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What 50-Year-Old Record Did Damian Priest Break After Cashing In at WrestleMania XL?

Published 04/07/2024, 8:05 PM EDT

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One of the biggest upsets of WrestleMania XL Night #2 came right at the start of the show. After chasing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship since Crown Jewel 2023, Drew McIntyre finally picked up the long-awaited victory over Seth Rollins. While boasting about it to CM Punk, Damian Priest decided to cash in his Money In The Bank contract.

Pinning McIntyre moments after his win, not only did Priest score big for the Judgment Day but also broke a 50-year-old record in the WWE.

Damian Priest makes history in the WWE as a Puerto Rican

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Priest is now the first Puerto Rican WWE World Heavyweight Champion in WWE since Pedro Morales 50 years ago. He won the title in 1973, and his reign as champion lasted 1,027 days. He also holds the longest reign by any Latino and the fifth longest overall. Only time will tell if Priest will be able to match this legacy after stealing the title from McIntyre.

The win for Priest came out of nowhere. While many fans were speculating on Priest cashing in at Mania, no one thought he would go through with it. This win gives the WWE a ton of choices and angles that McIntyre can pursue. CM Punk started the beatdown on the Scottish Warrior, opening the door for Priest to cash in. McIntyre has had his fair share of issues with Judgment Day, especially Priest. This is the stepping stone for the next few months until SummerSlam.

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Tonight’s title win marks Priest’s first reign as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. While Priest has had multiple chances to cash in, something or someone has always prevented him. On one occasion, McIntyre himself prevented Priest from cashing in on Rollins.

Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley are the only gold holders in the Judgment Day

Before WrestleMania XL, Judgment Day tried to get the Intercontinental Championship off Gunther in multiple unsuccessful attempts. Priest has wanted the entire team to get more titles to showcase themselves as an imposing force. However, not only were Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh unable to do so, but Priest and Finn Balor also lost the tag titles.

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This is a proud moment for Priest not only because of the history and his heritage in the WWE as a champion but also because this is his first reign. After carrying around the briefcase for almost a year, Priest cashed in at the perfect moment and created his WrestleMania XL moment. What did you think about the record Priest broke? Tell us in the comments.

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Written by:

Christopher Paul

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Christopher Paul is a WWE reporter at EssentiallySports. With over eight years of experience as a writer and a childhood passion for pro wrestling, Chris is now a voice for kayfabe fans. He has a penchant for covering live events and enjoys breaking the latest developments in the WWE Universe.
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Edited by:

Joyita Das