Reflexes
- Triple H expresses solidarity with Damian Priest’s mistake during the World Heavyweight Championship match.
- According to The Game, the focus should be on Priest’s impressive performance, not the mistake.
- The failed pinfall could be related to Drew McIntyre’s delay in cashing in his Money in the Bank.
Triple H has spoken out about the awkward gaffe that occurred during Damian Priest’s World Heavyweight Championship match against Seth Rollins at WWE Money in the Bank. The premium live event is now a thing of the past and there are plenty of talking points to come from the show. The news of John Cena’s impending retirement from WWE making headlines around the world shocked viewers who aren’t ready to say goodbye to the 16-time world champion, and we also saw Drew McIntyre win the Money in the Bank briefcase and fail to get his cash back on the same night.
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Unfortunately, however, there was a different moment in the night that will be a popular topic of discussion among wrestling fans coming out of the show, as a mistake during the World Heavyweight Championship match created a moment of confusion for all viewers. Damian Priest’s title defense against Seth Rollins was The Visionary’s first match in over three months and one of the most anticipated matches of the entire Premium Live event. Because of the stakes of the match, fans couldn’t wait to see if The Archer of Infamy would be forced out of The Judgment Day. But, in the end, the spotlight was on Damian for a very different reason.
In the middle of what was a good match, Rollins hit his customary falcon arrow and attempted a pinfall. Much to the surprise of viewers around the world, and even the competitors themselves, Priest did not back out. Since it wasn’t the planned finish, the referee didn’t count the three, and the commentators had to pretend it wasn’t three even though it looked like it was. It was an awkward moment that was saved only by Drew McIntyre’s music diverting attention back to him. Now, we have some reactions to the botched pinfall, as Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque has commented on the moment at the post-show press conference.
Triple H was understanding of the priest’s mistake
The boss doesn’t want this to detract from the impressive performance.
Shortly after Money in the Bank ended, Triple H appeared at the show’s press conference and it wasn’t long before he was asked about the mistake Priest made. He was honest, but supportive of his talent and stressed that he didn’t want the mistake to take away from the World Heavyweight Champion’s strong performance.
“Human beings in the ring make mistakes, things happen, it is what it is. It’s funny to me now to look at that. If it was something I was involved in as a talent, I don’t care how good anybody else was, that would be all I would think about. And to me, it’s a shame that that’s all people talk about and that’s all people have to say to Damian Priest, even though he had a phenomenal performance tonight.
“But a lot of people will attack it, criticize it, comment on it. I don’t know why, but sometimes the negative outweighs the positive.”
The Game would go on to offer unwavering support to Priest, advising him to turn off his phone and simply remember what he had already accomplished in his title run thus far and in his career in general.
“And I wish I could go in the back, turn his phone off, have nobody talk to him for a while and have him think about all the other great things that happened back then, and the time he’s been in and the great job he’s done as a world champion, and what he’s done to get there and deserve it, because he deserves all the credit in the world for all those things, and he’s gotten to a point where when I watch him now as a fighter, I feel like I’m watching a champion come out. I feel like I’m watching a top-level guy.”
The error could have been due to late interference
Drew McIntyre’s Money in the Bank cash-in came immediately after
The incident could be related to the production behind McIntyre’s cash-in, as there was a waiting period before the Scotsman’s music hit. Perhaps the entrance theme was intended to interrupt the pinfall and cause enough of a distraction for the referee to not end the three-count as it was. With everything going on the way it did, CM Punk costing Drew McIntyre his cash-in diverted attention enough that the failure didn’t tarnish the match itself.
Following Saturday night’s result, Priest will now face GUNTHER at SummerSlam for the World Heavyweight Championship, while Punk’s unintentional interference means that Seth Rollins cannot challenge him for the gold while Damian remains champion. Additionally, if he can get medical clearance, the assumption is that Punk will finally face Drew McIntyre this August. As always, if any more information comes out regarding last night’s Money in the Bank fiasco, GIVEMESPORT will keep you updated.
