411’s WWE 24 Report: Damian Priest: ‘The Rise of El Campeon’

-I didn’t realize this released yesterday until I saw it while looking for RAW Talk. I am pleased to see them bring back WWE 24 and I hope they bring back some of the other documentary series they have done in the past. WWE crushes at stuff like this and the more we can get the better. I am intrigued by this one as Priest is now one of the biggest faces in the world even if I was cheering my head off for GUNTHER at SummerSlam. Let’s get to it!

-Original Air Date: 08.05.24
-Run Time: 1:04:58

-Orlando, FL: May 2024: Damian Priest is having dinner with family and friends at a restaurant. He thanks all of them for being here and tells them they all mean something to him. He mentions his family has seen him suffer a lot of bad times when he was down in his life. He would not change a thing.

-Opening Teaser: Damian says he is one of the ones that wasn’t supposed to and no one will work for your dream because it is yours. He had to sleep in his car at points and was close to 400 lbs. He worked hard because he wanted to shut up the people who told him he was fat and sucked. Heyman: “He found the core of Damian Priest and there was no stopping him.” HHH: “I want to let him deliver.”

-New York City: June 9, 2024: Priest is part of The Puerto Rican Day Parade and he is proud to be there as World Champion. We see taking pictures with kids while he is on the float and he just looks so happy.

-Damian was born in The Bronx in New York City. He wasn’t able to speak yet when his parents split and his mom took him and his sister to Puerto Rico. That’s where he was raised! We meet Diana (Mom) and Tanya (Sister). The kids were free and would ride their bikes everywhere and hang out on the beach. She notes her son was wild. Damian brought a goat home once and that didn’t go over well.

-He was 8 when he asked his mom for a wrestling ring and wrestlers. Late bloomer! His first wrestling figures were Legion of Doom! Damian talks about the history of wrestling on The Island and mentions Carlos Colon and Savio Vega. They were his superheroes. He doesn’t know if he would love wresting as much if he didn’t grow up on The Island.

-The moment he realized he wanted to be a wrestler was when he watched The Undertaker put The Ultimate Warrior in a coffin on Superstars. I have that memory etched in my brain as well. He mentions it was on an English and Spanish Channel and his mom told him to stick with one channel as she was invested. He knew he wanted to do that with his life.

-His brother Steven when he was 11 years old, but his mom had a medical emergency and sent Damian back to The Bronx to live with his dad. He just remembered everything was concrete and I can understand how leaving a paradise like Puerto Rico and heading to NYC could be jarring. We meet Luis Sr (Dad) and he says he would not leave his son alone for one minute because of how dangerous the neighborhood was. His dad was strict and it was school, hours of homework, and Wheel of Fortune so Damian could learn to spell as he knew no English.

-He wanted to be like his dad, who was a big deal in the Martial Arts World. Luis says his background was Japanese Karate. He owned a school and wanted Damian to be better than everyone else. He was hard on Damian because he wanted him to be his top student. Damian didn’t know at the time but his dad was keeping him out of trouble. Dad also realized he needed to let Damian be a boy, so he took him countless times to MSG to watch wrestling. He was there at Survivor Series 96 when Sid beat Shawn Michaels for the WWF Title. Cool! His love for the business grew and he knew he had to do that for his life.

-He finished high school, but no college and had no direction. His friend (Charlie Corletta) talked to him about doing this wrestling thing. Charlie is here and says he found a wrestling school in South Jersey: The Monster Factory. We get still photos of the small building and ring. Priest didn’t care as he was just happy to be in a ring. Charlie says Damian was a natural. Dad didn’t want to discourage him but felt it was a mistake.

-His mom, brothers and sisters had moved to Jersey and we meet Steven and Alex (both his brothers). They thought it was cool that their brother was wrestling. We see footage from Damian working in the Monster Factory in 2005. I love footage like this!

-Mom would be at every show and says it was hard to see someone beating up her child. Awesome! His brothers would get his autograph and they felt he made it even though it was a warehouse with 50 people in it. That’s sweet!

-Priest is living paycheck to paycheck and had times were he slept in a car or on the steps of a church. He breaks down a little bit. His mom and sister say they never knew as Damian’s pride wouldn’t let him ask anyone for help. His car was broken into and his gear was stolen, so he had to quit wrestling as he had no gear. He would bounce around staying with people and at times would go back to his mom’s house. His brothers loved having him around. The family pushed him to be a bounty hunter, police officer, or fire fighter, but he didn’t see it and wanted to give wrestling another go.

