{"id":124808,"date":"2024-06-09T11:00:03","date_gmt":"2024-06-09T15:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=124808"},"modified":"2024-06-09T10:05:36","modified_gmt":"2024-06-09T14:05:36","slug":"what-happens-if-damian-priest-loses-at-clash-at-the-castle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/06\/09\/what-happens-if-damian-priest-loses-at-clash-at-the-castle\/","title":{"rendered":"All Rise and Fall: What Happens if Damian Priest Loses at Clash at the Castle?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Damian Priest <\/strong>made good on nearly a year&#8217;s worth of waiting at <strong><em>WrestleMania 40<\/em><\/strong> when he won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on a <em><strong>Money in the Bank <\/strong><\/em>cash-in. Facing a talented<strong> Drew McIntyre<\/strong>, whom he defeated in a full match, what happens if Priest loses at <em><strong>Clash at the Castle<\/strong><\/em>?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Although he is the defending champion, fans widely see him as the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/06\/04\/making-a-case-for-drew-mcintyre-to-win-or-lose-at-wwe-clash-at-the-castle\/\" target=\"_self\">underdog to McIntyre<\/a>. The match is taking place in McIntyre&#8217;s home country as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This is even more reason to assume Priest&#8217;s time is coming to a close. Losing a title is always going to diminish the former champion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">However, a loss doesn&#8217;t need to end a run in WWE. With his loss, a new chapter could begin for <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/04\/19\/whats-next-for-each-member-of-the-judgment-day\/\" target=\"_self\">several performers<\/a>, including Priest. So how will Priest fair if he can&#8217;t pull off an upset?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Damian Priest cashes in on Drew McIntyre after CM Punk beatdown: WrestleMania XL Sunday highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ttQhBO9ZI2g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Judgment Day Will Finally Crumble Around Him<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">While Priest may or may not adapt to his role after being champion, the stable <strong>Judgment Day<\/strong> he fronts will be finished. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Rhea Ripley<\/strong> is already out injured. The new Women&#8217;s World Champion, <strong>Liv Morgan<\/strong>, is slowly corrupting <strong>Dominik Mysterio<\/strong>, and the remaining crew members need help to hold things together on Raw each week.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Without the title, they look <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/01\/02\/r-truth-story-is-hurting-the-judgment-day\/\" target=\"_self\">weaker than they<\/a> have at any point in their run. Keeping the team together doesn&#8217;t make sense if nobody is looking more substantial for it. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">monday night hug<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WWERaw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#WWERaw<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FXKAo9Qny6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/FXKAo9Qny6<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; WWE (@WWE) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WWE\/status\/1787635890958876748?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May 7, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Judgment Day fans may lament the long-awaited split finally &#8211; perhaps even prematurely &#8211; falling into place. It is not certain that Priest will get lost in the collapse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">He is now a former World Champion, and he will almost certainly end up fighting <strong>Finn Balor<\/strong> because of this. Balor was his tag team partner and the original WWE Universal Champion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">With the hate slowly building between them, those two could get a lot of time on a depleted Raw roster to feud, and it will probably result in Priest gaining back his momentum and coming out on top one last time. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Damian Priest Will Officially Turn Face (along with Rhea Ripley)<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As a world champion, Priest has lost some of his underhanded tendencies. Even his former rivals &#8211; themselves heroes of the WWE &#8211; talked about how hard he has worked and how strong an opponent he is.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A face turn will likely happen if Priest loses at <em>Clash at the Castle<\/em>. He won&#8217;t turn alone, either. Ripley was on the fast track to beloved face before her injury, despite having done nothing but brutalize opponents.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Now, she was injured, and her storyline shifted to a love triangle with Morgan and Mysterio. When he loses and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2023\/09\/03\/judgment-day-breakup-should-not-happen\/\" target=\"_self\">Judgment Day shatters<\/a>, sometime after the <em><strong>SummerSlam<\/strong><\/em> weekend, his refuge against the mutinied crew will be the true leader in Rhea Ripley.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Seeing the two of them on the same side, and the right side will be a welcome sight for the creative team on Raw. