Damian Priest: Underachiever To El Campeon

From underachiever to World Champion. The Damian Priest story.

In the opening minutes of WWE 24 – Damian Priest, Luis Martínez describes himself as “one of the ones who wasn’t supposed to.” It’s a sentiment that many successful people both inside and outside of wrestling often reflect on once they’ve ‘made it.’ Did you know a young Dwayne Johnson only had seven bucks in his pocket when he signed with WWE after a meeting with Jim Ross?

For some, it becomes part of the myth and the illusion. As Johnson hit rock bottom he was still the son of Rocky Johnson and a member of one of the most respected families in wrestling history. Although his lineage wasn’t the reason he became one of the biggest stars the industry has ever seen, it would be misleading to suggest it didn’t help him get a foot in the door.

Humble Beginnings

By contrast, the man who would become Damian Priest grew up on the outside looking in. Born in The Bronx, New York, Martinez moved to Puerto Rico with his mother and sister after his parents separated while still an infant. During his time on the Isla del Encanto the would-be World Champion was first exposed to pro wrestling. In Puerto Rico wrestling has permeated mainstream culture like very few places on earth. But it would be a WWE icon that first captured his attention.

It was while watching The Undertaker trapping The Ultimate Warrior in a coffin during Paul Bearer’s Funeral Parlour on WWF Superstars in 1991, that Priest decided he wanted to become a wrestler. From that moment The Deadman became a constant source of inspiration, with Priest sporting an Undertaker-style look during his early years in the business. But long before he ever stepped foot in a wrestling ring, Martínez moved back to New York to live with his father.

During this period, Martínez’s passion for wrestling grew with regular trips to Madison Square Garden, but not everything was plain sailing. Having spent much of his early life in Puerto Rico, Spanish was his first language, making the move a tough one. This saw him brushing up his English by watching the Wheel of Fortune on TV.

But with high school done and dusted, at the urging of his friends, Martínez began training to become a professional wrestler. In a bid to make what felt like a distant dream a reality, he joined the Monster Factory in 2003 and continued to train at the famous school until he joined WWE in 2018. The next few years were characterised by struggle. Martínez worked odd jobs, struggled to gain any traction in the ring, and ended up sleeping in his car or on the steps of a local church.

That’s not to say that all of his setbacks were simply down to fate betraying him. After securing a try-out with Florida Championship Wrestling in 2010 — WWE’s main developmental territory at the time, Martínez fell well short of the standard required. By his own admission, he was out of shape at nearly 400lbs, “lazy, complacent” and “not a good human being.”

But that failure sparked some major changes, and by 2014 Martínez was a new man. He met Paul Heyman while working as a WWE extra, and the former ECW boss took every chance he could to try and help him along. Another WWE rejection followed in January 215, this time because there wasn’t enough space on the roster, but it wouldn’t long until Martínez landed in Ring of Honor. This is where he met another key figure in his development, the late, great Kevin Sullivan. In an interview with Slam! Sports in 2017, Priest discussed learning from Sullivan who was keen to pass on his expertise.

Punishment Martinez Becomes Damian Priest

Fast forward to 2018, and the star’s WWE dream finally came true, but only after another rejection in 2017. His signing was greeted with more of a shrug than excitement from fans online. And in truth, it wasn’t all that surprising. He was a 15-year veteran at 36 and his biggest in-ring achievements to date were a run with the ROH World TV Title and a spot in the Over Budget Battle Royal at the original All In where Austin Gunn eliminated him.

Despite what he’s gone on to achieve, that CV is a million miles away from one that screams “Future World Champion.” Although the likes of Finn Balor (32), Shinsuke Nakamura (35), Samoa Joe (36), and Asuka (33) all arrived in NXT in their 30s, they had all been recognised as some of the best wrestlers on the planet.

That sentiment was summed up by podcaster and writer Joe Hulbert. Like many, Hulbert wasn’t the star’s biggest fan initially but praised his determination to improve relatively late into his career.

I honestly thought very little of him pre-WWE, but I think the big thing is that he’s a good example of improvement not always following a familiar timeline. He has steadily added things to his game and tightened up offensively, all as an older lad pretty deep in his career.

Punishment Martinez officially made his WWE debut on November 2nd, 2018 at an NXT live event defeating Nick Miller (Mikey Nicholls). The star debuted on television a month later in a losing effort to Matt Riddle (Another Monster Factory alumni) but it wouldn’t be until he was repackaged as Damian Priest that his run really began. Martinez took the name because his mother had wanted to name him Damian, and he used a Judas Priest track as his theme song earlier in his career.

After re-debuting on TV in June 2019, Priest was off to the races. He made his first foray onto the main roster at that year’s Survivor Series as part of Team NXT but it was his subsequent rivalry with Finn Balor in mid-2020 that took him to a new level. Given how close the pair later became in the Judgment Day, it’s perhaps no surprise that it was Balor who asked to work with Priest during this period.

Off the back of that bout, Priest won the North American Title and received a call-up to the main roster.

