Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on Damian Priest, Double or Nothing and More

Damian Priest battled Bad Bunny at WWE Backlash, live from Puerto Rico, and delivered one of the matches of the year against the celebrity musician. Now, he is gaining buzz and praise backstage from those in power.

Priest’s sudden rise in status headlines a collection of rumors that also includes the latest on AEW’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view and the status of its Rampage show amid the impending debut of AEW Collision.

Damian Priest had the weight of the world on his shoulders Saturday at Backlash, where he was tasked with delivering a match with celebrity Bad Bunny reflective of the hype that went into their San Juan Street Fight.

The former United States champion did just that, showing out in what may well be the most significant match of his career. The result? Praise from WWE officials, per Mike Johnson of PWInsider Elite (h/t Cageside Seats).

One source even stated that Priest, “has to be seen as one of the top-level players in the company going forward.”

His placement in the tournament to determine a new World Heavyweight Champion would seem to suggest that is the case, even if he was unsuccessful in knocking off Seth Rollins in a Triple Threat Match also featuring Shinsuke Nakamura.

Priest is an athletic big man who has proved himself in countless situations before, but when you are starring alongside the world’s biggest pop star, in a match an entire premium live event was sold on, there comes a certain increase in both visibility and reward for a job well one.

Priest appears to be reaping the rewards, and deservedly so. Now, it will be interesting to see where he goes from here and if renewed interest in him as a potential top-tier star in WWE is more than fleeting.

AEW is no stranger to extraordinarily long pay-per-view events, and according to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletterfans should probably expect similar out of Double or Nothing on Sunday, May 28.

Meltzer reported that the show is expected to have at least 10 matches.

Yes, at least.

History suggests that cards that long typically have a difficult time maintaining the interest and heat of a crowd, but that has never stopped Tony Khan from booking a show of that length anyway.

As one of the premier events of the AEW calendar, it makes sense that Khan would have a plethora of stars and stories he would want featured on the show, but at some point, there is such a thing as overkill, and typically, it is the night’s most prominent matches that suffer as a result.

This year, MJF defends the AEW World Championship against “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry, Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara in what is being billed as the main event of the night.

While MJF is a tremendous heel and the fans have allegiances to the three contenders, expecting the audience to stay hot for the match after hours of action, including an expected showdown between The Elite and Blackpool Combat Club, is probably unrealistic.

Maybe lessen the number of matches on the Buy-In or cut the card by a match or two and book them, instead, for the fallout episodes of Dynamite and Rampage. Whatever the case, it is imperative that Khan realizes what is most important and worthy of PPV inclusion and what can be saved for TV.

To suggest that AEW Rampage has (d)evolved into a B-show of sorts would be an understatement. Typically reserved for the underneath programs that are not regularly featured on Dynamite in any measurable or significant way, it has also been victim to time shifts and schedule changes resulting from major sports programming.

With the potential introduction of AEW Collision on Saturday nights, it appears as though Rampage may lean into its status as a clear No. 2.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported that Rampage will become more of a Dark, Dark Elevation and Rampage hybrid.

That would suggest that the show would feature secondary stories, potential enhancement matches and showcases for unsigned independent talent.

Not dissimilar to what WWE utilized Sunday Night Heat for back in the 2000s.

While there are some that would argue that Rampage does not need to exist at that point, the AEW roster is still enormous, with many competitors not sniffing television time on Dynamite.

Using Rampage as an outlet for the underneath talent to stay on air and somewhat relevant, on a property that has had two years of build behind it, would benefit those beyond the tippy-top talent we see every Wednesday night in some form or fashion.