3 Reasons why Damian Priest is out of the WWE’s Last Time Is Now Tournament 

The first two matches of John Cena's The Last Time is Now Tournament took place on the November 10 edition of WWE RAW. While Sheamus advanced into the quarter final by defeating Shinsuke Nakamura, Damian Priest suffered a shocking loss to Rusev in his first round matchup.

The Bulgarian Brute defeated the Archer of Infamy in under nine minutes without any distractions or interference. Fans were left quite puzzled about the former World Heavyweight Champion's shocking defeat, and here, we will look at three possible reasons behind Priest's early exit from the tournament.

3. Rusev needed a big win after losing to Dominik Mysterio

The former United States Champion lost to Dominik Mysterio in a singles match for the Intercontinental Championship on WWE RAW a few weeks ago. He then came up short in a Triple Threat match for the title at Saturday Night's Main Event on November 1.

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As a result, Rusev needed a major victory to maintain his credibility as a heel to be feared. Having him win against Damian Priest has given him a significant boost and has shown that he is still a threat in the ring.

2. Damian Priest is already involved in a feud with Aleister Black

The former Judgment Day member is in a heated rivalry with Aleister Black on SmackDown. Damian Priest lost to the former AEW star in a Last Man Standing match after getting his face burned due to a fireball. This past week on the blue-branded show, Priest ran out to the ring during the main event to attack Black and Drew McIntyre, confirming that his issues with the Dutch Destroyer are not over yet.

Since he already has a meaningful program waiting for him, which could now involve the WWE Championship, having him lose to Rusev seems like a sensible decision.

1. Damian Priest is a babyface and is not an ideal opponent for John Cena

Priest is currently a babyface, and has a new story brewing for him on SmackDown, which seemingly involves the world title. Since WWE avoids having two babyfaces feud with one another, it already doesn't make sense for him to face the retiring legend.

Not to mention, he is already an established star on the main roster, with a decent run as the World Heavyweight Champion last year. As a result, he has very little to gain by sending John Cena into retirement. That opportunity would be much more valuable for a newcomer from NXT or someone who hasn't quite received the same opportunities as Priest.

While his inclusion in The Last Time is Now Tournament was a welcome one, it is a sensible decision on WWE's behalf to give Rusev the win. Now, it remains to be seen who the Bulgarian Brute faces in the quarter finals. With Sheamus advancing as well, the two could revisit their feud and have an incredible match.

On the other hand, Priest could now feud with Black with a shot at Cody Rhodes' WWE Title on the line.

Edited by Arsh Das