During this week’s SmackDown, tensions rose as Damian Priest confronted Aleister Black backstage, continuing a storyline that has raised eyebrows among fans and WWE insiders. The encounter ended with Priest informing Black about his upcoming singles match against Ron Killings. This interaction highlighted their similarly dark personas, but the storyline surrounding their ongoing exchanges has been met with criticism for lacking clarity and progression.
Vince Russo Criticizes WWE’s Repetition of the Dark Character Storyline
Vince Russo, a former WWE head writer, expressed his frustrations during a recent episode of BroDown with host Mac Davis. Russo acknowledged that both Priest and Black have dark character traits, which seems to be the main reason WWE paired them in segments repeatedly. However, he questioned the narrative’s coherence and its ability to engage casual viewers, describing the storyline as unclear and repetitive.
“Again, guys, I am a writer. I know why they are doing what they are doing. Damian Priest is a dark character. Aleister Black is a dark character. Let’s put the two dark characters together. I get that. I understand that on the simplest level. What I don’t understand is, we have seen this before. Mac, I honestly believe this is the third time. Oh, God. What are we looking at here? What is the story? What is the angle? We’re looking at two guys that are definitely dark characters.” —Vince Russo, Former WWE Head Writer
Future Prospects for Priest and Black’s Rivalry Remain Unclear
Both Damian Priest and Aleister Black are recognized for their strong in-ring skills and compelling dark personas, which naturally draw attention from the WWE audience. Still, the lack of a clearly defined storyline or meaningful character development during their segments has left fans and critics uncertain about how their rivalry will evolve. Whether WWE will develop a more cohesive narrative or continue with similar ambiguous angles remains to be seen.
The ongoing Damian Priest WWE repeat angle underscores the difficulties WWE faces when relying on broad character archetypes without deeper storytelling. As this storyline continues, its impact on viewership and fan engagement will likely influence WWE’s creative decisions moving forward.
