44-year-old star facing Damian Priest for the World Heavyweight Title in first-time-ever match must happen, says Rikishi
Damian Priest won the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40, following months of teasing. The Judgment Day member finally cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
The big moment came after CM Punk attacked Drew McIntyre following his own title win. Priest pinned The Scottish Warrior to leave WrestleMania 40 as the World Heavyweight Champion. He has a lot of potential as champion, as explained by WWE legend Rikishi.
The real-life Bloodline member praised Damian Priest on his podcast, Rikishi Fatu Off The Top. He also mentioned how The Archer of Infamy needs to face the right opponents who can elevate him, namedropping Randy Orton. Rikishi further emphasized that The Viper was the perfect person to challenge Priest for the World Heavyweight Championship and that fans would love to watch this rivalry.
"I think Randy Orton [would be a good opponent for Damian Priest]. Because I think about number one, what the quality match especially if you're holding the gold, it has to make sense. Everybody knows the reputation of Randy Orton and I think they would have an A-plus match all the time, and to be able to work with Randy can only bring the best out of Damian. That's something I feel like the fans would love to see," said Rikishi. [32:27-32:57]
Randy Orton is currently on SmackDown, but he and Damian Priest could end up on the same brand following the WWE Draft, which begins at the end of April. The Viper has some history with The Judgment Day, as he returned from injury as a part of Cody Rhodes' WarGames team against the heel faction at Survivor Series 2023.
Jey Uso is Damian Priest's first challenger for his title
Funnily enough, Rikishi's son will have the first swing at Damian Priest. Jey Uso won a fatal four-way number one contender's match on RAW after WrestleMania 40, pinning Drew McIntyre to earn a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship.
It remains to be seen if The YEET Master will get that shot on an upcoming episode of RAW or directly at the Backlash premium live event in France. However, chances are Main Event Jey won't win the title, as it's too soon for Priest to drop it. The Judgment Day member might remain the World Heavyweight Champion for at least a few months.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Rikishi Fatu Off The Top and add an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.