2 days ago
After winning nan briefcase successful London a twelvemonth agone connected Monday, holding it precocious successful nan mediate of nan O2 Arena, Damian Priest was Mr - Senor, he liked to beryllium called - Money successful nan Bank for 9 months.
It ever seemed for illustration nan clip to rate it successful was ne'er right. Roman Reigns' loop was protected. Seth Rollins was doing wonders for nan caller belt, past sewage injured, and clip was moving out.
Questions began to travel astir if location ever would beryllium a correct time. But erstwhile it happened, it was perfect. It doesn't get excessively overmuch amended than cashing successful astatine WrestleMania to triumph your first world championship.
Now, Priest has nan task of adapting his crippled to enactment for illustration a champion, correspond nan company, and nutrient bully value matches and intermezo for nan fans.
Priest reminisces, speaking exclusively to Mail Sport astir his triumph successful London, and really acold he's travel successful nan past year. He jokes that he is still practicing really to clasp nan title, and really important it is to ne'er extremity learning.
Damian Priest has revealed who he believes is nan champion in-ring performer successful each of WWE
World heavyweight champion Priest is speaking up of Money successful nan Bank, wherever he won nan briefcase past year
Priest said highly of Seth Rollins (right), who he will take sides his title against connected Saturday night
'I didn't moreover realise really large of a woody it was to triumph nan briefcase until I really won it,' he says, conscionable days retired from defending his title astatine this year's version of Money successful nan Bank. 'I was like, "Oh my God. I'm portion of that typical group of group that gets to clasp that briefcase", and you go an contiguous threat.
'You're automatically astir nan apical talent successful nan company. Then I was like, "Oh, I've sewage to measurement up to beryllium nan champ. This is, this is simply a really large deal". Immediately, that aforesaid night, I'm successful nan main arena picture.
'Every time I'm still seeking retired advice. I'm still asking questions, non stop, conscionable trying to fig caller things retired and proceed being amended tomorrow than I was yesterday.
'People are like, "Well, you sewage there. You don't request to alteration anything". And for me, I sewage present because that's nan measurement I am. So I can't extremity being that way, because I consciousness for illustration that's erstwhile I'll fail, that's erstwhile I'll spell backwards. So I person to continue.'
The man who made Priest's loop what it is today, Seth Rollins, is up adjacent for El Campeon. Rollins is simply a multi-year seasoned - making his main roster debut successful 2012 - and a five-time world champion.
If he wins connected Saturday, he will spell onto look Gunther, nan longest-reigning intercontinental champion of each time, astatine SummerSlam. It's nan champion of nan champion erstwhile you're a champion.
Priest, though, isn't shying distant from nan tests. He is afloat of praise for Rollins, paying him beautiful overmuch nan eventual compliment.
Priest is wished to trial himself against nan best, and whitethorn person a lucifer against Gunther (centre) connected nan horizon
He is insistant connected sticking to what he knows champion and continuing to beryllium himself while astatine nan top
El Campeon reveals specifications of really he felt erstwhile he won nan title astatine WrestleMania this year
'When I won nan title astatine WrestleMania, I wasn't moreover reasoning of my reign,' Priest admits. 'I was conscionable like, "I'm nan champion". But past it's like, "What now? What type of champion americium I going to be? What type of reign do I want to have?"
'I wanted to take sides against nan biggest stars. I request to beryllium myself. And truthful far, that's what I've been going up against. I'm happy pinch nan measurement it's going, I'm happy pinch wherever it's heading. I've sewage Seth Rollins next, nan eventual superstar to me, to nan locker room. We each look astatine Seth Rollins arsenic nan champion in-ring performer successful nan company, period. And that's saying a lot, because that's a locker room that has guys for illustration AJ Styles, Randy Orton, conscionable unthinkable superstars.
'I want to beryllium myself against him, and past you've sewage Gunther waiting for SummerSlam, who, again, I person to hit these guys. I person to beryllium myself successful nan ringing against these guys to really found myself arsenic a successful and worthy world champion.'
Things person been somewhat different for Priest lately, and not conscionable becuase he's sewage a large golden loop astir his shoulder.
There are 5 members successful The Judgement Day; Priest, Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh and Rhea Ripley. Ripley, however, hasn't been astir lately, sidelined since conscionable aft WrestleMania pinch an wounded and nary timeline yet group for her return.
'I connection her each nan clip like, "This is weird. I miss you, and I miss my roadworthy buddy", Priest says. 'It's not conscionable what you spot connected TV.
'It's challenging, conscionable because I sewage truthful utilized to having my buddy to thin connected and to vent to and, much than anything, laugh. I'm personification who loves to grin and laughter pinch my friends.
'Rhea and I are 2 goofballs, which is astir apt why we get on truthful well. All we do is giggle and laugh, truthful not having that personification pinch maine is really nan worst portion astir her injury. Then, of course, nan move connected TV, really overmuch she adds to The Judgment Day and to immoderate conception that we're progressive successful because of her presence.
'She's, a mega star, truthful we decidedly consciousness it. We sewage to still spell retired location and put connected nan champion capacity we can, and I deliberation we we haven't missed a beat, but she's decidedly missed by us, by fans, by everybody.'
He admits he misses Rhea Ripley (pictured), who has been disconnected WWE injured for respective weeks
The Judgement Day, featuring some Priest and Ripley, is 1 of nan astir ascendant and celebrated factions successful WWE
There's a batch going connected successful The Judgement Day correct now. Liv Morgan is invovled, Balor and McDonagh clasp nan tag titles and Priest has nan large one.
Ripley will hopefully beryllium backmost soon. Then location is nan sub-plot that has been brewing astir Priest and Balor, who don't look to beryllium capable to get along.
Whether he wins aliases loses connected Saturday, Priest wil beryllium conscionable good going forward. His title reign has, successful immoderate way, exceeded expectations. It whitethorn not beryllium his last, and it whitethorn not beryllium complete yet either.
