a Coup de Grace through a table for the three count.
It marked the latest chapter in a long-running Judgment Day saga that has seen the faction slowly unravel.
Penta, meanwhile, is the reigning Intercontinental Champion and one of the company’s hottest acts heading into the post-WrestleMania season.
Dominik Mysterio arrived at WrestleMania 42 in style, and the luchadores surrounding his throne entrance were not just extras in masks.
According to Bodyslam, the masked performers accompanying Dominik to the ring for his match against Finn Balor were real luchadores, including Gravity, Rayo Star, Anubis, Mexa Boys members Noisy Boy and Spider Fly, Calibus, Diablo Azteca, Skalibur, and Enigma, also known as Rey Mysterio under his King persona.
Dominik arrived on a large throne surrounded by the luchadores in white masks as a nod to his King of the Luchadores status, creating one of the more visually striking entrance moments of the weekend.
The report notes that WrestleMania entrances have historically featured extras who later went on to bigger things within WWE, with CM Punk and Charlotte Flair cited as examples. The use of real luchadores in such a prominent setting could help put those performers on WWE’s radar at a time when the company is actively working with AAA and expanding its presence in the Mexican market.
Dominik currently holds the AAA Mega Championship, making his connection to the lucha libre world a natural fit for the visual presentation WWE built around his WrestleMania entrance.
Dominik Mysterio wants haters to just give wrestling a try.
The former IC Champion recently spoke to Paper Magazine for a new interview. He talked about things such as his start in wrestling, working with Eddie Guerrero during his feud with Rey, the increase of pop culture crossover in WWE, and more.
During the talk, the 29-year-old was also asked what he thinks is the biggest misconception about wrestling. Dominik Mysterio mentioned how even today a lot of people think of wrestling as fake while the performers are putting their bodies on the line every day. Revealing his advice for anyone who believes this, the Judgment Day star challenged them to give the product a try:
“I feel the most common misconception is that it’s fake, but it’s like, brother, tell me what do you watch on television that is real? Just sit down and enjoy the show. We’re putting our bodies on the line, doing all this crazy stuff, like taking chair shots to the head.
At the end of the day, we’re just trying to do our best to entertain you guys. My best advice is, just put it on. Put on Raw and see if you like it, because I promise you, at the very least, you will be entertained.”
Apart from this, Dominik Mysterio was asked if he has any rituals when he gets to the arena. The former Champion mentioned that he likes to see the arena to get a feel of it before the doors open. He also says a prayer before every match.
Dirty Dom will be facing ‘Demon’ Finn Balor on Night 2 of WrestleMania 42.
Liv Morgan says one specific storyline changed everything about how she understands professional wrestling, and she has been drawing on it ever since.
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet on Insight, Morgan pointed to the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour as the creative turning point that unlocked a version of herself she had not previously accessed, and said the clarity it brought has shaped everything she has done since.
“Ever since the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour, I feel like I’ve just been able to tap into something else,” she said. “I think I just really needed something to sink my teeth into, and that was it for me. And then I feel like I just understood everything better after that.”
That momentum carried directly into her on-screen partnership with Dominik Mysterio, which Morgan says developed naturally from chemistry rather than a creative blueprint. She credits the pairing with reviving the concept of couples-based storylines across the roster and describes it as a dynamic the audience had not seen in WWE in some time.
“I think ultimately we just understand the assignment,” she said. “The fans love to hate us or they hate to love us, and it’s such an intriguing, complex, messy, wholesome love story that we haven’t seen for a while. We’ve resurged couples in WWE. What couples were even couples before us? And now you’ve got like everybody. I feel like we kind of started that whole thing. And honestly it was just so funny in the beginning, and it just morphed into this.”
The same mentality showed up in her tag team work with Raquel Rodriguez. The two became four-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, a record, and Morgan said the dynamic worked because she was willing to absorb punishment in service of making the team effective.
“I’ve always been down to, if it’s going to hurt you, I’m okay with hurting me,” she said. “I have this strong, powerful six-foot woman that can just throw me across the ring. We kind of just were like, this is fun and no one is doing this. So we took that and ran with it. You can use me as a battering ram or a cannonball or whatever it is to hurt our opponents.”
Morgan is now heading into WrestleMania 42 to challenge Stephanie Vaquer for the Women’s World Championship, which she has described as the next chapter built on everything the Revenge Tour first set in motion.
Liv Morgan believes she and Dirty Dom are the greatest wrestling couple ever.
The Judgment Day star is set to challenge Stephanie Vaquer for the Women’s title on Night 1 of WrestleMania 41. She spoke to Chris Van Vliet for an interview promoting her big match before the Show of Shows.
