Ranking 22 WWE Debuts And Returns In 2021
4. Damian Priest
It feels like 100 years ago that Damian Priest arrived on the Raw roster, but that’s in part a credit to how well he’s adjusted to a chaotic show and survived – and thrived – during his rookie year.
Priest showed up at the Royal Rumble, tossed four guys, and then made his Raw debut the following night. He was partnered with Bad Bunny, who immediately guaranteed that Damian got plenty of TV time in the lead-up to WrestleMania 37. Still, it felt like he was a sidekick to the celebrity, muscle in Bad Bunny’s feud with Miz and John Morrison.
Indeed, at Mania, the duo defeated the former tag champs in a very well-received match. The fear afterward was that with the rapper leaving WWE, Priest would slide down the card. And while his push faltered a bit, he remained undefeated in singles matches, and won the United States Championship at SummerSlam.
Priest would defend the title against Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Jeff Hardy and others throughout the summer and fall before a character change would see him go from the Archer of Infamy to a guy who “gets intense” when he’s pushed – complete with ridiculous manic face.
Despite the silly rework of his persona, Priest’s debut year has been a rousing success.