Damian Priest has been wrestling with a beat-up body for a long time, but things are finally starting to turn around. The WWE star says he’s feeling “a lot better” after quietly undergoing procedures to ease his pain — and he somehow never took a day off while doing it.
Speaking on Off the Ropes, Priest was asked how his body is holding up these days. His immediate answer was basically what you’d expect from someone who has spent years getting slammed into a wrestling ring for a living.
“Well, we’re never okay — that’s what we do. No bitching and moaning. I don’t like talking about how my body is. I’m not the only one banged up — my opponent is banged up too.”
Behind that tough-guy answer, though, there was actually some pretty good news. Priest revealed that he’s had some procedures done to deal with the pain, and whatever he’s been doing appears to be working.
“But I’m feeling a lot better. I got some procedures done and never took a day off. I got some stuff done to ease the pain, and I feel a lot better.”
Priest didn’t get into exactly what those procedures were, so he’s keeping those details to himself for now. What he did say is that fans should already be able to notice a difference in how he’s looking and moving.
“I think people can see it visually, and I’m training daily and getting back to the shape I used to be in.”
It’s not just his body that’s feeling different either. Priest admitted he’s in a much better headspace now and actually had to check himself after realizing he wasn’t approaching his career with the same positive mentality he normally prides himself on.
“I’m training better and in a better headspace too. For someone who thinks positively about my career, I did the opposite and had to check myself a bit.”
That’s a pretty big turnaround from what Priest revealed back in December 2025. At the time, he admitted his body was taking a beating, with multiple shoulder tears along with problems involving his knees and back.
“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 was so determined to keep going that WWE actually had to make him slow things down. Even then, he made it clear that surgery would always be his last resort because he’d rather rehab, get treatment and stay in the game.
“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.”
Almost a year later, that approach seems to have Priest feeling much closer to himself again. He’s still not pretending his body is magically 100%, but after procedures, daily training and a mental reset, things sound a whole lot better than they did last December.
What do you think about Damian Priest getting procedures to deal with his pain while continuing to work without taking a day off? Let us know in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