During the talk, the former Women’s Champion was asked about her pairing with Dominik Mysterio and why she thinks they work so well as an on-screen couple. Liv Morgan explained that they’re an intriguing duo that the fans just can’t help loving:
“I think, ultimately, we just understand the assignment. I feel like the fans love to hate us, or they hate to love us. It’s such an intriguing, complex, messy, wholesome, love story that we haven’t seen for a while, and I feel like the audience really loves that.”
WWE has seen many successful on-screen pairings in the past, which includes iconic couples such as Queen Sharmell & King Booker, Eddie Guerrero & Chyna, and Edge & Lita. Probably none is more famous than the classic pairing between Randy Savage & Miss Elizabeth, but Liv Morgan claimed that her work with Dominik Mysterio clears even that:
“I think we are the greatest couple in the history of WWE. I’m not just saying that. I mean that wholeheartedly. We’re better than Becky and Seth, we’re better than AJ and CM Punk. We’re better than Macho Man and Miss Elizabeth. I stand on that.
I feel like we’ve resurged couples in WWE. What couples were couples before Dominik and I? Now you have tons of people coupling up, trying to do what we do, but they just can’t.”
Apart from this, Liv Morgan also mentioned that she initially hated her WWE ring name and revealed the only other option she was given. You can check out her remarks here.
WWE Superstars Oba Femi and Dominik Mysterio were recently harassed by autograph scalpers.
‘The Ruler’ was spotted outside his hotel just days before his scheduled match at WrestleMania 42. In a video clip, the group of scalpers could be seen standing nearby, staring at Femi, hoping to get his attention for autographs they could resell.
However, the former NXT Champion ignored them while waiting outside his hotel.
— just put the clips in the bag (@ShootOrWork) April 3, 2026
Dominik Mysterio Confronted
AAA Mega Champion Dominik Mysterio was also recently confronted by an angry fan as the former refused requests for photos and autographs. In a video clip, the former WWE Intercontinental Champion could be seen exiting a vehicle as multiple people approached him.
One person can be heard urging Mysterio to “have a heart” before adding, “don’t forget, we made you.”
— just put the clips in the bag (@ShootOrWork) April 3, 2026
Pattern of Fan Harassment
The incident mirrors a recent situation involving Stephanie Vaquer. A fan attempted to shame her on social media after she declined photo requests on her birthday.
Vaquer later revealed the individual followed her, made her uncomfortable, and directed hurtful comments at her during what was already a difficult day.
I always stop and I’m very kind to my fans. Yesterday was my birthday and I was honestly having a really bad day. Even so, I politely asked for understanding, and many people respected that. But you followed me for a long time, saying hurtful things and making me feel… https://t.co/dVEzGmijhK
Years ago, Rey Mysterio faced similar criticism when he refused to sign multiple items for a fan. The elder Mysterio suspected the items would be resold for profit rather than kept by an actual supporter.
WWE talent are not obligated to fulfill fan requests outside of scheduled appearances and meet-and-greet events.
Multiple new matches have been added to WrestleMania.
The March 30 episode of Raw featured the surprise return of Gunther after being off TV for the last few weeks. He stopped Seth Rollins from attacking Paul Heyman. Adam Pearce then confirmed that the two former world champions will be meeting in a singles match at the upcoming PPV.
After Penta successfully defended his IC Championship against Kofi Kingston on the episode, he announced a ladder match for his title. Dragon Lee, Je’Von Evans, Rusev, and JD McDonagh were confirmed as participants for this bout by the commentary team later on.
Apart from this, a singles match between Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio, as well as a fatal four women’s tag team title match was also made official during the night.
WrestleMania 42 will be returning to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18-19. Below is the updated card for the show after the latest announcements:
Women’s World Championship Match: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Liv Morgan
WWE Women’s Championship Match: Jade Cargill (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
Singles Match: Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar
Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match: AJ Lee (c) vs. Becky Lynch
United States Championship Match: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Trick Williams
Unsanctioned Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu
World Heavyweight Championship Match: CM Punk (c) vs. Roman Reigns
Undisputed WWE Championship Match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton
Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Penta (c) vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Dragon Lee vs. JD McDonagh vs. Rusev
Singles Match: Seth Rollins vs. Gunther
Fatal Four Way Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) (c) vs. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria vs. The Bella Twins (Brie Bella and Nikki Bella)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – MARCH 9: <> during Monday Night RAW at Climate Pledge Arena on March 9, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by WWE/WWE)
The dynamics that have all but defined Judgment Day across its four-year run include in-fighting and transformation. Indeed, it’s telling that the group launched with Edge teaming up with Damian Priest, before Rhea Ripley and Finn Balor joined their ranks. Fast forward to the present and none of those four members remain in the faction. Rather, Dominik Mysterio, the youngster the faction seemed to manipulate into betraying his father now comes across as the mastermind who ousted Balor from the clubhouse.
