Cleverly kept away from the first two weeks of NXT's rather experimental start to life on USA Network, Damien Priest's ever-so-slightly-dated gimmick is best serviced by seeing his impressive physical offering first.
The former Punishment Martinez cut a powerful presence with his supreme physique, with Mauro Ranallo's "sarcophagus of celebrity" life an unusually appropriate moniker from the motor-mouth - he looks like a big deal even if he isn't really yet one.
The slap in Dunne's face following his finisher was devilishly demeaning. The sort of attack that simply can't go without response from the 'Bruiserweight'. Immediately, this felt like a good (and welcome) direction for both.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
