"That's how it came to be" - Damian Priest discloses the origin of his WWE ring name
Damian Priest recently commented on how he came up with his current ring name in WWE. He also revealed what character he wanted to portray when he joined the Stamford-based company.
The Archer of Infamy wrestled in the independent circuit for numerous years before joining WWE NXT in 2018 and eventually landing on the Stamford-based company's main roster, where he has achieved a lot of success. He is currently a member of The Judgment Day on RAW, a former Money in the Bank winner, and is the reigning World Heavyweight Champion.
During an appearance on FOX8 Live, Damian Priest stated that he wanted to portray the character of a rockstar when he got to WWE and wanted to have a rockstar name as well, so he went with his current ring name.
"Before I was in WWE, when I was in the independent circuit, we come up with a character and we base on things we like. I was a big fan of The Punisher comics and I had that mentality, and my mom's last name was Martinez, so it's kinda like combining stuff. Then coming into WWE, it was like, 'Who do I want to be here? What do I want to be here? I wanna be a rockstar, so I need like a rockstar name.' Damian Priest, now that screams, that sounds frontman in a rockstar band and that's how it came to be," Damian Priest said. [03:02 - 03:35]
What the future has in store for The Punisher remains to be seen.
Damian Priest recently signed a new multi-year contract with WWE
Damian Priest recently renewed his WWE contract. According to a report from Fightful Select, his previous deal was going to expire in February 2024, but he and the Stamford-based company agreed on a new deal just days before the contract's expiration. The Archer of Infamy signed a new multi-year contract, and although the terms were not disclosed, it is clear that he is not going anywhere anytime soon.
The Punisher is currently involved in a feud with Drew McIntyre, who wants his rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship, as he lost the coveted title after Priest cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on The Scottish Warrior at WrestleMania XL. It will be interesting to see how things pan out.