Photo Credits to @/ArcherOfInfamy on X.
Luis Martinez, who is better known under his WWE ring name Damian Priest, is a classic story of someone who no one thought would make it to the big leagues. Luis was born on September 26, 1982 in New York, New York, however, he was raised in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico with his father. He learned Gōjū-ryū karate from his dad, who was a martial arts teacher on the island. After winning two national championships in full-contact martial arts, Martinez knew he wanted a career in professional wrestling.
Martinez made his wrestling debut on March 25, 2005, wrestling in the independent circuit in and around New Jersey and New York for close to a decade. In 2015, Martinez joined a Philly-based wrestling promotion called Ring of Honor under the ring name “Punishment Priest.” During his time with Ring of Honor, Priest became a one-time ROH World Television Champion.
In 2018, Priest joined WWE’s developmental brand NXT under his current ring name, Damian Priest. Before this, however, Priest made an appearance at the 2014 Money In The Bank as a security guard. During his time with NXT, Priest won an NXT North American Championship.
In 2021, Priest moved to WWE’s main roster and won the United States Championship. From 2022-2024, Priest was the co-founder of the wrestling stable The Judgement Day. During his time in the Judgement Day, Priest was a 4-time Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion (twice under RAW, and twice under SmackDown).
In 2023, Priest won the Money in The Bank contract. Using is cashin at WrestleMania 40, Priest became the World Heavyweight Champion against Drew McIntyre after McIntyre had won the HW Championship from Seth Rollins earlier in the night.
On May 17, 2025, Damian Priest was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame. He received a plaque on the Walk of Fame, which recognizes notable figures who have contributed to the Bronx, and also had a street named in his honor. (See featured image.)
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