Damian Priest made good on nearly a year’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 defending champion, fans widely see him as the underdog to McIntyre. The match is taking place in McIntyre’s home country as well.
This is even more reason to assume Priest’s time is coming to a close. Losing a title is always going to diminish the former champion.
However, a loss doesn’t need to end a run in WWE. With his loss, a new chapter could begin for several performers, including Priest. So how will Priest fair if he can’t pull off an upset?
The Judgment Day Will Finally Crumble Around Him
While Priest may or may not adapt to his role after being champion, the stable Judgment Day he fronts will be finished.
Rhea Ripley is already out injured. The new Women’s World Champion, Liv Morgan, is slowly corrupting Dominik Mysterio, and the remaining crew members need help to hold things together on Raw each week.
Without the title, they look weaker than they have at any point in their run. Keeping the team together doesn’t make sense if nobody is looking more substantial for it.
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Judgment Day fans may lament the long-awaited split finally – perhaps even prematurely – falling into place. It is not certain that Priest will get lost in the collapse.
He is now a former World Champion, and he will almost certainly end up fighting Finn Balor because of this. Balor was his tag team partner and the original WWE Universal Champion.
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.
Damian Priest Will Officially Turn Face (along with Rhea Ripley)
As a world champion, Priest has lost some of his underhanded tendencies. Even his former rivals – themselves heroes of the WWE – talked about how hard he has worked and how strong an opponent he is.
A face turn will likely happen if Priest loses at Clash at the Castle. He won’t turn alone, either. Ripley was on the fast track to beloved face before her injury, despite having done nothing but brutalize opponents.
Now, she was injured, and her storyline shifted to a love triangle with Morgan and Mysterio. When he loses and Judgment Day shatters, sometime after the SummerSlam weekend, his refuge against the mutinied crew will be the true leader in Rhea Ripley.
Seeing the two of them on the same side, and the right side will be a welcome sight for the creative team on Raw.
Raw needs some real faces right now. Jey Uso and Sami Zayn are the only two, and neither is in a position to feud for the top title this summer.
Even if Zayn lost his Intercontinental Championship instead, his feud with Chad Gable isn’t entirely done, and it will surely carry forward through to Money in the Bank in Toronto. CM Punk or Seth Rollins might be back quickly enough to save the summer programming, but WWE needs to plan for a world without them.
Making Priest a good guy makes the most sense to feud with McIntyre until SummerSlam. That turn has to happen after losing the belt.
The sooner they make it happen, the better. That Ripley can return to his side to fill the gap left by Becky Lynch in that division is just an additional benefit.
We Get Main Event Dominik if Damian Priest Loses at Clash at the Castle
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.
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’s leader.
He is still with the Women’s World Champion, now Liv Morgan. He is the guy that gets the most significant heat and has all the right enemies.
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.
Looking at Mysterio as a benefit to what happens if Priest loses at Clash at the Castle admittedly does very little for Priest himself. Even if he beats Mysterio, that still isn’t a championship.
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.
Now, they can have his stature and considerable experience, which will benefit the next generation of WWE superstars.
Would It Make Sense If Damian Priest Loses at Clash at the Castle?
McIntyre is far better established as a top star in WWE. In that sense, Priest should probably win. However, not having McIntyre go over in Scotland is almost impossible to comprehend.
This can seem like the end of the line for Priest. It doesn’t need to be. When looking at possible benefits, yes it could make sense that he loses the title. In fact, Damian could end up much better off.
The Judgment Day 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.
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’t, might mean the end of his push.
Or this could be the start of a road to redemption with the WWE Universe fully behind him.