Other talents have come and gone from Judgment Day, with R-Truth and Carlito each playing offbeat, often as not comedic supporting roles. The group still has Mysterio and Liv Morgan in the de facto leadership roles, with JD McDonough and Raquel Rodriguez backing them up plus, when she returns to action, Roxanne Perez as an up and comer. Balor’s departure from the group leaves a void, though, as, for the first time in group history, they lack a male performer who’s both in the upper echelon of in-ring workers and credible to insert into the main event picture.
Judgment Day has, to its credit, reinvented itself time and again. Assuming the faction isn’t winding down its run—and with Morgan likely walking out of WrestleMania as Women’s World Champion and Mysterio continuing to come into his own, they probably shouldn’t– it does feel as though the group would benefit from a new addition.
Perhaps a new talent could lend a hand in the group prevailing at WrestleMania, or else come in as reinforcements after some major setbacks in Vegas. Regardless, there’s a lot of potential on the WWE roster to write this stable’s next chapter.
Omos
Photo Credit: WWE
Omos has had a strange run with WWE. His story seems to come down to him being too awesome a physical spectacle for WWE to give up on him, while also struggling to come along as a performer, such that the company’s not fully behind him.
By virtue of the giant’s look and size, he could add immediate gravitas to Judgment Day. He can play the old school heater the way Diesel was for Shawn Michaels—someone Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonough can carry the work load for in the ring and on the mic while also hiding behind Omos as cowardly heels.
Ethan Page
Photo Credit: OfficialEGO on X
Ethan Page has had a fantastic run in NXT. There’s a case that he still has more to accomplish there or that when he gets the call up, he should renew his partnership with Chelsea Green on a bigger stage. Judgment Day is another option, though.
When Roxanne Perez joined the faction, it highlighted the ability of Judgment Day, with its notoriety and capacity for in-fighting, to immediately give a fresh main roster talent a clear role and interesting storylines. Page’s natural heel inclinations could fit the group, while also planting seeds for the next power struggle as his All Ego persona invites eventual conflict with Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan about who is actually in charge.
Importantly, while Page isn’t a giant, he’s also a big-bodied enough to add a different dimension and greater physical credibility to the stable moving forward.
Damian Priest
Photo Credit: WWE
For all the talents who’ve made their way in and out of Judgment Day, one angle WWE hasn’t explored yet is someone coming back home to the faction after having splintered off. Some of that’s with good reason. Edge felt more natural as a babyface legend before leaving for AEW. Rhea Ripley has thrived out on her own.
It has been a different story for Damian Priest. He arguably did some of his very best main roster work in the immediate aftermath of his old running buddies turning on him. Playing a destructive force of a babyface and working together with Rhea Ripley, Priest came across as a legitimate force and, in some ways, more credible at the top of the card than he had during his World Heavyweight Championship reign.
The years to follow have been rougher, though. Priest feels as though he’s largely returned to the early days of his main roster run, credible in the upper card, but a step behind talents like Drew McIntyre, matched up well against Aleister Black, but without a clear path forward. Spending his WrestleMania season in the SmackDown tag title picture makes reasonable sense, as his credibility and R-Truth’s comedy complement one another, but that doesn’t feel like a sustainable future, especially with so many legitimate full-time tag teams working today.
The Archer of Infamy and Judgment Day could help one another out. On one hand it would be throwback. On the other hand, the collab could revitalize Priest’s sense of direction while beefing up Judgment Day with a big man who carries former world champ credentials.
Danhausen
Judgment Day could use a big body and a ring general. An integral part of the faction’s history also comes down to odd couples, though, and humor offsetting their more serious pursuits. Indeed, the Prison Dom gimmick both put Dominik Mysterio on the map as a heel and added layers to Judgment Day. From there, R-Truth’s wacky antics kept the group vital, then Carlito’s background role and feeling smitten with the women in the group all added tremendous entertainment value.
Despite a rocky introduction, Danhausen has beaten the odds in getting some traction with the WWE audience over the weeks to follow. One of the keys to such an off-kilter character maintaining his momentum will be having straight men to play off and ideally build ongoing stories with. The Very Nice, Very Evil Superstar already interacted with Judgment Day, cursing Mysterio en route to him dropping the Intercontinental Championship to Penta. Could there be more in store?
Maybe Mysterio could try to harness Danhausen’s powers to curse opponents. Maybe WWE could play up odd couple dynamics between the new star and the women of Judgment Day. Regardless, there’s a great deal of potential for something genuinely new for the group and something to give Danhausen direction in them striking up a partnership.
Rusev
Photo credit: WWE
Rusev is a talented big man, but his decisive loss to Oba Femi on Raw seems to confirm what many fans have suspected for months. WWE sees Rusev, at this stage of his career, less as a featured player in his own right than an imposing jobber to the stars.
