Why did Damian Priest leave WWE RAW? The truth revealed

Damian Priest was a staple of WWE RAW for over four years. However, he became a member of SmackDown ahead of the 2025 Royal Rumble PLE, defeating Carmelo Hayes in his first match on the blue brand.

On RAW, Priest was once a part of The Judgment Day. While a member of the group, he won the World Heavyweight Title and had a great championship run. He was then betrayed by his stablemates and started an intense rivalry with Finn Balor that culminated in a Street Fight, which Priest won.

After defeating Hayes in his first official contest as a member of the blue brand, Priest mentioned he was ready for different challenges in a post-show video on WWE's YouTube.

"I feel like this was the right time to move. I accomplished everything that I wanted to accomplish on Monday Night RAW. World Champion, United States Champion, and multi-time tag team champion. Now it's time for something new, a new challenge, new rivals and I am here on SmackDown, ready to take them all on."

As a member of RAW, he won every title on the brand. Priest won the United States Title, the Unified Tag Team Championship, the World Tag Team Title, and the World Heavyweight Championship.

Since he captured all the gold available to him on one brand, moving to a different brand makes perfect sense. Instead of having the same five or six feuds, he can battle new faces and different challengers.

It also keeps him away from The Judgment Day. The former World Heavyweight Champ already confronted Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes as well as Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga in his limited time on SmackDown.

Damian Priest's future on SmackDown after success on RAW

Priest mentioned the prospect of new challenges on SmackDown. After accomplishing everything he could as a member of RAW, opportunities abound with a move to a different home.

He mentioned winning championships on the show before the Royal Rumble. That's the goal for everyone in WWE, so he is looking to become a Grand Slam Champion like The Miz, Bayley, and Seth Rollins.

That future began at the Rumble when he eliminated Drew McIntyre from the match. The two exchanged an intense showdown and will reportedly face each other at WrestleMania 41. Priest also cashed in on The Scottish Warrior last year after he defeated Seth Rollins.

The dust must settle after the Elimination Chamber event, so Priest can qualify for the men's match. The angle for The Show of Shows can continue inside the steel structure.

After dealing with The Scottish Warrior, many other feuds await. Jacob Fatu, Solo Sikoa, Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, and LA Knight are worthy foes.

After years of battling Jey Uso, The Judgment Day, and other mainstays of the red brand, Priest will look to truly join the greats in WWE history by overcoming the many challenges of a new brand.