Damian Priest is one of the top WWE Superstars on Monday Night Raw, and 2024 has been a huge year for the former World Heavyweight Champion. Now, the Archer of Infamy has made a splash outside the squared circle by teaming up with the New York Yankees.
The New York Yankees released a hype video ahead of their World Series showdown against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Priest, who is a longtime fan of the team and has been an active supporter throughout the season, narrates the video.
Priest has been more open to projects outside WWE this year and signed with the Paradigm Talent Agency in April, mere days after his World Heavyweight Title win at WrestleMania 40. Other WWE names who have signed with the agency include Liv Morgan, Drew McIntyre, and Tiffany Stratton.
In September, Priest claimed he’d landed a major role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which was rumored to be that of the film’s antagonist Namor. Priest would explain that the role “got taken away from me, but not from Marvel” implying that WWE higher-ups had blocked this huge opportunity. Priest added that “the regime was a little bit different at the time” as the film was in the works during Vince McMahon’s era.
The role with the New York Yankees is a huge showcase for Priest who continues to be a force to be reckoned with on TV. Stay tuned for the latest from Damian Priest both in and out of the ring.
STAMFORD, Conn., February 25, 2015 – With more than 4.2 billion video views in the last 12 months, WWE has become the No. 1 Sports channel on YouTube ahead of the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, ESPN and NASCAR. In addition, WWE on YouTube has more than 5.2 million subscribers, which is more than MLB, NFL, NHL, ESPN, NASCAR, MLS and NBC Sports COMBINED.
WWE continues to remain a leader in social media, with more than 450 million combined social media followers globally. During the past year, WWE’s social media channels added more than 194 million followers, a nearly 75 percent increase year-over-year. WWE’s network of Facebook pages has more followers than the NFL and its 32 teams’ pages combined, and WWE Superstar John Cena is the No. 1 most-followed active American athlete on Facebook, with more than 36 million “Likes.”
Since launching in 2008, WWE’s YouTube channel has featured award-winning original short-form programming, including popular shows such as WWE Inbox, WWE Fury, 5 Things and WWE Top Ten. In addition, WWE uses its YouTube channel to promote its monthly WWE Network and pay-per-view events by airing live pre-shows that include exclusive matches and commentary.
– WWE has added the latest edition of their “Five Things” web series to their official YouTube channel. This week’s show, which you can check out below, looks at five WWE Superstars who had careers outside the ring.
– Below are some photos of CM Punk and Colt Cabana at a recent Chicago Cubs MLB game.
– The Ultimate Warrior’s widow Dana Warrior and her daughters Indy and Mattie were backstage at the WWE live event on Sunday night in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
– The Daniel Bryan “Yes! Movement” continues to spread across the nation, as the San Francisco Giants MLB team now have a new feature that utilizes the “Yes!” chant. Anytime the team does something good at their home games, the light ring separating the first and second deck says, “Yes!” with fingers pointing upwards.
As previously reported, former WWE Superstar CM Punk attended the Chicago Cubs MLB game on Saturday, singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning of the game, and even revealing during an interview on the broadcast that he and WWE Diva AJ Lee will be getting married next month.
Below are some photos of Punk at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois on Saturday night.
Former WWE Superstar CM Punk appeared at the Chicago Cubs MLB game at Wrigley Field in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois on Saturday.
Punk sang “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch, and also took part in an interview beforehand.
“The Best In The World” revealed during the interview that he and WWE Diva AJ Lee will be getting married soon, noting that their wedding will take place next month.
You can check out some video footage of Punk at the Cubs game above.
– A fan recently asked WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross on Twitter what he felt the chances are that CM Punk will appear at Monday’s RAW in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. JR responded with the following tweet:
“@EdBetzel: @JRsBBQ if you had to put a % behind it what would you say the odds we see @CMPunk tomorrow on Raw?” 55/45 he’ll be there.
SESCOOPS.COM reader Marc Kruskol from MJK Public Relations sent along the following:
World Champion Pro Wrestler taking a shot at the Big Leagues
He was listed by the San Diego Padres as applicant 362, but much of the world knows him by a different moniker – “Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce.
Men and women from across the country and from all walks of life –baseball fans and aficionados and radio professionals and everything in between – flocked to Petco Park on January 25th to audition to become the new Public Address Announcer for the San Diego Padres.
Pearce, a resident of San Diego, was one of nearly a thousand prospective applicants that turned up, but comes from a very different background – it appears he was the only world champion professional wrestler in the bunch.