-In 2010 he had his first try-out with FCW and he tanked as he was close to 400 lbs. He admits it was an eye opener as his skills were so far below everyone else. He still blamed everyone else though.

-ECPW 2012: PUNISHER MARTINEZ! Priest says he didn’t see the inside of a gym for years and he was not a good human being. He worked at a club in Atlantic City and they gave him a free apartment and vehicle. They loved what he was doing and offered a raise, but he had to stop doing that wrestling thing on the weekend. Priest gave his two weeks notice. Those are cajones there, that I don’t think I would have. Priest immediately questioned what he did as he was back to having nothing. He was out of shape and had no money.

-By the way he was living with his girlfriend and she had four kids. He knew he needed a change and started training and dieting. We meet Eddie Orengo (WWE ref) and he met Damian when they were wrestling on the Indies. He knew Damian’s goal was to be in the WWE. Damian said guys always told him how good he was and what he needed was the guys to tell him he sucked and was out of shape.

-Paul Heyman next and he first met Damian in 2014 and knew there was star potential. We see Damian as an extra for security in WWE (they show his escorting Brie Bella out in her feud with Steph) and he was even an extra in Adam Rose’s party posse. Heyman was the one that made sure Priest was an extra and was happy when he heard Priest was given a try-out.

-We see Priest cutting a promo during his try-out and doing work at the Performance Center. HHH says Damian got in great shape and listened to the feedback they gave him the previous time. Priest continued to make a bigger name for himself and was making $45,000 a year with Ring of Honor. He felt he was set as he could buy groceries from a normal grocery store.

-Bayley went to ROH show in Philly and was blown away by how good Priest was. She stopped Priest and told him he needed to be in the WWE. We get still photos from his ROH days with credit to the photographer.

-Priest gets a call in 2018 from WWE and they tell him when his contract is up they will call back. Priest was elated and we see him taking photos at The PC. His father admits he proved him wrong and he was proud of that. His brothers thought it was the coolest thing ever and his mom remembers crying her eyes out because she knew everything he went through to get there. Priest says it meant the world that his mom got to experience it.

-HHH notes that Damian looked like he was playing wrestler and not trying to be something he wasn’t. He asked Damian what he wanted to be and he told him, “I want to be a rock star.” Priest says when he was born his mom wanted to name him Damian, but his dad stopped that as The Omen just came out and wasn’t the best choice of names. The first song he used on the Indies was by Judas Priest, so it’s Damian Priest. He says the name screams rock star and they ran with that gimmick as we see him run through people in NXT.

-WWE PC: Jan. 16, 2020: The Undertaker visits the PC as Priest talks about Taker being his idol. We see Taker coaching the big men and reviewing tape with them. We see Taker working with them in the ring as Priest puts over how great it was to get feedback from Taker. He also sought out advice from Razor Ramon and asked permission to use the Surfer Walk. He also credits X-Pac as someone who he asks for advice and confides in for years.

-HHH talks about how when you create moments, the fans begin to remember you. HHH is with Renee Young (WOOO) after NXT In Your House and puts over how Priest had a bigger night than anyone. Priest rises in NXT and becomes North American Champion.

-HHH knew he could handle being called up and told him he would debut and be paired with Bad Bunny. Priest was confused as he knew there was a global artist called Bad Bunny and didn’t know how WWE was using the name for a wrestler. That’s funny! They explained to him, they were talking about the global artist and wasn’t sure if Priest knew who he was. “Of course I know who he is. I am Puerto Rican.”

-Royal Rumble 2021: Priest says The Rumble is his favorite PPV and his brothers knew he was debuting, but weren’t told what number. That had fantastic for them. Priest gets the honor of eliminating Kane which showed they saw something for him. The real story is Priest eliminating Miz and Morrison while they are yelling at Bad Bunny.