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Rhea Ripley receives a hero\u2019s welcome in Australia: WWE Elimination Chamber 2024 highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Rp8Ze80tW8M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Raw needs some real faces right now. <strong>Jey Uso<\/strong> and <strong>Sami Zayn<\/strong> are the only two, and neither is in a position to feud for the top title this summer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Even if Zayn lost his Intercontinental Championship instead, his feud with <strong>Chad Gable<\/strong> isn&#8217;t entirely done, and it will surely carry forward through to <em>Money in the Bank<\/em> in Toronto. <strong>CM Punk<\/strong> or <strong>Seth Rollins<\/strong> might be back quickly enough to save the summer programming, but WWE needs to plan for a world without them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Making Priest a good guy makes the most sense to feud with McIntyre until <em>SummerSlam<\/em>. That turn has to happen after losing the belt.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The sooner they make it happen, the better. That Ripley can return to his side to fill the gap left by<strong> Becky Lynch<\/strong> in that division is just an additional benefit. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">We Get Main Event Dominik if Damian Priest Loses at Clash at the Castle<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">For as long as anyone can remember, Mysterio has subtly been the focal point of the Judgment Day story for a long time. During his time on NXT, they were too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">His association with Ripley has made him a factor in most of their drama, and the entire Dominik character we all enjoy is from Judgment Day. If Priest loses everything, we will probably see the rise of Mysterio as the faction&#8217;s leader.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">He is still with the Women&#8217;s World Champion, now Liv Morgan. He is the guy that gets the most significant heat and has all the right enemies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mysterio is also the person who will elicit the biggest reaction from fans when Priest and Ripley confront him. The argument can be made that Priest was already elevated to the top, and now he needs to lose to help Mysterio do the same. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jey Uso calls Damian Priest \u2018Dom Mysterio\u2019s B****!\u2019, shouts out Rhea Ripley | WWE ON FOX\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4lJJBIhv6IE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Looking at Mysterio as a benefit to what happens if Priest loses at <em>Clash at the Castle<\/em> admittedly does very little for Priest himself. Even if he beats Mysterio, that still isn&#8217;t a championship.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">However, at 41 years old, one of the best ways that WWE can utilize him is to help elevate other stars, like the 27-year-old Mysterio. He has won his top prize; the company has rewarded his hard work.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Now, they can have his stature and considerable experience, which will benefit the next generation of WWE superstars. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Would It Make Sense If Damian Priest Loses at Clash at the Castle?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">McIntyre is far better established as a top star in WWE. In that sense, Priest should probably win. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">However, not having McIntyre go over in Scotland is almost impossible to comprehend. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This can seem like the end of the line for Priest. It doesn&#8217;t need to be. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">When looking at possible benefits, yes it could make sense that he loses the title. In fact, Damian could end up much better off. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2023\/10\/24\/what-is-wwe-doing-with-judgment-day\/\" target=\"_self\">The Judgment Day<\/a> is on its way off of WWE programming. When the dust settles, he and Ripley are the two members that have raised their profile the most.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Both have started to see the fans support them not just for their stellar work but as favorites they genuinely like seeing win. Losing to the top heel on Raw, a role he theoretically should himself occupy but currently doesn&#8217;t, might mean the end of his push.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Or this could be the start of a road to redemption with the WWE Universe fully behind him.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<h3>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\"><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013 Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/span><\/em><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/span><\/em><\/a><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0for more on WWE NXT Stand &amp; Deliver and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on the\u00a0<\/span><\/em><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/watch.wwe.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WWE Network<\/span><\/em><\/a><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><\/em><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Peacock<\/span><\/em><\/a><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Damian Priest made good on nearly a year&#8217;s worth of waiting at WrestleMania 40 when he won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on a Money in the Bank cash-in. Facing a talented Drew McIntyre, whom he defeated in a full match, what happens if Priest loses at Clash at the Castle? Although he is the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4470,"featured_media":124824,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2192,4,3],"tags":[8439,6558,6273,4834],"class_list":["post-124808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wrestling","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-clash-at-the-castle","tag-damian-priest","tag-judgment-day","tag-wwe-world-heavyweight-championship"],"modified_by":"Chinyere Okafor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4470"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124808"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124808\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/124824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}