Major WWE title change at WrestleMania XL was reportedly a last-minute decision
WrestleMania Sunday featured quite a few title changes that shifted the entire landscape of WWE. From Royal Rumble winners Cody Rhodes and Bayley winning their respective championship matches to Drew McIntyre finally putting an end to Seth "Freakin" Rollins' months-long reign, the event saw it all.
Unfortunately for McIntyre, despite getting to savor the moment with his wife at ringside, his scuffle with CM Punk led to Damian Priest sprinting to the ring. The Judgment Day star cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and subsequently pinned the Scotsman in 9 seconds to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. According to Sportskeeda's Dr. Chris Featherstone, this was a last-minute call.
On X, Dr. Chris Featherstone reported that those backstage considered a few pitches before deciding to coronate The Archer of Infamy as the new champion heading into a new era in WWE.
Check out Dr. Chris Featherstone's report on X below:
"I was also told by WWE backstage that "a few pitches were floating around" before landing on the final decision of having Damian Priest cash-in the MITB briefcase successfully at #WrestleMania so it hasn't been set in stone for long," he wrote.
Damian Priest's cash-in only made him the second WWE Superstar to cash in on The Grandest Stage of Them All. Furthermore, the 41-year-old salvaged the Money in the Bank briefcase, as the concept was seemingly destroyed by former contract holders such as Otis, Austin Theory, and Baron Corbin, all of whom did not do well with it.
Damian Priest lost the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania XL
WrestleMania Saturday featured a six-pack ladder match for the Tag Team Titles. The creative team split the belts on the show. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller retrieved the SmackDown title, while The Awesome Truth took home the RAW belts.
After months of disrespect from The Judgment Day, veteran R-Truth got a Wrestlemania moment with the victory. He also had a hilarious moment at the Slammys post-show.
As for Priest, he was the right man at the right place, and at the right time. He scored a huge pinfall victory over Drew McIntyre, a former two-time WWE Champion.
WWE has a few directions it can take through the summer of 2024. McIntyre, Seth Rollins, CM Punk, and even Bronson Reed, who won the 2024 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, are some of the potential challengers for World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest.