Damian Priest Still On Cloud 9 After Winning Gold In NXT
Photo Credit: WWE
Damian Priest became the new NXT North American Champion at NXT TakeOver XXX after a hellacious Ladder Match. Speaking with Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet, Damian Priest discussed still riding high after his victory and his picture with Triple H that went viral after his title win.
“I’m still on cloud 9, man. It’s so cool,” he said. “It’s what I’ve been working for, you know? For months, obviously, I’ve been tiptoeing around the North American Championship. I’ve been bragging about wanting to be the champion. I’ve been bragging about wanting to do something that’ll stand the test of time and live forever. To finally achieve it, it was all the feels combined. I was ecstatic, happy, emotional, everything. Everything encompassed in one. That’s why I said all that was real.”
Priest would also say that Triple H and Shawn Michaels have given him their full blessing for him to be himself on camera and when the founding fathers of D-Generation X give you the okay to be yourself, what else do you really need?
“That’s just who I am. What you see now is not a character. I’m not pretending. I’m not doing somebody a favor by doing a job the way I’m asked to portray a certain persona. I’m not doing that anymore. Hunter and Shawn gave me their full support too. ‘Hey, go out there and be yourself!’ I finally figured out how to do that. So now I’m really just being me. All the time. 24/7. I love it because I don’t have to stop and go.”
He continued, “It’s a cool story. I was talking or doing something and Triple H heard me. Then he pulled me aside and we were just talking. Then he started telling me about advice that Undertaker gave him about when you learn how to be yourself, you’ll make a lot of money in this business. That’s what Undertaker told him. Then he tapped me on the chest and basically said, ‘now I’m telling you that.’”
In regards to the picture that went viral of Triple H congratulating Damian while he was in the hot tub, Priest reveals that he pitched the idea to Triple H and Triple H was so tickled that he jumped in the hot tub with his clothes on that he told them to stay right there and take the picture.
“That was all real, man. I was celebrating,” said Priest. “There was no me pretending for cameras. I was thoroughly enjoying the moment. Hunter came up to me smiling, laughing. He couldn’t believe that I just jumped in the water with my clothes on. Then he wanted to do the picture and I was like, ‘take it while I’m in here!’ Then he thought about it and was like, ‘stay right there!’ It was really cool because it was individual to me. You ain’t taking a picture like this with nobody else. Ever.”
Damian’s North American Championship reign will begin tonight on NXT. WrestleZone we’ll have live coverage of the episode beginning tonight at 8 p.m.