A five-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Wrestling Champion, the 35-year-old Pearce bucks most of the stereotypes associated with pro wrestling. Sure, he sports a bald head, goatee, and an athletic 245-pound frame that could conjure memories of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, but there’s more than meets the eye. With a degree in Communication, Pearce has also worked as a television producer and director, film maker, model, and public speaker in addition to trotting the globe for the last 18 years as the villainous “Scrap Iron”. Last December he worked as a coach and trainer with the developmental talent for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the multi-million dollar wrestling empire owned by Vince McMahon.
One of his duties as coach: Speaking.
“The majority of stories told in television pro wrestling are through the spoken word,” says Pearce. To that point, Pearce’s speaking is easy and free, and on top of it all, Pearce has that distinct voice – the most obvious of necessities one would assume the Padres are looking for in a PA announcer. “My resume is probably the most unique among the applicants,” said Pearce. “I can’t imagine there are many pro wrestlers sitting behind the mic for a big league team. I’ve had a wonderful career, but this is a baseball fan’s dream job. Why not me?”
The Padres have reportedly narrowed the field down to 20 finalists, all of which will compete for the job once again at Padres FanFest on Saturday, February 8 with the Top 3 to be decided by fan voting online via social media (#PadresPA).
“Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce is one of those finalists.
“It’s an honor,” says Pearce. “The fact that the Padres would open this opportunity up to virtually everyone speaks to their commitment to the community and finding a voice that represents it. It’s exciting, and I like being the dark horse in the race. I literally have nothing to lose.”
The following are highlights of a recent interview with MLB Advanced Media CEO Bob Bowman:
On WWE’s decision to offer their monthly PPVs on the WWE Network: “I don’t think they’ll be giving it up; it’ll still be available. The notion of doing a monthly subscription for terrific content, others have done it before. But Vince (McMahon) is taking it to the next obvious level. He put his fans and customers first and in the long-run and maybe even the short run it will be well received.”
On WWE targeting a younger audience with the WWE Network: “The real infrastructure is customer expectations, and that’s the No. 1 thing that’s changed. They’re used to buying soft goods online. They’re doing it two to three times more than they used to three or four years ago. This next generation of fans watches long-form video on an iPhone. We never thought that would happen. But they do.”
Check out the complete interview online at Deadline.com.
– WWE is working with MLB.tv for their WWE Network to prevent potential problems with their online streams crashing as viewership numbers increase.
– Speaking of the WWE Network, the annual budget for the project is reportedly in the $50 million range.
– Tickets are now available online for Diamond Dallas Page’s “BANG! An Audience With Diamond Dallas Page” Q&A events scheduled for the United Kingdom in 2014. For more information, visit Glee.co.uk.
– Two big pro wrestling-related weddings are now official for the early part of 2014. WWE Superstar The Miz and his fiancee, former WWE Diva Maryse are set to get married in February. WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan and his fiancee, current WWE Diva Brie Bella are set to get married in April.
– Many are unaware, but a little known fact about WWE Diva JoJo Offerman, who is also one of the stars of the WWE Total Divas reality show, is that she is the daughter of Major League Baseball legend Jose Offerman.
WWE has added a new video to their official YouTube channel, which features WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan and MLB star Josh Reddick in their “beard off” challenge that the two have been talking about for months.
The video is accompanied by the following description: “7 months ago, Daniel Bryan challenged Josh Reddick of the Oakland A’s to a ‘Beard Off’ on the WWE App. Finally the ‘Beard Off’ winner is chosen and the loser’s beard is shaved off!”
– Stephanie McMahon is scheduled to participate in CableFAX’s “Most Powerful Women In Cable Breakfast” this Thursday from 8-10am at the Grand Hyatt in New York Ciy, New York.
– MLB star Josh Reddick, who as we mentioned previously has been teasing a “beard-off” with Daniel Bryan at “RAW Country” tonight, posted the following tweet on his official Twitter account on Monday afternoon:
– MLB star Josh Reddick is currently backstage at WWE RAW hanging out with friends. Reddick has been teasing a “beard-off” with Daniel Bryan on tonight’s show.
– There has been some discussion of “The Road Dogg” Jesse James making an appearance on tonight’s country-themed edition of RAW.
– WWE Superstar David Otunga will be on ESPN Chat on Tuesday afternoon discussing WWE and his recent cover of Muscle & Fitness magazine. For more information, visit ESPN.com.
-Former TNA Knockout So Cal Val recently attended a WWE SmackDown television taping and was shown on camera:
-During Saturday’s rolling rally for the Boston Red Sox, MLB World Series MVP David Ortiz wore a WWE Championship belt. As noted earlier this week, WWE Superstar John Cena had been tweeting Ortiz and telling him to “be on the look-out for WWE bling just in time for the World Series parade.”
