Damian Priest on Choosing Wrestling Over Stability, His Weight Loss
Damian Priest’s path to the top was by no means easy, as he had to come to terms with several self-imposed issues holding him back. During a revealing interview on WFAN with Sal Licata, the 42-year-old champion opened up about the pivotal moment that transformed his life forever.
“I used to run a club in Atlantic City and I was set up. I mean, I didn’t have anything. I had nothing saved, no nothing to my name. But because of the job, I had a free apartment on the boardwalk in AC. I had a company vehicle, so I had a car, you know, and I had a job.
“And they wanted to give me more responsibility. And they wanted me to stop, you know, doing that. And this is quoting the owner at the time. He said, ‘I want you to stop doing that wrestling thing you do sometimes on the weekends.'”
With a decent job to his name, one that wouldn’t require painful bumps, many would have accepted this request. Instead, Priest realized the importance of chasing a dream.
“For whatever reason that day, it hit me a different way. And I was like, ‘Uh, you have my two weeks notice.'”
That decision left Priest essentially homeless, but it also sparked a transformation that saw him lose over 200 pounds and completely reshape his mindset. The journey wasn’t just physical—it was deeply personal.
“At the time, I was so miserable with myself that I treated others horribly. I look back now and I think about how I treated people, how I talked to people. Um, man, you talk about having regrets. That’s my biggest regret was being a bad person to other people for no reason.”
The transformation required what Priest called radical honesty with himself. For the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion, he realized that there was no easy solution to his dilemma, and he would only succeed through hard work.
“I had to start being honest. And the moment I did that, you realize how many times you don’t want to give that answer. So, you actually work hard.”
Now, as he prepares for SummerSlam at MetLife Stadium, Priest’s story serves as proof that it’s never too late to start over—no matter how far you’ve fallen.
