411’s WWE Chronicle Report: Damian Priest on Growing Up in Puerto Rico, WrestleMania Debut, More

411’s WWE Chronicle Report: Damian Priest

-Air Date: 05.09.21
-Run Time: 30:31

-Damian Priest is backstage following his match at WrestleMania and he is emotional as he talks about how it was so much better than anything he dreamed. “I did it. Fucking WrestleMania.” This is WWE Chronicle!

-The following was filmed Jan 31, 2021 to April 27, 2021.

-Damian was born in NYC and his parents lived in The Bronx. They divorced and his mom took him to Puerto Rico. He talks about how hard it was growing up in the 80s as a Latino. He admits he was not meant for this success and if he can figure out a way, most of the world can.

-His first love was watching wrestling in Puerto Rico and Carlos Colon Sr was everything down there. Carlos was the reason he wanted to get in the business and then he loved seeing Savio Vega and Carlito because they were from where he was from.

-Damian had to move back in with his father New York and that’s when he started training in martial arts. He talks about the differences in living with a gentle mom in Puerto Rico vs a tough father in New York. He does say that if his father raised him any differently, he isn’t sitting here today. His father was his friend, and he was his little buddy as they traveled together and trained. His father closed down the martial arts school and Damian didn’t see a future in martial arts, so he was stuck finding what he wanted to do. A friend tossed out the idea of trying that wrestling thing.

-He would hold down jobs while having his gear under his uniform so he could leave to make shows. He then started bouncing at bars and he developed a love for music. He didn’t have a lot of friends growing up, so he got heavy into music. He would pick the brains of the bar bands that would come around and sometimes they would let him sing on stage with them. All that stuff was the genesis for what would become his wrestling entrance.

-He shows a photo of him in July 2010 and says this was when his downward spiral started. He was told by WWE officials and coaches what he needed to work on, and he basically had the attitude of how dare they and “screw them.” Another photo from Feb 2013 and he is just huge as he says that was the biggest he ever got. He looks so much better now. He got lazy around that time as he thought it was the right decision. He again says he should not be here with who he was, and he should be someone not enjoying life. The other side is that one day everything clicked. That day was when his employer told him they would given him a raise, but he had to stop that weekend wrestling thing. He immediately gave his two week notice and he knew he had to be about it with wrestling.

-Jan 31, 2021: Priest getting ready for The Royal Rumble and he jokes around with Edge backstage. He notes the Rumble is a big deal as it sets the tone for WrestleMania. Priest gets a good run including eliminating Kane and then Miz and Morrison to set up the feud with Bad Bunny. Lashley sends Priest out to end this night.

-Feb 1, 2021: Priest makes his in ring RAW debut against The Miz. He says there is no goal as he is always going to want something more. Priest gets the win and tells us that was cool.

-Feb 8, 2021: Priest and Riddle throw a baseball around Tropicana Field. I mean, you are in that massive stadium all day, so why not? Priest says he is a big baseball game and how often do you get to play catch on an actual MLB Field. Some will question how much of a legit Field that Stadium really is, but to me it has its charm with the catwalks and roof that causes the ball to get lost.

-Priest and Riddle chat about their days teaming together as they won a few tag titles. Riddle talks about all that Damian has been through the years and says that Damian needs this more than him. Everyone wants this, but Damian needs it because of how much he has sacrificed to get there.

-Damian Priest promo from Jan 2015 as he tells the camera he is 85 lbs. lighter. He ended up dropping over 100 lbs. and got a 3-day tryout at The Performance Center. He felt he killed it and all the coaches praised him. They told him if it was up to them he would be getting hired, but that didn’t happen as the WWE didn’t have anything for him. He contacted the WWE each year after and eventually figured it wasn’t going to happen. Finally, in Oct 2018 the WWE called him.

-He started and was throw in the deep end. One day everything clicked and the match that put him on the map was In Your House with Finn Balor. Everything clicked and he just thrived under that pressure. He gave Finn everything he could be and, in a loss,, he had the biggest night of his career. Shawn Michaels came up to him and said, “that’s the guy we want to see from now on.” Priest told them he gets it now.

-Priest talks about taking care of his body and treating it better. He did his research and got into chiropractic work and cryotherapy as swears by both of them. We see him getting work done with a doctor who he has a friendship and bond with. He gave them a little replica of the North American Title and a picture that they hung on the wall.

-He talks about one of the best things about being Damian Priest is the swag and way he carries himself. He wants people to feed off that the way he fed off Scott Hall. Nice! We get Razor Ramon footage, and he was just the coolest! Priest was glued to the TV anytime Razor or Hall was on the TV. He loved that when he was in NXT, he got to pick his brain and he asked him if it was okay to use some of his mannerisms, moves, and even pay tribute with his gear. He shows off one of his black vests that has the drop like Hall’s Outsiders vest, and it even uses the same font. He also got permission to use The Razor’s Edge and then asked about Hall’s walk. Hall told him was called the Surfer Walk and he originally did it to keep fans from touching him. Priest uses a slight variation as he opens up a little bit more to try to feed off the energy of fans.

-RAW build continues with Priest and Bunny against Miz and Morrison. That leads to April 5 when Priest asks for the tag match and he gets to print to the WrestleMania sign. His smile talking about getting to point at the sign is great.

-We go with Priest to a cryo session, and he says it has kept him going the last few years. He talks about the emotions of building to WrestleMania and how he gave so much he felt slow and sluggish. That all changed when he got to the building.

-April 10, 2021: WrestleMania 37 Day One: We see Priest arrive in a pimp suit and he admits nerves are flowing. He meets up with Shane and tells him he doesn’t know how he got here, but it’s wild. Shane tells him to make sure he enjoys the moment. His smile is just plastered on his face as he walks out to the stadium floor. I had the same smile when I walked into the stadium at Mania XXV and I’m just a fan. He says he hopes that he can just deliver as he just seems in awe and humbled by everything he is seeing.

-Priest gets to do virtual meet and greets with fans. A little kid marks out seeing him, and another fan shows off a tattoo he got. Priest again is awed by the fact that he is here and questions how it happened. We see him go through his entrance rehearsal with HHH watching and it’s a beautiful day out, but we know how that ended up changing. WrestleMania time as the entire roster stands on the stage as Vince McMahon welcomes the fans back.

-Priest is ready in Gorilla and gets a hug from Rhea Ripley. He talks about the emotions going through his head and his body. He makes his entrance and then Bunny gets an epic entrance. We get highlights from the match and it delivered more than expected. Bunny took it seriously, Miz and Morrison were total pros in getting him through it and Priest did his part as well. Props to all of them!

-After the match they get a round of applause in Gorilla and HHH gives Priest a hug and handshake. Bunny gives in interview in Spanish putting over Priest and you can tell the man had a blast out there and was honored to be out there. Priest walks off to cry and tells the camera he needs a second. That takes us back to where we started this episode. Good for him!

-As the credits roll, they ask Priest what he wants to say to the person he sees (a photo of him at his heaviest). He says that guy shouldn’t have wasted his time. Don’t be this. Be the one that works for his dream. He crumbles up the picture and we are out with this episode.

-I think the WWE is incapable of producing bad documentaries at this point. This was great as you learned a lot about Damian and it’s always a treat to get a back story to go with the man or woman behind the character. For as much as we see them as larger than life, they are just humans with flaws, ups and downs, and personal issues. Priest achieving his dream and getting such a high-profile match in his first Mania was wonderful to see. Definitely spend the 30 minutes on this one. Thanks for reading!