After turning in one of the best WrestleMania weekends since the show went to two days in 2020, Vince McMahon sent the WWE Universe into complete disarray by effectively retaking his creative role away from his son-in-law, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, and putting together one of the worst RAW episodes in the shows 30-year history, as its .63 out of 10 Cagematch rating clearly proves. Suddenly the show had less wrestling, with just three of the show's five matches lasting longer than five minutes, more squashes, and a 10-minute segment where Brock Lesnar beat Cody Rhodes so bad no one is going to take him seriously as a championship contender any time soon.
So, with WWE Universe arguably at its most unstable spot in half a year, it's very interesting to see the newest edition of Out of Character with Ryan Satin drop, featuring a very interesting quote from Damian Preist complementing Levesque's creative mastery and wizardly way of making magic with his booking decision.
“It's great. There's a different understanding with certain people,” Priest said via SE Scoops. “First of all, he gets just about anyone in this business because he's a Wizard of this business. I think I know a lot. I don't think I know it all. But I think I know a good amount about this business, then I'd have a conversation with Triple H, and I feel like I don't know anything. I'm like, ‘What? Send me back to NXT. Man, I need to learn something.'
“Because he's just so good and it's great. With me, particularly, we're two metal heads that like chains and biker stuff and, same type of, just everyday [things]. We just have so many similar likes, that we can just have conversations that have nothing to do with wrestling. So he gets the person. I also am a big fan of the showmanship of what we do. I was always big on entrances, even when I worked with Ring of Honor, I made sure that was a thing. I was like, ‘Hey, I want my entrance to be cool. I don't want to just walk to the ring. We have to do stuff. I need lighting and smoke or something.' It was great to work with Hunter on that because he has the same passion clearly for that part of the spectacle. So getting to talk to him and him actually listening and being invested in what I'm saying. He getting excited as well because we're going to create something special. That's neat to have that with your boss. Because as much as it's Triple H – The Game, King of Kings, he's still the boss right? But he still has that other side that he's one of the boys. It's a good combo. Nobody treats him like one of the boys, he's still the boss that has a respect but in return, we get that understanding, as he's one of us. It's a good balance that he has.”
Now granted, Priest definitely had his interview with Satin well before it was posted on YouTube at 3 pm EST, maybe even before all of the changes that took place on Monday Night RAW, but still, it's certainly interesting to see WWE performers coming to the aid of Papa H, as it backs up the reporting that talent prefers his booking over the old way of doing things.
Damian Priest had praise for more than just Tripe H on Out of Character.
Besides talking about Triple H, elsewhere in his interview with Satin, Priest was asked about how things have progressed with his Judgement Day teammates over their first year as a team, and the “Punishment” let it be known that he couldn't be prouder of the group's newest champion, Rhea Ripley.
“Yeah, the homie Rhea,” Priest said via SE Scoops. “Obviously, everybody knows that we became friends in NXT and we've stayed close ever since. She's like my little sister. [I'm] so happy and proud. I legit got a little emotional last night [at Mania] just seeing how hard she's worked. She's been through a lot. Being away from home, away from her family.
“A lot of us sacrifice but not to that level. Her family's literally on the other side of the planet. It goes years without seeing them. For somebody who grew up very close-knit with their family, that's hard. But she muscles through, literally, and keeps working hard. [She] never stopped striving for more and it's really gratifying on my end to witness it, to be a part of it, and sharing that enjoyment that she's feeling right now. So proud of her.”
Asked then about Dominik Mysterio, who wasn't so lucky in his match at WrestleMania, Priest had praise for him too, noting how he's been able to fully step out of his father's shadow to become his own man within the WWE.
“Yeah, Dom. He went from being a star with Rey, a star in the Judgment Day, to being his own star. It's Dominik Mysterio now,” Priest said. “He's his own thing. Just like Rhea it's awesome to be a part of it. [Being] right there. I'm seeing this first-hand. I'm watching him from this distance, just glow and just do his thing. When he's in the ring and holding the ring with a mic and the crowd's going nuts, I can't help but smile in the background.”
What does the future hold for The Judgement Day? Honestly, it's impossible to say, but considering that nothing but uncertainty is certain in WWE right now, it's at least nice to know the group are all in this together moving forward, even if that isn't ultimately the option creative decides to go with.
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