Positioning The Bulgarian Brute as a heater for Judgment Day could serve multiple purposes. Like Damian Priest, he’d offer a big body with some credibility, plus he’s a good worker. The old Rusev Day gimmick demonstrated his ability to play into comedy as well. Meanwhile, for Rusev’s benefit, enrollment in the faction would give him a regular purpose on TV. The alliance would also open up tag team options with Dominik Mysterio or especially JD McDonough to both drive the big man’s character forward and offer an organic route for Judgment Day to collect more gold.
Dominik Mysterio didn’t think the Judgement Day would succeed.
The faction had been left in a limbo when its founder, Edge, left the group in June 2022, only a couple months after its formation. The trio of Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, and Finn Balor found themselves trying to work out a new identity for the stable, and things only started clicking after Dirty Dom joined the faction in September that year.
During a recent interview with The Collection, the high-flying star was asked about his first impression of Judgment Day and whether he thought the group would find the success it has. Dominik Mysterio admitted that at first, he was not excited to be part of the whole thing:
“No, not at all. Man, I fought it for a long time. I just…I wasn’t, I don’t know, it felt like weird and hokey, like the very beginning of it, but then I was like, something happened where all four of us clicked.”
Explaining how things changed, Dominik Mysterio noted that the four members of the group became friends after they started riding together. The Judgment Day then took off when their chemistry in real life started transitioning into their work:
“I think that’s kind of like what made it work because we all clicked outside of the ring. We were all riding together. So it all kind of transitioned to inside of the ring and then it just, it worked man.
Like you said, there’s not one time in the Judgment Day where we haven’t had a championship or all of us covered in gold or constantly kicking people out to bring people in. It’s just it’s crazy man. It’s insane.”
The young wrestling veteran also discussed his WrestleMania direction during the interview and made an interesting offer to Penta for an IC title rematch. You can check out more about it here.
Dominik Mysterio has spoken candidly about his ascension to the top of The Judgment Day, the ousting of Finn Bálor, and why he thinks JD McDonagh is better off without his former best friend.
In an interview on The Collection with Brad Gilmore at Reality of Wrestling in Houston, Dom addressed the faction’s March 9 attack on Bálor and his own position atop wrestling’s most dominant stable.
“It had to be done,” Mysterio said plainly. “There were a lot of differences going on. We weren’t being a cohesive unit. At the end of the day, we played the Finn Bálor playbook and that’s what happened. He should have seen it coming.”
The shadow of Finn Balor
Dom was particularly effusive about JD McDonagh being the one to pull the trigger on the betrayal, calling it a long time coming for the Irishman who spent years operating in Bálor’s shadow.
“I’m so happy for JD for finally being able to leave Finn’s shadow — he’s been in it for too long,” Mysterio said. “Finn Bálor had his time. Past tense.”
He also offered a pointed summary of Bálor’s place in Judgment Day history:
“We’re in the future now, and the future is about Dom. It’s about JD. It’s about Liv. It’s about Raquel… and Roxanne Perez, of course.”
Original Plans for Dominik Mysterio vs. Finn Balor
Finn Bálor vs. Dominik Mysterio was reportedly scheduled for SummerSlam last year, but WWE opted to hold off on that matchup, feeling the Judgment Day storyline was still running hot and the change should come at a later date.
At the time, the plan had Bálor bringing back the Demon gimmick for the event, according to the Wrestling Observer.
Dom initially reluctant to Judgment Day
In a candid moment during the interview with Brad Gilmore, Mysterio admitted he wasn’t a true believer when Judgment Day first recruited him.
“No, not at all. I fought it for a long time. It felt weird and hokey at the very beginning,” he said. “But then something happened where all four of us clicked outside of the ring. We were all riding together, so it all transitioned to inside the ring. And man, it just worked.”
Dom pointed to the faction’s uninterrupted run of championship success as proof of concept, noting that Judgment Day has held at least one title throughout its entire existence as a group. The faction is showing no signs of slowing down even as it enters a new chapter without another founding member.
Dominik Mysterio has had no shortage of jaw-dropping career moments — WrestleMania title wins, beating John Cena in his hometown — but in a new interview, he revealed the moment that actually gave him goosebumps above all others: a surprise appearance in Juárez, Mexico for AAA.
Sitting down with Brad Gilmore on The Collection at Reality of Wrestling in Houston, Dom ranked his career highlights with characteristic bravado and surprising self-awareness.
The AAA Surprise Was His Wildest Moment
“The wildest one for me was showing up in Triple A for the first time in Juárez,” Mysterio said. “Winning my IC championship at WrestleMania — insane. Beating John Cena at Survivor Series — insane. WrestleMania against my deadbeat dad two hours from San Diego — insane. But the reaction…”
Dom arrived at 8:15 PM for a show that had already started at 8, with no public announcement that he was coming. The crowd reaction, he says, was something else entirely.
