Damian Priest has shone brightly in WWE’s spotlight. From thriving in NXT to winning the Money in the Bank briefcase to becoming “El Campeon” at WrestleMania, Priest knows what it feels like to be in WWE’s main event scene.
His success follows years of grind on the independent wrestling scene, and he has worked his way through hardships to reach this level of stardom. But before taking up pro wrestling as a full-time career, The Punisher led a very different and lavish lifestyle.
Damian Priest Had to Drop a Lavish Lifestyle to Pursue His Pro Wrestling Dream
Before Damian Priest found his footing in the business, he had a different gig that gave him a luxurious lifestyle. Priest managed a strip club in Atlantic City, a role that brought comfort and financial security. But Priest decided to walk away from it all.
Priest appeared on Cody Rhodes’s “What Do You Wanna Talk About” podcast and talked about what led him to finally take his wrestling career seriously. Priest would wrestle on the weekends and manage the strip club on other days.
During the interview, Priest described it as a “solid situation” for him. The former World Heavyweight Champion said the role provided him with a free car, a penthouse on the boardwalk, and the money they offered allowed him to buy new gear. But just then, things changed when the ownership forced him to make a choice.
Gave up the penthouse, the car, and the girls in stilettos… all for the ring.
Stream the newest episode of “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” NOW! @WWE@CodyRhodes
Presented by @WheatleyVodka. pic.twitter.com/AzJzT4xip0— Damian Priest (@ArcherOfInfamy) June 11, 2025
Sharing a clip from the interview on X (formerly Twitter), Priest said, “He (one of the owners) goes, ‘you just gotta stop doing that wrestling thing you do sometimes on the weekends.'”
He added, ” And I don’t know why, but that day, and by this point I was about 400 pounds, complacent, lazy, and everybody and their mother has done this to my shoulder (pat) ‘You’re going to be fine with wrestling; you’re big and you have abilities, so you’ll be fine.'”
Priest then described how he walked away from the lucrative deal on offer. “But that day specifically, because I got to the point a few nights that I realize that I was actually unhappy, miserable, and self-sabotaging. I knew I was not doing what I was supposed to be doing… And without hesitation, I said, ‘Yeah, you have my two weeks’ notice. I walked out of that office and I was like, ‘What did I just do?”
This massive decision eventually led to Priest finding his true calling in pro wrestling. He made a name for himself as Punishment Martinez on the independents before WWE came calling in 2018.
Since then, Priest has been on an upward curve and has become one of the mainstays of WWE’s roster. He has gone on to headline PLEs, win titles, and has established himself as a top star in the business. Safe to say, his decision all those years back has paid off, and he is not done yet.
Priest Has His Eyes Set on the US Title
Priest signed a new WWE deal last year that came with its own perks, and now he has his eyes set on winning more gold. Following his hard-fought win over Drew McIntyre at Saturday Night’s Main Event on May 24, he came out on SmackDown to deliver a statement.
The Punisher challenged the current US Champion, Jacob Fatu, saying that he was coming for his title. Fatu did come out and lock eyes with Priest, but since then, there has been little progress on the story. It is possible that WWE is keeping them away from each other for the time being and may cash in on what looks like a blockbuster feud at a bigger event like SummerSlam.