Damian Priest Biography: Luis Martínez born September 26, 1982 is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Damian Priest. Prior to joining WWE, he gained recognition in Ring of Honor (ROH) under the ring name Punishment Martinez, where he won the ROH World Television Championship. Martínez also competed in Japan through ROH’s partnership with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He joined WWE in 2018, starting on the NXT developmental brand, where he went on to win the NXT North American Championship.
Damian Priest Biography
Damian Priest’s ride has been nothing short of wild. Losing his last NXT match at New Year’s Evil in January 2021 could’ve felt like a real low point, but jumping to Raw turned out to be exactly the shake-up he needed. By WrestleMania 38, he was back to his sly, sneaky self, pulling off a distraction that helped Edge beat AJ Styles—fans couldn’t decide whether to cheer or groan, and honestly, that’s exactly the point. A few months later, in April 2022, he and Edge made their partnership official, forming.
Priest somehow became the de facto leader, commanding the group with this quiet intensity that just works. Their momentum hasn’t slowed: at Payback in December 2023, Priest and Bálor grabbed the tag titles from Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens and have been defending them like pros ever since, even against The Creed Brothers. Watching him rise is mesmerizing—it’s that “oh, he’s here now” kind of presence that hits hard without warning.
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| Birth name | Luis Martinez |
| Born | September 26, 1982 (age 42) New York City, U.S. |
| Ring name(s) | Damian Martinez Damian Priest Luis Martinez Punisher Martinez Punishment Martinez |
| Billed height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) |
| Billed weight | 249 lb (113 kg) |
| Billed from | New York City |
| Trained by | Monster Factory |
| Debut | March 25, 2005 |
| Category | WWE News |
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About Damian Priest
- Born: 26 September 1982 (age 42 years), New York, New York, United States
- Height: 96 m
- Weight: 113 kg
- Full name: Luis Martínez
- Nationality: American, Puerto Rican
- Billed weight: 249 lb (113 kg)
- Debut: March 25, 2005
Early Life
Born in New York City to a Nuyorican family, Luis Martínez spent his early years in Dorado, Puerto Rico, where flipping through channels and landing on World Wrestling Council quietly lit the wrestling bug. His father, a serious martial artist, pushed him into Gōjū-ryū karate, and Martínez didn’t just survive the grind—he thrived, winning two national championships in full-contact fighting. Moving back to New York at 10 wasn’t easy—Spanish was still his first language, and fitting in felt like stepping into a fight he didn’t ask for.
Professional wrestling career
Although Martinez’s debut occurred in 2004, Martinez’ earliest known matches were held in 2012, in promotions including D2W Pro Wrestling, Keystone Pro Wrestling, Dynamite Championship Wrestling, MCW Pro Wrestling, Empire State Wrestling, Fusion Wrestling, International Wrestling Cartel, Georgia Premier Wrestling, America’s Most Liked Wrestling and Northeast Wrestling. Martinez trained in Danny Cage’s New Jersey promotion Monster Factory Pro Wrestling.
He made his debut on December 15, 2012, debuting as Punisher Martinez he competed in a MFPW Heavyweight Championship Tournament where he was eliminated during the opening rounds by Marc Cruz. He later won his first championship on November 16, 2013 at MFPW Turkey Slam, where he and tag team partner Brolly as team Legion Of Anarchy, defeated reigning champions team Bad News (Good News Hughes & Joe Gibson) to become the new MFPW Tag Team Champions. On the July 19, 2014 edition of MFPW, Martinez defeated reigning champion Joe Gibson to win the MFPW Heavyweight title. He later lost the title to Clutch Adams on February 14, 2015 in a No Disqualification Best Of Three Series Match.
The Judgment Day
The alliance with Edge led to the creation of The Judgment Day with Rhea Ripley. Edge did not last long in the group as Damian and Rhea added Finn Bálor and the three of them turned on Edge and kicked him out of the group. In mid 2022, The Judgment Day began a fued with Rey Mysterio and his son Dominik Mysterio which saw Rhea continually taunting and attacking Dominik. This eventually lead to Dominik turning on his father and joining the Judgment Day, including Dominik beginning an on-screen relationship with Rhea.
Monster Factory Pro Wrestling (2012-2017)
Martinez trained in Danny Cage’s New Jersey promotion Monster Factory Pro Wrestling. He made his debut on December 15, 2012, debuting as Punisher Martinez he competed in a MFPW Heavyweight Championship Tournament where he was eliminated during the opening rounds by Marc Cruz. He later won his first championship on November 16, 2013 at MFPW Turkey Slam, where he and tag team partner Brolly as team Legion Of Anarchy, defeated reigning champions team Bad News (Good News Hughes & Joe Gibson) to become the new MFPW Tag Team Champions. On the July 19, 2014 edition of MFPW, Martinez defeated reigning champion Joe Gibson to win the MFPW Heavyweight title. He later lost the title to Clutch Adams on February 14, 2015 in a No Disqualification Best Of Three Series Match. Four months later on June 6, Martinez defeated Clutch Adams in a rematch to regain the Heavyweight Championship.
