Luis Martínez, famously recognized as Damian Priest, is an American professional wrestler of Puerto Rican descent. Born on September 26, 1982, he is known for his stint in Ring of Honor (ROH), where he competed as Punishment Martinez and Damian Martinez, capturing the ROH World Television Championship once. Under the moniker Punishment Martinez, he made his WWE debut on the NXT brand in December 2018. However, he later rebranded as Damian Priest and established himself as a top competitor on the NXT brand by securing the NXT North American Championship.
In 2021, Priest moved to the main roster and tasted success by holding the WWE United States Championship for 191 days. From 2022 to 2024, as a co-founder of The Judgment Day, he gained immense popularity by winning the 2023 Men's Money in the Bank contract, becoming a four-time tag team champion with Finn Bálor, and capturing the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XL, making history as the second person to successfully cash in at the event. As of February 2025, Priest competes on WWE's SmackDown brand.
Damian Priest Royal Rumble Appearances- Wins, Losses and Stats
Damian Priest has competed in four Royal Rumble matches, ahead of Royal Rumble 2025. Having first entered the event in 2021, Priest has appeared every year since, surviving for 41 minutes and five seconds and recording six eliminations in total, as per All Rumble Stats.
| Number of Appearances | 4 |
| Number of Wins | 0 |
| Number of Runners-Up | 0 |
| Number of Top Four | 0 |
| Best Finish | 6 (Men's Royal Rumble 2024) |
| Worst Finish | 24 (Men's Royal Rumble 2022) |
| Longest Time in Match | 15:34 (Men's Royal Rumble 2021) |
| Shortest Time in Match | 04:03 (Men's Royal Rumble 2023) |
| Number of Eliminations | 6 |
Damian Priest Rumble Year-on-Year Appearance- Entry Number, Finish Position, and Eliminations
| Year | Entrant Number | Finish Position | Eliminations | Eliminated By |
| 2021 | 14 | 15 | 4 | Bobby Lashley |
| 2022 | 7 | 24 | 0 | Omos |
| 2023 | 22 | 14 | 1 | Edge |
| 2024 | 26 | 6 | 1 | Sami Zayn |
Royal Rumble 2024- 6th place
Damian Priest entered the 2024 Royal Rumble match at number 26. Despite entering late, he managed to eliminate R-Truth but was later eliminated by Sami Zayn. Priest spent around 10 minutes and 24 seconds during the match as per AllRumbleStats.com.
Royal Rumble 2023- 14th place
According to AllRumbleStats.com, Damian Priest entered the 2023 Royal Rumble match at number 22 and survived nearly four minutes. During his time in the ring, he eliminated the 23rd entrant, Montez Ford. However, Priest's run was cut short when he was eliminated by former WWE grappler “The Rated-R Superstar” Edge.
Royal Rumble 2022- 24th place
As per AllRumbleStats.com, Damian Priest joined the 2022 Royal Rumble early as the seventh entrant, battling for more than 11 minutes. However, his run ended without a single elimination, as he was overpowered and thrown out by Omos.
Royal Rumble 2021- 15th place
The 2021 Royal Rumble marked the arrival of Damian Priest on WWE’s grand stage. Entering at #14, The Archer of Infamy immediately took control by eliminating four prominent superstars, including John Morrison, The Miz, Elias, and even the iconic Kane. Priest’s impressive showing lasted 15 minutes and 34 seconds before former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley tossed him over the top rope.
Damian Priest Royal Rumble Eliminations of Opponents By Numbers
| Wrestler | Times Eliminated |
| John Morrison | 1 |
| The Miz | 1 |
| Elias | 1 |
| Kane | 1 |
| Montez Ford | 1 |
| R-Truth | 1 |
FAQs on Damian Priest Royal Rumble Appearances
A. Yes, Damian Priest revealed on Chris Van Vliet’s podcast that he was originally supposed to play Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
A. Damian priest’s finisher is called the South of Heaven.
A. At SummerSlam 2024, Gunther defeated Damian Priest to capture the World Heavyweight Championship.
A. Damian Priest was trained by the Monster Factory.
