Damian Priest Reacts To AAA No-Shows, Reveals WWE Talk

Damian Priest still has unfinished business in AAA.

The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion made a handful of appearances for the Mexican promotion earlier this year as part of WWE’s ongoing working relationship with AAA. However, after being advertised for multiple events that he ultimately missed, questions emerged regarding his future involvement with the company.

During a recent appearance on the Complex Graps Wrestling Podcast, Priest explained that his absence wasn’t due to a lack of interest. In fact, he had several goals in mind for his AAA run, including capturing the AAA Mega Championship.

Unfortunately, his commitments to WWE SmackDown made traveling to Mexico for Saturday events increasingly difficult.

“There’s a lot that I wanted to do there, including winning that (AAA Mega) Championship,” Priest said. “Unfortunately, it’s scheduling. It’s just really hard to get to Mexico on Saturdays when I’m on SmackDown on Fridays. And that’s what happened. I was advertised for two shows, and both shows I ended up not going.”

Priest admitted that the situation bothered him, particularly because he didn’t want fans believing he was intentionally skipping advertised appearances.

“I felt bad because it’s making me look like I’m just no-showing, and it makes the brand look bad, too if they’re advertising.”

Those concerns eventually led to discussions about temporarily shelving his AAA involvement until a more practical arrangement could be worked out.

“So we had a talk, and unfortunately it was like, ‘Let’s put this on hold for now,’” Priest explained. “If I’m on break from SmackDown, which I’ve never had, we would then look into maybe me spending a few months down with AAA, which I would love.”

Despite the scheduling headaches, Priest made it clear that his initial experience with AAA left a lasting impression on him.

“I can’t tell you, the first time I went there to cut that promo, the vibe, it maybe woke up something that had been asleep for a minute. The love that I saw whether it was the fans, the crew, the talent backstage.”

Another factor that has Priest excited about potentially returning is the involvement of WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker, who has taken an active interest in AAA’s development.

According to Priest, “The Dead Man” is fully committed to helping establish AAA as a major force in professional wrestling.

“I could see Taker’s passion, obviously it’s a new venture for him. He’s all in. It’s serious. He wants this brand to be a serious, serious player and it’s cool to watch.”

Priest continued by explaining why the atmosphere surrounding AAA makes the opportunity particularly appealing.

“How could you not want to be a part of something like that? Where everybody’s working hard to make it as good as it can be, and having fun at the same time.”

As for when fans might see him return to AAA programming, Priest acknowledged that there is currently no definitive timetable, although he believes both sides remain interested in making something happen.

“So as far as what’s next, unfortunately I don’t know,” he said. “I only had one promo and one match. I would like to do a lot more. It’s just timing and I think there’s still a plan to try and figure that out at some point.”