“Allegedly when they were recording, the speakers blew out because it was so loud the cameras couldn’t capture the full audio. It gave me goosebumps,” he said. “It was something I always wanted to do — wrestle in Mexico with Triple A — and getting that reaction, showing up randomly out of nowhere where nobody knew about it. It was insane.”
That Juárez moment has since grown into something much bigger. Mysterio has become a centerpiece of WWE’s reboot of AAA, serving as the marquee crossover star bridging both promotions — and this Saturday, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Dominik defends the AAA Mega Championship against El Hijo del Vikingo at AAA Rey de Reyes 2026 in a No Disqualification Lucha de Apuestas match. If Dom loses, he’s banned from AAA entirely. If Vikingo loses, he can never challenge for the title again. The match streams Saturday at 10 ET/7 PT on FOX in Latin America and on YouTube and Facebook everywhere else.
Survivor Series at Petco Park: ‘A Fairy Tale Ending’
While the AAA surprise topped Dom’s personal list, he acknowledged the Survivor Series moment — walking out IC Champion after beating John Cena at Petco Park in his hometown of San Diego — as something equally surreal.
“Not only was it John Cena’s last PLE, it was the first wrestling event ever held at Petco Park in San Diego,” Mysterio said. “I’m born and raised in San Diego. I’ve gone to Padre games my whole life. Walking in, in the city where I’m from, walking out as a double champion, beating John Cena — that shit’s insane. You can’t write it. It just writes itself. It’s like a fairy tale ending for me.”
The WrestleMania Crowd That Confused Him
Dom also reflected on the strange experience at WrestleMania 41, where the heavily Latino Las Vegas crowd started cheering for the man they had been booing all year.
“I’d get beat up and they’d start booing, then I’d start doing something and they’d go crazy. I was like, ‘This is not normal — they’re probably watching something else because this isn’t adding up,’” he said.
Rather than lean into the fan response or adjust his character, Dom chose to stay the course as a heel. “I didn’t change anything about myself and I wasn’t going to change anything of what I was currently doing. I’m still going to be the heel that I am. And if people like it, they like it. Hell, sometimes you got to love a bad guy.”
With the WWE/AAA alliance continuing to build momentum, Mysterio’s Rey de Reyes title defense this Saturday is his biggest crossover test yet — and the Lucha de Apuestas stipulation means there’s no soft landing for either man.
Dominik Mysterio has officially issued a WrestleMania challenge to Penta (c), proposing a Mustache vs. Mask stipulation to go along with the WWE Intercontinental Championship on the line.
Speaking on The Collection with Brad Gilmore at Reality of Wrestling in Houston, Dom made clear he intends to reclaim the title he lost to Penta on the March 2 episode of WWE Raw — and he’s willing to put his signature mustache on the line to do it.
“I know Penta is an ugly, ugly dude, so I’m willing to put my hair up on the line against his mask and that IC championship — whatever it takes to get my IC title back,” Mysterio said. “Hell, I’ll even put up my mustache.”
Dom Blames Finn, Not Penta
Mysterio was quick to downplay Penta’s victory, pinning the title loss squarely on Finn Bálor, whose interference prevented JD McDonagh from intervening. Dom claimed the record between the two heavily favors him heading into any WrestleMania showdown.
“He got lucky on this last one because of Finn Bálor’s dumbass,” Mysterio said. “I’ve beat this dude probably seven or eight times already. I would like to walk out as a double champ at WrestleMania.”
The “double champ” vision refers to winning back the IC title while retaining the AAA Mega Championship he currently holds. Dom must first defend the AAA title the Saturday before WrestleMania 42, a defense he dismissed with zero concern: “Obviously I will. Not a problem.”
A WrestleMania Guarantee
Dom also made a bold prediction about his Judgment Day partner Liv Morgan, who will challenge for the Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania.
“Guaranteed. She is going to walk out as your new women’s world champion. She’s going to destroy Stephanie. It’s not even funny,” Mysterio said.
No official Mustache vs. Mask match has been announced, but the recent chaos inside Judgment Day — and Penta’s role in Dom’s title loss — makes a WrestleMania 42 rematch the obvious destination for this rivalry.
The mask stipulation would be one of the most personal stakes in the match’s history, given how sacred the luchador mask tradition is in Mexican wrestling culture.
Last week\’s episode of Monday Night Raw saw Dominik Mysterio losing his Intercontinental Championship to Penta, after Balor stopped JD McDonagh from helping their teammate.
The trio of Dirty Dom, Liv Morgan, and Raquel Rodriguez then made an appearance on this week\’s Raw with Mysterio demanding a rematch for his title. Finn Balor accompanied by McDonagh, made his entrance and confronted the now former champion.
After some back and forth, Balor told Dom that maybe his father was right, and maybe he is just a spoiled little prick. This led to Mysterio shoving the former world champion and then eating a Pelé Kick from Finn in return.
