WWE Rumors on Damian Priest, Blood in WWE and Superstars Eyeing Return to Puerto Rico

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

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Priest Reportedly Receiving Internal Praise from WWE

Many within WWE are reportedly thrilled with the work Damian Priest did at and leading up to the Backlash premium live event.

According to PWInsider (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), Priest received "a ton of praise" for managing to "level himself up," and a WWE source suggested that he "has to be seen as one of the top-level players in the company going forward."

Priest competed in arguably the biggest match on the Backlash card when he battled Grammy Award-winning musician Bad Bunny in a San Juan Street Fight.

Bad Bunny is from Puerto Rico and the biggest star in the country, while Priest grew up in Puerto Rico after being born in New York City.

Given their ties to the territory, the live crowd was red hot for the match, and they got even more excited when the LWO and The Judgment Day got involved, as well as Puerto Rican wrestling legends Carlito and Savio Vega.

One of Priest's first major orders of business on the main roster was to team with Bad Bunny at WrestleMania 37 in the first match of Bunny's career.

The megastar rapper was immensely impressive, and one of the big reasons was the fact that Priest worked closely with him and prepared him for what he would encounter in the ring.

It stands to reason that Priest and Bunny likely prepared together again ahead of their match at Backlash, and it showed, as they put on one of the most entertaining matches in recent memory.

Priest put over Bad Bunny as expected, but it could lead to bigger and better things for him moving forward, including a spot at or near the top of the card.

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Blood Reportedly Approved for Lesnar vs. Rhodes

Brock Lesnar bled heavily during his loss to Cody Rhodes at Backlash, and although WWE doesn't typically allow blood in its matches, they were reportedly given the go-ahead beforehand.

According to Fightful Select and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc's Eric Mutter), the blood was approved prior to the match, and it undoubtedly added to the drama.

WWE has long had a policy against purposely bleeding in matches, but it seemingly hasn't applied to Lesnar, as The Beast Incarnate has been covered in blood in his matches on multiple occasions over the past several years.

While wrestlers typically use a small blade to cut themselves when blood is desired in a match, Lesnar seemed to take a different approach.

In the midst of his match against Rhodes, Lesnar rammed his head into an exposed steel turnbuckle when The American Nightmare moved out of the way, and he began bleeding immediately.

Despite being compromised, Lesnar seemed en route to defeating Rhodes with a Kimura Lock, however, Rhodes was able to reverse the momentum and pin Brock.

None too pleased with the result, Lesnar brutally attacked Rhodes on Monday's Raw, cost him an opportunity to vie for the new WWE World Heavyweight Championship and challenged him to a fight at Night of Champions later this month.

If Lesnar is once again given carte blanche to utilize blood, his rematch with Rhodes could prove to be even more brutal and violent.

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Some WWE Superstars Reportedly Want More Puerto Rico Events

After the success of Backlash in Puerto Rico, there are reportedly Superstars within WWE who would like to see the event held in Puerto Rico on an annual basis.

According to PWInsider Elite (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), those who want Backlash in Puerto Rico every year cited the notion that the fan reaction on SmackDown and Backlash were at the level of a WrestleMania.

They also reportedly expressed their belief that this year's Backlash felt more important than it had in previous years.

One potential sticking point is the idea that WWE would only want to hold a premium live event in Puerto Rico again if it receives payment to do so.

PWInsider noted that Puerto Rico's tourism board paid significant money to get WWE to hold Backlash there. Because of that, WWE reportedly won't have anything other than regular live events in Puerto Rico unless the country is willing to pay up again.

WWE did an excellent job of catering to the Puerto Rican fanbase by featuring Superstars either from Puerto Rico or of Puerto Rican descent, including Bad Bunny, Priest and Zelina Vega.

The surprise appearances by Carlito and Savio Vega also went over well and made for an even more special show.

WWE had not held a premium live event in Puerto Rico since 2005, and it was apparent from the energy of the crowd that WWE fans in Puerto Rico were starved for a big show.

It doesn't appear as though Backlash occurring in Puerto Rico every year is on the table, but given how well the shows came across in Puerto Rico, it is fair to assume WWE may be open to more shows in the territory in the future if the stars align.

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