WWE News: ‘NXT’ Star Claims Triple H Has Big Plans For Him

As documented by WrestlingNews.co, NXT’s Damian Priest was a guest on the latest episode of WWE’s After the Bell podcast. In his conversation with host Corey Graves, the superstar revealed what he did to make Triple H take notice of him.

According to Priest, he presented himself as a main event superstar from the outset. The NXT star discussed how he studied the top performers in the business and realized that there was more to their personas than being able to wrestle at a top level.

When he began conducting himself in a similar manner, “The Game” revealed that the company had high hopes for Priest.

“He said, dude, there is no shortage of good wrestlers. Everybody here is good. That’s why they work here. He said I can hire anybody if I want to hire a good wrestler. He said it was the idea of something special with you. That’s what I saw and that’s why I brought you in. I really believe we can do something more with you that you never have been able to do before.”

Priest went on to say that Triple H made him understand that he had the potential to make it far in the business and could be much more than just a solid wrestler.

As noted by Sports Illustrated, Priest is regarded by some fans and pundits as a late bloomer. The 37-year-old entered the wrestling business in 2007 and spent years competing on the independent circuit. Despite regularly appearing in Ring of Honor as Punishment Martinez, he was never portrayed as a major part of the show.

However, his size and look caught the attention of Triple H and Matt Bloom, who gave him a shot on the black-and-gold brand and helped him find his voice as a performer.

The superstar has been enjoying a push lately as well. He won the North American Championship at NXT: Takeover XXX, his first title since joining WWE. Priest overcame Bronson Reed, Cameron Grimes, Johnny Gargano, and Velveteen Dream in a Ladder Match to walk away with the prize.

During the interview, Priest also revealed that he’s close friends with Matt Riddle and Keith Lee, both of whom are currently enjoying successful runs on the main roster. The latter is reportedly set for a mega push on Monday Night Raw.

Priest said that he’s known both since their days on the independent circuit together, and they bonded through their mutual drive to be successful.