Damian Priest Reveals He’s Dealing with Multiple Injuries as WWE Limits In-Ring Work

Damian Priest is finally opening up about his injuries—and it’s more serious than fans realized.

Speaking with Big Nick Turturro, the WWE star gave an honest look into the physical toll his body has taken, confirming that he’s dealing with multiple long-term injuries right now.

“It’s unfortunate. I don’t like to bring it up too much, and I don’t take breaks. Since I’ve been in WWE, I’ve literally taken zero days off. I’ve never asked for time off because I was hurting.”

According to Priest, the company made the decision to scale back his in-ring work this year—not because he wanted to, but because he’s been pushing his body to the limit for too long.

“This year, the company decided to slow things down a bit because I’ve been going hard for a long time. I’ve torn my shoulder a couple of times in the last year and a half. My knees are banged up. My back is rough. I need a lot of work done, but I choose not to unless I absolutely have to.”

Priest added that he avoids surgery whenever possible, opting instead for rehab and treatment to keep himself active on TV. But even with limited matches, it hasn’t been easy for a guy who thrives on being in the ring.

“If I don’t need surgery, I won’t do it. I’ll figure it out — rehab, treatment, whatever it takes — just keep me in the game.

So this year, the company basically said, ‘We’re happy with you, but we need to make sure you last.’ They’ve been forcing me to take it easy, and that’s not the easiest thing to do when you love going out there and performing.”

Priest said he still appears regularly on WWE programming, but fans have noticed his match schedule has slowed way down in 2025. His last bout was on the December 12 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, where he teamed with Rhea Ripley to face Aleister Black and Zelina Vega.

“I’m still on TV regularly, just not in the ring as much as I used to be. That’s really the only difference. I love performing. I love getting physical. So yeah — it’s hard for me.”

Priest’s comments come after we had previously reported that he was “working banged up during a lot of the feud with Drew McIntyre” earlier this year and had sustained additional damage during that stretch.

With WWE protecting its big stars for the long haul, the decision to ease up on Priest’s physical schedule could be a smart one to keep him healthy heading into 2026 and beyond.

Do you think WWE is doing the right thing by forcing Damian Priest to rest, or should he be allowed to push through if he’s willing? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

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