WWE wrestler Damian Priest honored on Bronx Walk of Fame

CBS News

20-05-2025

The Bronx Walk of Fame was created to highlight people who were raised in the borough and have accomplished big things, including stars like Luther Vandross and Regis Philbin.
This year, WWE wrestler Damian Priest will join the historic lineup along the Grand Concourse.
"'I've said it since I started in WWE that I just want my name to live forever. I just want to do something and do things that people remember me by and getting this honor, it's kind of like, wait, did I just achieve that?" he said.
Wrestler Damian Priest's Bronx roots run deep
CBS News New York spoke with Priest on City Island before Saturday's unveiling of his plaque. He said it is a place from his childhood.
"My dad would bring me here. Bring me here all the time, and order a lot of fried shrimp. But that was my favorite food as a kid. So it's kind of cool being back here and everything looks exactly the same," said Priest.
Priest said he grew up in different neighborhoods in the Bronx, including Parkchester and Castle Hill.
"We didn't have much, but we didn't need much. We just needed family and love and our community. And I just all the all my memories from being here are happy," he said.
He said he knew he wanted to be a WWE superstar from a young age, after going to wresting matches with his father. His impact in the WWE world has touched many in his home borough.
"This is a guy who I sincerely admire because he really represents Latinos everywhere, and he's not shy about it. He talks to you in Spanish, and he wears his Puerto Rican flag in his tights. It shows you, like, you know what, if you dream hard, you dream big, you can make it, you know, and then you come back and you bring that back to the Bronx," said WWE fan Rigoberto Tomala.
As his legacy lives along the Bronx Walk of Fame, Priest hopes his name will be an inspiration to others.
"Being alongside other legends from here. It means the world to me. And I can't thank, you know, our city, our borough, our people enough. When it comes to having a dream, nobody's going to work for your dream but yourself. And you got to be honest with yourself and work as hard as you can to achieve what you want," he said.
Other 2025 honorees for the Bronx Walk of Fame include artist DeVaughn Rodriguez, former NBA star Kemba Walker, freestyle legend Judy Torres and TV personality Gary Axelbank.
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