-The Forbes website recently ran a featured story on WWE’s hope to secure a giant rights-fee increase for both RAW and SmackDown when the deals come up. You can check out that article online at Forbes.com.
-According to a SEC filing on Friday, Stephanie McMahon has signed a three-year WWE talent contract with an annual salary of $325,000. For more information, visit IR.Corporate.WWE.com.
-WWE Superstar and current World Heavyweight Champion John Cena recently tweeted David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox. Cena told Ortiz, who just won the World Series this week, to “be on the look-out for WWE bling.” You can read the tweet below:
-The current issue of Sports Illustrated (November 4th issue) has a photo of Clinton Portis of the Denver Broncos wearing a replica WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt. Portis, who ran for 218 yards and five touchdowns against the Kansas City Chiefs, was referred to in the article as the “Heavyweight running back of the world.”
-Speaking of sports and the World Heavyweight Championship, the current owner of the title, John Cena, appeared on The Rise Guys radio show on 95.7 in San Francisco on Thursday. Cena mainly spoke about the Boston Red Sox winning the MLB World Series this week.
Cena also tweeted about the Red Sox winning the World Series, writing:
-WWE returns to the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, the site of Sunday’s Hell In A Cell pay-per-view, on January 31st. The pre-sale password for tickets to the show is WWELIVE.
-On this day, 18 years ago, the famous fire incident in ECW took place with Terry Funk, Raven, Tommy Dreamer and Mick Foley in the original ECW Arena.
-Former WWE Superstar MVP celebrates his 40th birthday today. Also celebrating birthdays in the world of pro wrestling today are Christy Hemme, Les Thatcher and Rocky Romero.
-WWE Hall Of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch will be doing a live Q&A on November 14th in Glasgow, Scotland, as well as at Collector Mania in Milton Keynes, England on November 16th and 17th.
-TMZ posted an article today that noted Brian Wilson of the Los Angeles Dodgers dressed up as “Macho Man” Randy Savage at a Halloween party this past Saturday evening.
-The Yahoo! Sports website has a featured article up today focusing on the relationship between mega-star MLB player Alex Rodriguez and his real-life girlfriend, former WWE Diva Torrie Wilson. Fans interested in checking that out online can do so at Sports.Yahoo.com.
-Variety ran an in-depth article on the new Twitter ratings system, detailing how little shows with lots of tweets line up with actual television ratings. It’s an interesting read, which you can check out online at Variety.com.
-WWE Hall Of Famer and RAW announcer Jerry “The King” Lawler recently announced that he will be returning to the ring for a singles match on Friday, September 13th. The 9/13 match for Lawler will mark the one-year anniversary of his on-air heart attack last year live on RAW. Lawler will wrestle Austin Idol at the Resorts Casino in Tunica, MS.
-WWE’s official website covered the Bill Goldberg spear of the Mami Marlins pitcher on Saturday. You can read their story online at WWE.com.
As previously reported, Bill Goldberg appeared during Pro Wrestling Night at the Miami Marlins baseball game this weekend. Goldberg threw out the first pitch before the game, and even performed a vicious spear to Marlins pitcher Tom Koehler. Check out an animated GIF of the spear below:
Results from matches at the show were as follows:
-Koko B. Ware defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
-Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake defeated Mike Knox
-Harry Smith defeated Wes Brisco
-The Nasty Boys defeated Ken Anderson & Garett Bischoff
Additionally, WWE Hall Of Famers Bret “The Hitman” Hart and “The Mouth Of The South” Jimmy Hart, as well as “Leapin'” Lanny Poffo and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart appeared at the event.
And finally, Goldberg talked a bit in one of the interviews about the recent WWE and WrestleMania XXX rumors. While he didn’t rule out the possibility at some point in the future, he did shoot down the specific rumors about his supposed return at the annual classic next year. He mentioned that if he did come out of retirement for a match, he would be interested in facing off with either “Stone Cold” Steve Austin or The Undertaker, as he said he has no interest in working a match with Ryback.
For more coverage from Pro Wrestling Night at the Marlins game, check out the official MLB.com coverage of the event.
-Yahoo! Sports has an article up on their website today featuring the “straight-edge” WWE performer himself, CM Punk, ripping baseball star Ryan Braun for his announced performance-enhancing drug use during baseball season. You can check out that story online at Yahoo.com.
-To add one note to the story we reported earlier today regarding John Cena being pulled from the WWE live event in Portland on Friday, despite being advertised by the company up until the day of the show, apparently WWE again offered refunds to fans who attended the show that felt ripped off with Cena not appearing as advertised.
Cena missed last week’s WWE weekend live event due to his elbow injury as well, and WWE offered refunds to those fans as well.