JD tried to calm things down by taking Balor to a corner. Finn, however, shoved McDonagh out of the way as he saw Dominik charging at him, leading to JD laying him out with a clothesline.
A full-scale attack followed, with all Judgment Day members beating up Finn Balor. Dominik Mysterio used the timekeeper’s hammer to deliver a 619 on his former friend and then took him out for good with a frog splash on a chair.
Balor could stay out of action for some time to sell this attack but he\’s likely to be back before WrestleMania to set up a match with Mysterio at the Show of Shows.
Dominik Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to Penta on the March 2, 2026, episode of WWE Raw. The reaction from Judgment Day indicates possible friction within the group.
Finn Balor prevented JD McDonagh from interfering in the match, stopping him from handing Dominik Mysterio the Bellhammer. Penta won the match with a Mexican Destroyer after taking out JD McDonagh and Finn Balor.
Dominik Mysterio\’s second WWE Intercontinental Championship reign ended at 94 days. He remains the AAA Mega Champion.
Judgment Day Clubhouse Mood
Judgment Day members Finn Balor and Raquel Rodriguez have both issued brief reactions to this rare setback for their faction.
On the Raw Recap after-show, Raquel Rodriguez essentially deflected a question about Dom\’s loss, and redirected the conversation about her plan to bring gold back home next week.
“The clubhouse wishes to not speak on the subject at this moment in time. Thank you very much for your consideration on that. I would like to just focus on maybe what’s gonna happen next week and how la familia’s gonna bring it back next week.”
Next week on WWE Raw, Rodriguez will compete in a gauntlet match along with Bayley, Lyra Valkyria, Asuka, IYO SKY and Ivy Nile to determine the #1 contender for AJ Lee’s Women’s Intercontinental Championship.
Penta captured the WWE Intercontinental Championship on Monday night, defeating Dominik Mysterio (c) in the main event of WWE Raw at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Penta hit his Mexican Destroyer finisher to pin \”Dirty Dom\” and claim his first title in WWE. Pyro exploded throughout the arena as the new champion celebrated in the ring.
Penta earned the title shot by defeating El Grande Americano on the February 16 episode of Raw. Dominik had held the championship since defeating John Cena at Survivor Series: WarGames on November 29, 2025.
The title change sets up a potentially significant WrestleMania storyline, with Penta now established as one of Raw\’s top stars heading into the biggest event of the year.
Penta is laser-focused on capturing the WWE Intercontinental Championship heading into WrestleMania 42 season. Speaking to Denise Salcedo in a red carpet interview at the WWE 2K26 Creator Fest, Penta made his intentions crystal clear when asked about his goals for WrestleMania.
\”You know what — the next goal for Penta is that stupid dumb Mysterio,\” Penta said. \”I don\’t know exactly how. I don\’t know exactly when. But one thing is sure — Penta will be Intercontinental Champion.\”
Dominik Mysterio (c) has held the title since recapturing it from John Cena at Survivor Series: WarGames in November, though an injury has kept him from defending the belt in nearly three months.
Penta also revealed during the interview that his iconic fire-driven entrance was the brainchild of Triple H.
\”The second one is 100% Triple H\’s idea,\” he said, adding that the entrance puts him in full competition mode. \”When I feel everything — my body is like full energy. I want to beat everyone there, no matter what.\”
With WrestleMania 42 on the horizon and Penta now the official #1 Contender, the only question remaining is when Dirty Dom makes his return to defend the gold.
Liv Morgan recently said that she and Dominik Mysterio are a better couple than Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch. The Women\’s World Champion made the claim during an interview with KTLA Entertainment on February 18th, 2026.
Morgan, the 2026 Women\’s Royal Rumble winner, has been involved in a romantic storyline with Dominik Mysterio for two-and-a-half years. The storyline has included championship wins and other developments. However, Dominik Mysterio is married to Marie Juliette in real life.
Liv Morgan on Her Relationship With Dominik Mysterio
When asked about Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch being \”couple goals,\” Liv Morgan asserted that she and Dominik are superior. Morgan stated:
\”No, no, no, we’re still better. Oh, we’re still better. We are the greatest couple in the history of WWE. But you know, with Dominik and I, it was not love at first sight. I kind of just wanted to use him to make one of my opponents mad and jealous, but then look at us! Look at us! It was a love story for the ages.”
Liv Morgan also addressed her upcoming WrestleMania 42 decision regarding Stephanie Vaquer, following their confrontation on RAW. Morgan insisted that she is not rushing her decision to pick her opponent at the \’Show of Shows.\’ The Judgment Day member further clarified that she did not cry during a recent interview with Michael Cole, but got dust in her eyes. She said she will make an educated decision on who she will pick for WrestleMania.
The main event of tonight’s Raw from Memphis, Tennessee, was another triple threat qualifying match for the Elimination Chamber, with Gunther, Dominik Mysterio and Evans battling for the spot.