Early career
On July 11, Martinez lost the Heavyweight title in a Four-Way match against Matthew Riddle, Clutch Adams and Mike Spanos. On August 8, Martinez lost his title rematch against Riddle. Shifting direction, Martinez formed a new tag team with QT Marshall and were branded as team Gifted Punishment. On September 5, team Gifted Punishment defeated reigning champions Shooterz Inc. (Billy Damiana & Nick Comoroto) to win the MFPW Tag Team titles. He advanced in the semifinals after eliminating Nick Comoroto. In the tournament final, Martinez defeated Mario Bokara to become the 2016 MFPW Invitational Cup winner. Further success followed on April 16, when he defeated reigning champion Abyss to win the MFPW Heavyweight title. He later the Heavyweight title to Cody Vance on December 10 of that year.
Damian Priest Net Worth 2026
Damian Priest’s net worth is believed to sit around the $2 million mark, which honestly feels well-earned given the grind it took to get there. His WWE contract reportedly pays him a base salary of about $300,000 a year, and that’s before factoring in the real bonus stuff—pay-per-view checks and merchandise royalties that quietly stack up. It’s not flashy “top-guy” money yet, but it’s the kind of solid, hard-earned success that shows he’s firmly established and still climbing.
Bio/Wiki
| Real name | Luis Martinez |
| Nickname(s)/Gimmick(s) | • Punishment Martinez • Punisher Martinez • Damian Martinez • The Archer of Infamy |
| Profession | Wrestler |
Physical Stats & More
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 196 cm in meters– 1.96 m in feet & inches– 6’ 5” |
| Weight (approx.) | in kilograms– 113 kg in pounds– 249 lbs |
| Body Measurements (approx.) | – Chest: 40 Inches – Waist: 30 Inches – Biceps: 17 Inches |
| Eye Colour | Light Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black (Braids) |
Wrestling
| Debut | ROH: 2015 WWE: 5 December 2018 NXT: 19 June 2019 |
| Awards, Honours, Achievements | • KPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Matthew Riddle from 26 March 2016 to 11 August 2016
• MFPW Heavyweight Championship (3 times) from 16 April 2016 to 10 December 2016 • MFPW Tag Team Championship (2 times) with Brolly(1) and Q. T. Marshall(1) from 5 September 2015 to 19 March 2016 • 2016: MFPW Invitational Cup • 2017: Survival of the Fittest • 2021: Worst Match of the Year with The Miz at Wrestle Mania Backlash (Wrestling Observer Newsletter) • 2023: Fraction of the Year as part of The Judgement Day(New York Post) • 2023: Fraction of the Year as part of The Judgement Day (Pro Wrestling Illustrated) • 2023: Ranked No. 71 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 • ROH World Television Championship (1 time) from 16 June 2018 to 29 September 2018 WWE Championships and Achievements • WWE United States Championship (1 time) in 2021 • Worst Match of the Year with The Miz at Wrestle Mania Backlash in 2021 (Wrestling Observer Newsletter) • WWE Raw Tag Team Championship (2 times) with Finn Balor from 2 September 2023 to 7 October 2023 and 16 October 2023 to Present • WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (2 times, current)- with Finn Balor from 2 September 2023 to Present and 16 October 2023 to Present • NXT North American Championship (1 time) from 22 August to 28 October 2023 • Men’s Money in the Bank in 2023 |
| Slam/Finishing move | Sitout Chokeslam (South of Heaven) |
Personal Life
| Date of Birth | 26 September 1982 (Sunday) |
| Age (as of 2026) | 42 Years |
| Birthplace | New York |
| Zodiac sign | Libra |
| Signature | |
| Nationality | American |
| Hometown | New York |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Hobbies | Listening to music |
| Tattoo(s) | • On his left hand – Dragon wrapped around sword • On his left hand tricep – Sugar Skull • On his back – Combination of Grim Reaper, skull, bones • On his right hand inner bicep – Three shades of purple rose • On his right hand outer bicep – Flaming skull • On his right chest – Combination of Libra symbol with skulls • On his left chest – Burning cross • On his right leg – Scale • On his right forearm – New York • On the back of his neck – Flag |
Relationships & More
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
Family
| Wife/Spouse | Not Known |
| Parents | Father– Name not known Mother– Name not known |
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Favourites
| Dessert | Cookies and Cream Cake |
Style Quotient
| Car Collection | • Lamborghini Huracan • Mercedes-Benz S-Coupe S 63 AMG Coupe |
Damian Priest Net Worth
| Name | Damian Priest, aka Luis Martinez |
| Net Worth | Estimated $2 million |
| Age | 41 years old |
| Nationality | American |
| Source of Wealth | Wrestling |
| Salary | $300,000 |
| Endorsements | – |
