Damian Priest was walking around WWE television carrying the Money in the Bank briefcase, standing next to the Judgment Day, and getting set up for a massive push. Shockingly, his WWE contract had run out while all of this was unfolding on camera.
During a recent Fightful Select Q&A, Sean Ross Sapp discussed how WWE handled contracts under former executive Dan Ventrelle during the early TKO era. Some wrestlers were not fully comfortable with how Ventrelle managed negotiations, and a few felt that their value to the company was being downplayed.
Several deals were allowed to get dangerously close to expiring, and Priest reportedly became one of the most obvious examples. His contract actually expired while he was still holding the Money in the Bank briefcase on WWE television.
That does not mean that Priest was quietly looking for a new employer. WWE had big plans for him at the time. He was already a big part of the Judgment Day storyline and was being built toward a World Title run. Priest eventually cashed in the briefcase and became the World Heavyweight Champion, proving that WWE never planned to let him leave.
Even so, letting things get that close reportedly bothered a lot of people internally. Many felt that a deal that important should have been finalized well ahead of time instead of nearly running out the clock. However, WWE’s approach has since changed, with the company now leaning more toward early renegotiations rather than letting contracts hang until the last moment.