-WrestleMania 37: The first time WWE has fans back since the pandemic started a year earlier. It’s Miz/Morrison vs. Priest/Bunny. Miz talks about the difficulty working a match with someone who is not a wrestler. He says they were getting a new audience with Bunny and they had to make sure he succeeded. Priest says he felt insane pressure because this was his first Mania and he had to help train someone. Priest felt if it failed, he was dead in the water. We get sweet footage of Priest training with Bunny inside the ring. It does show WWE had a lot of faith in Priest, Miz, and Morrison to put them in that spot.

-Priest injured his back a few weeks before Mania and we see him getting worked on by a chiropractor. His brothers talk about the pain he was in and how he was going to do whatever it took to get to Mania.

-WrestleMania 37: For Real This Time! Priest notes this was his first time to perform on the main roster in front of fans. He looks like a nervous wreck talking about it the morning of the show. Backstage footage and I am a sucker for this stuff. Hall, X-Pac, and Hogan all come up to Priest and pump him up before the match. “The nWo put me over. I guess I can’t mess up now.” I would have pissed my pants!

-At the time this got many votes for best celebrity match ever (until Logan Paul showed up). BUNNY DESTROYER! Miz and Morrison were total pros carrying Bunny through that match and making him look like a million bucks. Priest and Bunny are elated as they come back and everyone gives them their props. Priest has a moment away from the cameras and you can tell it meant a lot to him as he has tears in his eyes talking about it being better than any dream. Priest says they killed it and he doesn’t care what anyone says. Oh, you all killed it!

-Priest continues to climb the ladder as he wins The US Title from Sheamus. The question became, who is Damian Priest? HHH says Damian has an X factor, but he isn’t aware he has it. He is still pretending to be something he is not. Priest says he was a smiling babyface at all times and it was awkward. Bayley talks about how fans can tell if you are faking it.

-Balor takes The US Title from Priest and he gets left off WrestleMania as far as having a match, but there were plans. Until this point he thought was done, but Edge came to the rescue and had the idea for a new Brood. Priest: “Thank You.” Priest helps Edge beat AJ Styles at WrestleMania.

-Edge says he had his eye on Priest and feels he was far further along than he was at that point. Judgment Day is born! Priest starting to dress like himself and acting like himself. He credits Edge for listening to his ideas and Edge asked if there was someone, he was comfortable with and he mentioned Rhea Ripley. Yeah, that turned out pretty well!

-Rhea says she needed something new and the three of them were so excited. Edge then mentioned Balor and Priest laughed as these were his people. They then turf Edge out of the group (Orton got injured and they needed Edge to fill that face void). Rhea didn’t want Edge to leave the group, but says it gave them a chance to spread their wings. Prison Dom gets added in a stroke of genius and immediately becomes a HEAT MACHINE! Dom looks weird now without the stache and mullet. Dom credits all three of them for helping him along the journey and how close they have all become.

-His sister says it is great seeing him in a group that is like family. We head to WrestleMania 39 and Priest was bummed he didn’t have a match, but when he saw everyone else in the group getting ready, he was elated for them. Priest just wanted to be there for Dom, Rhea, and Finn. Rhea says Priest is his comfort person and the group made sure they were there for him when it was his turn.

-Backlash: Puerto Rico: This show rocked! This was Priest’s WrestleMania! A match back on The Island against Bad Bunny! Priest says he and Bunny understood the importance of the match being in Puerto Rico. HHH knew that Priest would deliver and get to that next level. His mom can’t begin to explain how proud Damian was to be back on The Island in that position. Eddie knew he was nervous going back.

-We see Prison Dom and Damian get introduced at a basketball game at Roberto Clemente Coliseum. PIRATE LEGEND! Actually, THE PIRATE LEGEND! They take pictures with The Mayor of San Juan at the game. They talk crap to the mascot and Dom laughs as he can’t believe they get paid for this stuff. A little kid tells him to beat Bunny’s ass. Awesome!

-Backlash: The crowd was on fire for Bunny/Priest! It was like a religious experience for them down there. Priest says he has never felt an energy like that. These two put in work and I am sure it raised Priest’s stock in the company a thousand-fold. It also gave us the return of Carlito to a monster pop and he is back in WWE now, killing it in backstage segments. Bunny gets the win, but Priest says what they did meant more than any win or loss. Rhea is crying giving Priest a hug backstage after the match.

-Heyman notes that Damian found the core of Damian Priest. JD McDonagh gets added to Judgment Day as we head to Money in The Bank (London).