Bad Bunny To Señor Money in the Bank.

The WWE narrative is that the company had big plans for Priest when he arrived on the main roster and instantly linked up with music megastar Bad Bunny. It’s a nice story, but given WWE’s penchant for pairing performers based on ethnicity, the partnership may have had more to do with their shared Puerto Rican heritage. However, given how involved Priest was in Bunny’s training, it’s clear there was a strong level of trust.

After guiding Bunny to tag team victory over The Miz and John Morrison at WrestleMania 37, Priest lost his way. Although he rarely if ever lost on television, his brand of smiley happy to be there babyface was falling flat with fans. His run with the United States Championship never caught fire, and while fans never turned on him, apathy began to take hold. Not for the last time, Priest feared he’d be released.

But once again, his Irish wrestling guardian angel, Finn Balor, was about to steer him in the right direction. In February 2022, Priest dropped the US Title to Balor, before attacking him after the match and fully turning heel. This heel turn saw Priest join Edge in the original iteration of Judgment Day, but it wasn’t until Balor joined the group in June and kicked Edge out that things took off. Not that Damian Priest felt like that at the time. In an August 2024 interview, he said he was angry Edge had been removed and again feared he would be fired.

If Priest’s partnership with Bad Bunny signaled his arrival on the main roster, the match between the pair at Backlash 2023 was the launch pad for his jump to superstardom. Any match with a celebrity as famous as Bad Bunny was going to be a big match, but Bad Bunny in Puerto Rico is a whole other level. What started out as a wrestling contest quickly became a celebration of Puerto Rican culture as the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot shook to the sound of Chambea.

For 25 minutes the two men tore the house down with crazy bumps and run-ins galore including cameos from Carlito from Puerto Rican wrestling royalty Savio Vega. (Something Priest personally asked for) While Priest has never been shy about embracing his heritage, here he was able to showcase it to the world.

According to podcaster, blogger, and proud Damian Priest fan Astrid Pizarro, it’s the star’s deep connection to his roots makes him much more than just another wrestler.

I connect to his story as I came from nothing too, he’s Puerto Rican like myself as well. I think he’s so well liked because a lot of us can relate to his story, how he achieved his dream after coming from poverty. Also, how connected he is to his family, that’s something that is very cultural for us.

Overall, his real life story as shown in the WWE 24 documentary showed us a bigger picture about his life, growing that connection. He’ll forever be mi campeón!

The momentum from that match carried Priest to Money In The Bank victory in London that July, but uncertainty continued to follow Señor Money in the Bank.

El Campeon

Over the next nine months, there were failed cash-ins and confusion about WWE’s plans. Every time Priest seemed in a prime position to climb into the main event, a more glamorous story appeared to block his path. As the newly returned CM Punk focused on Seth Rollins, the World Championship, and Drew McIntyre, it was far from clear where Priest would fit in.

But that all changed on one crazy night in Philadelphia at WrestleMania 40. Just minutes after McIntyre was crowned champion he clashed with Punk and lay stunned at ringside. Enter Damian Priest and only the second WrestleMania Money In The Bank cash-in in history.

No matter what the future might hold, it’s hard not to look at Priest’s WrestleMania victory as the peak of his career. He might win more titles, but this will always be different. As Priest had his hand raised in the ring, fans in the stadium exploded as did his Judgment Day family backstage. Not only did the reaction show how loved the star is behind the scenes, but how universally well-liked and almost beloved he’s become by the audience.

Not everyone inside Lincoln Financial Field was a Damian Priest fan, but the entire audience united in acknowledgement and appreciation for a man who finally achieved his dream.

For Hulbert, it represented the moment where Priest’s work ethic intersected perfectly with WWE’s long-term investment.

It’s hard to ignore how he’s benefitted from the new regime’s creative. They’ve committed to his push and he’s a strong success story for them, an example of trusting the vision until it pays off.

As his title run got underway, Priest grew into the role of main event attraction. After defences against Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, and Drew McIntyre, the champion entered into a rivalry with Gunther. Despite the Austrian’s rise, the match at SummerSlam was a special moment between two wrestlers outside of WWE’s traditional main event talent pool, a testament to how far both men had come.

At the summer spectacular Priest lost the World Heavyweight Championship after being betrayed by Finn Balor after months of teases and tension. The shock twist came just hours after Rhea Ripley had also been kicked to the curb by Judgment Day. There’s always a fear for a first-time champion that once they lose the title they slip back down the card, but the success of Judgment Day means that simply hasn’t happened.

The group’s achievements since 2022 have ensured each member and former member has a safety net. So while there’s uncertainty over what the future holds, strong foundations are already there. And in a now-traditional piece of symmetry, Balor is again the man to guide Priest into the next stage of his career, this time at Bad Blood.

Luis Martínez is a fan who became a wrestler, who became a Superstar, who became a World Champion. In a world full of extreme personalities his down-to-earth nature, proud embrace of his cultural heritage, and incredible work ethic have endeared him to millions.

Even without championship gold, he’ll always be El Campeon.