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WWE legend Mick Foley has taken to social media to praise RAW Superstar Damian Priest for getting in the best shape of his life.
Priest lost over 100 pounds before joining WWE in 2018. A comparison picture showing the Judgment Day member before and after his weight loss recently gained traction online.
Foley, who himself lost a similar amount of weight at one stage, reacted to the image on Instagram. The Hall of Famer said he could hardly believe that Priest is the same person as the earlier pictures. He also joked that he wants to join The Judgment Day:
The pictures on the left were taken in February 2013, five-and-a-half years before Priest joined WWE. At the time, he wrestled under the name Punisher Martinez for Monster Factory Pro Wrestling (MFPW) in New Jersey.
Why Damian Priest gained so much weight before his WWE days
In 2021, Damian Priest spoke in a WWE Chronicle episode about his wrestling journey and life outside the ring. One of the documentary's most interesting moments came when he discussed his lack of desire to better himself earlier in his career.
The former United States Champion recalled how many people told him to get in shape to increase his chances of succeeding in the wrestling business. Back then, however, he chose not to listen:
"I went deeper down this hole of, 'To hell with the world, I'm right, everybody else is wrong, so I'm gonna continue,'" Priest said. "Actually, I wasn't even continuing, I got worse. I decided to put in less work and get lazier because, for whatever reason, I thought that was the right decision and that would help me."
A decade on from his heaviest weight, Priest is one of the most prominent figures on RAW every week. The 40-year-old appears regularly on Monday nights alongside fellow Judgment Day members Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor, and Rhea Ripley.
On May 6, Priest lost to Bad Bunny at Backlash in Puerto Rico. The match was the biggest of his career so far.
What are your thoughts on Damian Priest's transformation? Let us know in the comments section below.