-Priest was the favorite heading into the match but I know a lot of people thought Logan was the best choice while the fans wanted LA Knight. His brothers note that he is afraid of heights and they could tell he was taking it easy getting up the ladder. Knight nearly gets the win, but Priest choke slams him off the ladder and retrieves the case. It was the right choice as history has shown! It dawned on Priest that this meant he could end up being World Champion. His father was super proud!

-Drew McIntyre notes that early MITB wins meant you were guaranteed to be World Champion, but this was now a time where people had failed to cash in. Poor Drew didn’t even know then, he would be added to that list. We see Damian tease cashing it, but getting stopped by Drew, Sami, and others. It became a meme that he teased it so much. Priest says he was aware of the online sentiment and they show some of the comments with the usernames. That’s awesome! Priest admits he did let it get to him. HHH told him to shove it down their throats and prove them wrong.

-WrestleMania XL: HHH talks about all the time has has worked with Priest and how those little moments lead to a big moment. Priest says all the changes to Mania had him unsure of what was really happening. Prison Dom asked Priest the night before Mania if something was happening and Priest told him they will see what’s up. Balor got the call that they needed him for something that wasn’t in creative so he started putting things together.

-Priest was hiding in a weight room and didn’t want to have the same conversation over and over with people. He decided to get a work-out in as he waited. Roberts notes that people were hopeful that Priest was going to cash in. Priest is getting read backstage and notes his tights ripped, but he had leggings.

-Judgment Day were there to support Damian if he needed to talk or needed quiet. They told him he was exactly where he was supposed to be. That’s a great group of friends! His brothers were at the stadium and get pulled to the front, which was weird though they didn’t realize what was happening.

-Night Two starts with Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins for the World Title. Drew gets the win as they cut back to all of Judgment Day waiting at Gorilla. Rollins gets back there and gives Damian a pep talk and Seth looks like he is in a ton of pain. My man was a warrior that night and still took time to be there for Damian. The brothers started to figure out what was happening when Punk started messing with Drew. Then it happens as Judgment Day music hits and Priest sprints down the ramp to cash in. This is all great as they keep cutting back to Judgment Day who are LOSING IT in Gorilla. Priest cashes in and wins the World Title as the stadium explodes, and Gorilla goes wild. That’s awesome! I

-Priests says it was an out of body experience as he could see himself doing everything. In a beautiful touch I didn’t know, Eddie was the ref that raised Damian’s hand. That’s amazing! Balor notes he is happier for other people’s success than his own and Rhea says the reaction the group had was genuine. I love when people win their first World Title and the little kid comes out in them and they drop the “character.”

-We head backstage where HHH is there to hug Priest and they have a moment together. HHH tells him he worked his ass off and Priest has tears in his eyes. HHH tells him to let it out and be emotional. Darn right! We see Miz, X-Pac, Lashley, Cody, and Bayley congratulate him. Then his brothers and father embrace him with tears. I love this stuff so much! His sister breaks down talking about how Damian did it even when he faced times where he wanted to quit.

-His dad can’t believe Damian is living the dream he has had since he was a child. Back to Mania, where Rock apologizes for interrupting and gives Priest a hug and congrats. Priest channels Carlito as he notes, “that’s cool.” Next, Taker congratulates him and hugs him before getting introduced to Damian’s father. Then we see Damian seek out Heyman and hug him. Heyman says Damian went from a life on the streets to winning a World Title at WrestleMania.

-We see the Championship photo shoot with the entire family and Judgment Day as his parents and siblings talk about how amazing it has been. Priest closes by saying it has been a crazy ride and he wouldn’t change anything.

-We get the credits with Priest walking through the new WWE HQ. He gets teary eyed seeing a framed picture of himself as World Champion on the wall. He calls it humbling!

-As always, WWE Documentary crew killed it. This was wonderful and built so well to that cash in and Mania moment because you found yourself rooting for Priest. I vaguely remember his Indie Days or at least his name, but no clue about his story or even seen him in the ring until he debuted in NXT. His rise has been extraordinary and now he is a made man even after losing the World Title to GUNTHER. It is always cool seeing someone fight for their dream and seeing how much it means to the people that love them as well. Definitely check this one out as it is a breeze to watch and there is a lot of behind-the-scenes footage. Just great stuff as always from the people at WWE. Thanks for reading!