The Ring General was the favorite going into the bout, and he looked to be in control towards the ending of the match. As Gunther went after Dominik outside the ring, however, Dragon Lee made a surprise appearance. The Masked Star took the former World Champion out using the ring bell as a weapon.
This effectively turned the match into a one-on-one with Mysterio going after the 21-year-old. After crawling back into the ring, Dirty Dom delivered a 619 to Je’Von, but he failed to connect with the Frog Splash. Je’Von Evans instead caught him with the OG cutter and pinned the IC Champion for the win.
Je’Von Evans qualifies for the Men’s Elimination Chamber match.
The former NXT star has become the fourth person to qualify for the Men\’s Elimination Chamber with this victory. He joins Randy Orton, LA Knight, and Cody Rhodes in the match with 2 spots remaining open.
Pinning Dominik Mysterio means that the WWE rookie now also has a claim over a potential title match against the Judgment Day star down the line.
The reigning Intercontinental and AAA Mega Champion has been off TV the last few weeks, with WWE announcing that he was \’out indefinitely\’ with a shoulder injury.
The fellow Judgment Day star addressed the status of the young wrestling veteran on RAW Recap. Liv Morgan claimed that Dominik Mysterio is home resting and suggested that he will be back on TV soon enough:
“Daddy Dom, he’s home resting. He’s just recovering. We’re just playing it safe, you know? He is, after all, our double champion. He is, as of right now, the crown jewel of The Judgment Day, so we protect and cater to Daddy Dom, and we’re just playing it safe with him. He’ll be back soon, but he’s doing some well-deserved R&R.\”
Dominik Mysterio suffered the shoulder injury while taking a DDT from his father Rey Mysterio, during a tag team match under the AAA banner last month.
Reports also suggest that the IC champion is not expected to stay out for long. The belief is that he will be back on WWE programming for the upcoming Royal Rumble PPV from Saudi Arabia.
WWE announced on Raw this Monday that the Judgment Day star was \’out indefinitely\’ due to a shoulder injury he suffered while competing in a tag match at AAA Guerra De Titanes on December 20.
This was unfortunate news for the young star while heading into the new year and the Royal Rumble season, as he holds both the WWE Intercontinental Championship and the AAA Mega title.
Though Fightful Select has now provided a positive update on Dominik Mysterio\’s status. They revealed that WWE sources believe the current champion will not require surgery.
The company did not make any announcement regarding the titles while providing the latest update which also suggests that Dirty Dom will not be out of action for long. The belief internally is that he will be back in action by the Royal Rumble event next month.
Mysterio is not the only WWE star to deal with shoulder issues in recent times. Penta made his return during the latest Raw after a short hiatus, and Sheamus underwent surgery this week after getting injured last month.
Reports suggest that another star who has been out of action for 6 months due to shoulder issues is expected back on TV soon. You can check out more about it here.
WWE confirmed on the December 29 episode of Raw that Dominik Mysterio is out of action indefinitely due to a shoulder injury.
Commentator Joe Tessitore made the announcement during the broadcast, noting that no return timeline has been set for the reigning Intercontinental Champion. Earlier in the show, Liv Morgan referenced Dominik\’s absence during a backstage segment, stating that \”Daddy Dom\” would be out \”for a little bit.\”
The injury occurred on December 20 at AAA\’s Guerra de Titanes event in Guadalajara, Mexico. Dominik teamed with El Grande Americano against Rey Mysterio and Rey Fenix in the main event, where he took a DDT from his father that left him visibly struggling to use his arm. Despite the injury, he finished the match, which ended with Rey pinning his son.
Dominik currently holds both the WWE Intercontinental Championship and the AAA Mega Championship. As of Raw, WWE has not announced any plans for the Intercontinental Title despite confirming his indefinite status.
As 2025 draws to a close there are a number of stars in WWE who are poised for a breakout year. To be clear, this does not include names like Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, or Gunther who stand atop the business already and will likely as not continue their winning ways in 2026. Rather, it’s time to consider talents WWE or at least NXT fans already know who stands to graduate to a new level in 2026. Who are the men to watch for in the new year?
Oba Femi
For NXT fans, Oba Femi isn’t just a hot prospect. He’s the present and he’s an inevitability. Nonetheless, The Ruler is still mostly unknown to main-roster-only fans aside from a lowkey coming-out party opposite Cody Rhodes at the final Saturday Night’s Main Event of 2025.
Femi has so many tools, from size and strength to athleticism to having quite quickly picked up on in-ring performance. He’s even reasonably solid on the microphone, especially by the standards of someone who was competing in shot put for the University of Alabama as recently as 2022.
Specifically in an era when WWE has taken some heat for not featuring a lot of Black men on top, Femi may well be a main roster main event attraction in 2026.
