Danny Cage Says This Top WWE Star Couldn't Get Out Of His Own Way While Training

Monster Factory's Danny Cage, who has played a role in training many stars of the wrestling world, including Judgment Day member Damian Priest, has spoken about the potential he saw in the "WWE Raw" star at the start of his career.

"Here's the thing, I was a wrestler when he first walked in," Cage admitted to "Under The Ring," noting that he and QT Marshall wrestled Damian Priest early in Priest's career. Cage was still working for a phone company and wrestling on the side. "I didn't see him again until 2010 ...[we] just picked up like it was nothing."

"Damian Priest ... I saw so much potential but he couldn't get out of his own way," Cage said, noting that people held Priest back by telling him he was a "star" far too early in his career. "I kinda like called him out during a Gerald Brisco seminar and then me and Gerald Brisco got in his head and it was like that switch was like, 'I'm never gonna be embarrassed again. I'm never gonna feel bad about myself again.'"

Cage says that Priest would show up earlier and earlier for warm-ups, which led to him losing weight, getting into shape, and after numerous tryouts, tremendous success in Ring of Honor. During Priest's time in ROH, Cage showed a WWE executive some of Priest's work, putting the former ROH World Television Champion on WWE's radar.

Priest is now a pillar of WWE programming, serving not only as one-half of the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions as a member of Judgment Day but also as a former NXT North American Champion, a former WWE United States Champion, and the current Money In The Bank briefcase holder.