Backstage Details On R-Truth vs. Damian Priest WWE SmackDown Finish

The match between R-Truth and Damian Priest ended in a referee stoppage on the October 16 episode of WWE SmackDown after the veteran appeared to suffer a legitimate injury.

The match was stopped after Truth attempted a top-rope dropkick and couldn’t get back on his feet. The referee checked on him before calling for the bell. According to F4WOnline’s Bryan Alvarez, Priest realized Truth was hurt and decided to end the match early.

“As you can see from the videos floating around, Damian Priest made the call to take the Truth match home the moment he realized Truth was hurt. Did a hell of a job staying in character.”

After the referee stopped the match, Priest grabbed a steel chair, but Nathan Frazer and Axiom made the save. R-Truth later addressed the incident on social media while staying in character, sharing a photograph of himself near an MRI machine.

“I AM OK, Thank you ALL for your support, concerns and get well wishes , Wow, It truly feels amazing to feel and be loved I’m grateful for you all. …On 10/16/2026 I almost passed away… Damien Priest tried to kill me,, I didn’t think he was ThAt serious… But ok, l’ll be back.”

I AM OK, Thank you ALL for your support, concerns and get well wishes , Wow, It truly feels amazing to feel and be loved I'm grateful for you all.

…On 10/16/2026 I almost passed away… Damien Priest tried to kill me,, I didn't think he was ThAt serious…
But ok, l'll be… pic.twitter.com/Q4nLOzBYEL

— Ron Killings (@RonKillings) October 19, 2026