Austin Theory
No one’s career trajectory was more tumultuous than Austin Theory’s when Vince McMahon fell under scandal and wound up in and out of the company before seemingly being exiled for good. Indeed, few and far between are the men who’ve held the United States Championship and a Money in the Bank briefcase, besides having beaten John Cena one-on-one at WrestleMania. Combine that with a fall from grace, spending much of the last two years in a semi-comedic tag team with Grayson Waller.
The prevailing wisdom was that McMahon arbitrarily tried to shove Theory down fans’ throats too soon in the dying days of his reign over WWE. Just the same, with his great look, his deceptive athleticism, and his charisma coming along, the late stages of A-Town Down Under made clear fans were ready to take him a lot more seriously.
The reveal of Theory as The Vison’s masked man has potential to elevate him. While he also runs the risk of playing a Buddy Roberts style bump machine for Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, and Logan Paul, a lot of interesting possibilities await as Theory will be positioned to engage with top babyfaces, including plenty of intrigue about what will await him when Seth Rollins returns to the WWE landscape.
Joe Hendry
One could readily argue Joe Hendry had his breakout year already as 2025 saw him win the TNA Championship, work his first Royal Rumble, and wrestle Randy Orton at WrestleMania. Hendry did all of this while existing within a strange purgatory—an explosive star by TNA standards, but the writing was on the wall that he was WWE-bound (though he wasn’t signed to WWE yet).
Despite becoming an NXT mainstay over the year, Hendry has only relatively recently officially signed with WWE. The jury’s out as to his ceiling—if going viral on the Internet and becoming TNA’s hottest attraction actually were his peak or if he had a ways to go. Nonetheless, given Hendry’s popularity, there’s every reason for optimism that at least a rock solid mid-card run on the main roster is imminent for him.
Je’Von Evans
With the exception of Oba Femi, there may be no surer thing on the NXT roster than Je’Von Evans. He may have caught fans’ eyes via sheer athleticism, but performances over the course of 2025 demonstrated he’s much more than just a high-spot guy. Rather, he’s more than capable of holding his own in big match scenarios—not least of all the main event of Stand & Deliver over WrestleMania 41 weekend.
The biggest question for Evans in 2026 may well come down to whether he’ll finally win the NXT Championship and become “the guy” in developmental, move up to the main roster, or do both. The choice to feature The Young OG on John Cena’s farewell Saturday Night’s Main Event seemed to affirm WWE sees him as a main roster attraction imminently.
Dominik Mysterio
Dominik Mysterio has enjoyed major progress every year since turning heel in 2022, overachieving as a villain and becoming one of WWE’s biggest heat seekers. 2025 saw some of his most appreciable growth. He won the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania and enjoyed an over-half-year reign. He won the AAA Mega Championship. When he lost the IC title, it was in front of a raucous crowd for John Cena’s last match in Boston, and Dirty Dom won it back in front of a stadium crowd in San Diego at Survivor Series.
As recently as a year ago, Mysterio was performing well, but it still felt like a stretch to imagine he’d ever win a proper world title in WWE. Now? The idea of him winning Money in the Bank and successfully converting the briefcase into a top title reign feels feasible. Heck, even him more organically continuing to scale the ladder to become a bona fide main event level threat without cash-in shenanigans feels much more than abstractly possible. 2026 may well be Mysterio’s biggest year yet.
Roxanne Perez is shutting down rumors about any romantic involvement with Dominik Mysterio.
In an interview with Scott Johnson for Going Ringside, the Judgment Day member was asked directly about the speculation surrounding her relationship with “Dirty Dom.” Perez’s response was clear and direct.
“What do you mean by that?” Perez initially responded when asked what’s going on with Mysterio. “He’s the king of the luchadors. He’s double champ. I think that’s pretty much all that’s going on for Dominik Mysterio.”
Perez made it crystal clear where Mysterio’s loyalties lie, emphasizing his relationship with Liv Morgan while listing off his close friends in the faction.
“He’s got his güerita. He’s got his best friends in the Judgment Day. Me, Raquel, JD, Finn,” she said.
When pressed further about whether Mysterio is in the “friend zone,” Perez maintained her position without hesitation.
“Me and him have always been buddies. I don’t know what people are trying to misconstrue in there, but we’re just friends,” Perez stated firmly.
The former NXT Women’s Champion also went out of her way to respect Liv Morgan’s place in Mysterio’s life, making her stance abundantly clear.
“I would never get in the way of him and his güerita. I would never,” Perez declared.
The comments come as Judgment Day continues to be one of WWE’s most prominent factions, with Liv Morgan recently returning from injury at Survivor Series and getting back in the ring this past weekend. Perez joined the group earlier this year, filling a key role while Morgan was sidelined.
Despite fan speculation about potential romantic storylines, Perez appears committed to keeping her relationship with Mysterio strictly professional and friendly within the faction.
