Damian Priest had a loaded night at NXT TakeOver XXX, from winning the North American title to jumping into a hot tub and taking a picture with Triple H in the hot tub.
After Priest won a ladder match to become the new North American Champion, Priest jumped into a hot tub, with clothes on, and took a picture with Triple H, complete with Triple H's signature finger point that has become a staple whenever new champions are crowned in NXT. Speaking with Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet, Priest said Triple H was really surprised when he was in the hot tub and decided to take advantage of the moment and take the picture right then and there.
"That was all real, man. I was celebrating. There was no me pretending for cameras. I was thoroughly enjoying the moment. Hunter came up to me smiling, laughing. He couldn?t believe that I just jumped in the water with my clothes on. Then he wanted to do the picture and I was like, 'Take it while I?m in here!' Then he thought about it and was like, 'Stay right there!' It was really cool because it was individual to me. You ain?t taking a picture like this with nobody else. Ever," Priest said.
Priest also spoke about some advice Triple H gave him in regards to being himself. Priest said what Triple H told him was similar to what The Undertaker told him earlier in Triple H's career.
"I was talking or doing something and Triple H heard me. Then he pulled me aside and we were just talking. Then he started telling me about advice that Undertaker gave him about when you learn how to be yourself, you?ll make a lot of money in this business. That?s what Undertaker told him. Then he tapped me on the chest and basically said, 'Now I?m telling you that.' I didn?t realize it until he said that, that although they had been for months telling me 'Hey, you can just be you now,' I was still pretending to be a version of me. Or I was pretending to be who people thought I was, instead of really being me, and I think that day it hit me. I was like, 'Oh ? I?m still pretending.' It was even the way I was speaking in promos, where I felt like I had to have a certain voice and I had to sound a certain way. Instead of just talking like I?m speaking to you right now. And Shawn would be on me about that too. He was like, 'Hey, you?re a pretty cool guy. Just be you.' I think finally leading into that match, I think that?s when it finally all came together and I haven?t looked back since. Obviously working with Finn Balor makes it really easy to go out and put on a great match too," Priest said.
The full interview can be read at this link.