During a recent interview with ViBe & Wrestling, WWE United States Champion Damian Priest commented on the advice he received from The Undertaker, his career so far, and more. You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On changing his name from Punisher Martinez to Damian Priest: “In my professional career, whether it was in the indies, ROH or NJPW, I always had a character who in this case was “Punisher” Martínez, but it was always something artificial, it was not me. They are things that I like like horror movies and rock music but it is not who I am. When I started in NXT Triple H told me that I could continue being “Punisher” Martínez but that he saw someone better in me and wanted me to show this personality. I had no problem changing. It was a different life and I could start from 0. We agreed on the name and I told him that I loved rock music, archers… so many things in life that we decided to put together and it was very easy and natural. Now I’m not acting, it’s me. The Damian Priest that you see on television is the same that you can see on the street, it is the same person and it made it easier for me to relax and be me and the fans realized and they love me more because they know that it is real, that I am like this.”
On going from NXT North American champion to WWE US champion: “It is different because NXT is special and I really love it but to be a United States Champion as part of Monday Night Raw, that was the dream since I was a child. For the child within me, the United States championship is more important because at that time NXT did not exist. It was a dream to be a Superstar and be a champion and now I am all that. It is not that the North American Championship it is not important because it is, but this is another level and I am proud and honored to be the champion.”
On possibly going after Bobby Lashley next: “What I want is my name to live forever and for that I need moments, championships… and I have to keep moving forward. If today is Bobby Lashley I would love it because he is number 1 on Raw and it has to happen, I have to have my shot at Monday Night Raw for the WWE championship but it does not necessarily mean that it has to be today or tomorrow. Now I have an obligation as champion, I am the United States Champion and I have to defend it and retain it and I will get to Bobby Lashley when the time is right.”
On how most WWE Legends act in the locker room: “Actually most of them are private but not in a negative way. For example, Goldberg the last time I saw him he came to greet me when I won the championship and before his match he gave me a hug and congratulated me, he told me that he was happy for me and all that and we did not know each other. Those things have a lot of value because a legend like Goldberg doesn’t have to say a word to me, what does it mean for him? Nothing and for me it is a world. Edge also congratulated me and gave me a hug and told me that he was happy for me. They are people that I saw on TV when I was young and now I have them there and they give me advice and help me and it is incredible for me. I don’t know how I got to this place but I am very happy to be able to share conversations with these legends.”
On getting advice from The Undertaker: “Sometimes they say: ‘Don’t meet your heroes’ because they are not going to be what you think. Undertaker is everything and better. His love for our business, for WWE, is infinite and has within him the need to help and to be positive and want us all to be successful in our careers. He likes to see how people achieve their dreams and wants the company to remain number one. I am a super fan of him and I was very nervous to have a conversation with him, but he is a tremendous, humble human being … And then, as you say, we entered the ring and trained a bit, and it was not that he almost broke my nose but if he had wanted to, he would have done it because he pulled it so hard and stopped it like nothing and kept talking and I: ‘Wait, how did you do that so easy? Because it’s hard for me to do that’. It is tremendous. Now we have a very good relationship and it is incredible to know that this is my life, that I have in Undertaker a person with whom I can talk and he greets me because he knows me. It’s amazing and I love it. He is number one as a character but also as a person.”
