During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, WWE NXT Superstar Damian Priest commented on being turned down by WWE twice before, Matt Bloom helping him, and more. You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On how he was turned down by WWE twice before: “I’ve worked very hard to become something special. Early on in my career, I was frustrated when I didn’t have the right to be frustrated. What I needed was to work harder. And I changed my life, shed 100 pounds, and developed a positive work ethic. The times when I was overlooked, I’ve used that to fuel me. WWE turned me down twice in the last five years. I thought I’d never have the chance to work here. Then, a year later, my contract was up with Ring of Honor, and I got a phone call from WWE. Since starting in late 2018, the Performance Center has me in the best shape of my life, I feel like a rookie all over again, and I’m excited for everything to come.”
On how Matt Bloom has helped his career: “Every single coach has played a part, and Matt Bloom has helped with my demeanor and presence. He wants me to give off a feeling just by the way I look at him. He’s adamant about my cadence and delivery and mannerisms. All of the coaches have taken everything I am and morphed it into the best wrestler possible, and a lot of my presence is thanks to Bloom. He gets me thinking. I’ve become Damian Priest, not pretending to be a character. I did that for years, but now it’s a real feeling. It’s all coming from a real place, and it is never pretending to be something I am not.”
On tonight’s Fatal 4-Way match: “I’m going to put on whatever performance is needed so that the name Damian Priest lives forever. That is my only goal. The plan is to put on a hell of a performance, win, then go on and win my first championship in NXT. I’m creating a story that will only end in one way—my name living forever.”
