Damian Priest Defeats Drew McIntyre For World Heavyweight Title At WWE WrestleMania 40
Priest cashes in on after McIntyre defeated Seth Rollins
Damian Priest is the new World Heavyweight champion, after pinning Drew McIntyre, who himself defeated Seth Rollins, on the second night of WWE WrestleMania 40 on Sunday night in Philadelphia.
McIntyre finished Rollins with multiple Claymore kicks. After the match, CM Punk (who had been on commentary) removed his arm brace laid McIntyre out. After the attack, Priest hit the ring with his Money in the Bank briefcase and cashed in, pinning McIntyre after a matter of seconds.
For Priest, it's his first World title win in WWE. For McIntyre, it was the third time he held a World title under the WWE banner. He twice reigned as WWE champion in 2020, first winning the belt at WrestleMania 36 from Brock Lesnar.
Sunday's win marked the first time McIntyre won a WWE World title in front of a live crowd, as his two prior wins took place during the pandemic.
Rollins' reign as World Heavyweight champion ends after 316 days. He was the belt's inaugural titleholder, having defeated AJ Styles in the finals of a 12-man tournament on May 27, 2023 at Night of Champions in Jeddah.
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.
