Finn Balor Defeats Damian Priest to Win U.S. Championship on WWE Raw

A new WWE United States champion was crowned during this week's episode of Monday Night Raw as Finn Balor defeated Damian Priest to win the title.

After the match, it appeared that Priest underwent a heel turn as he berated the live audience on the mic before attacking Balor with a cheap shot.

Priest won the U.S. title at SummerSlam in August by defeating Sheamus. He held the belt for 192 days before Monday's loss. He was a dominant champion as he hadn't suffered a pinfall loss until the Jan. 17 episode of Raw in a match against Kevin Owens.

Balor had never won the United States championship in his WWE career. He was the first-ever universal champion, but his reign ended after one night because he suffered a shoulder injury in the match where he won the title. He has held the intercontinental title twice.

Balor has enjoyed most of his success while competing for NXT. After his initial run from 2014 to '16, he returned to the brand in 2019 and won the NXT championship for a second time. His reign included acclaimed title defenses against Kyle O'Reilly, Pete Dunne and Adam Cole.

The attack by Priest after the match indicates that his rivalry with Balor is not over. It is likely that the two will face each other again at WrestleMania 38 on April 2 or 3.

If a rematch is set for The Show of Shows, it can be expected that Balor will break out his "Demon King" persona, which is his alter ego that's saved for special occasions because of his elaborate entrance and body paint.