Luis Martínez and Benito Martínez are currently living a dream in the wrestling ring thanks in part to the friendship that Damian Priest and Bad Bunny forged in front of the television cameras.
Luis Martínez, a New York-born Puerto Rican and best known as Priest in the world of wrestling, is heading for his first WrestleMania as part of an angle involving Benito Martínez, aka Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican draper who is one of the most famous artists in the world. The duo are scheduled to face The Miz and John Morrison in a doubles match on the first night of WrestleMania 37 this Saturday, April 10 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
It’s nothing new to see guest artists in a prominent segment of the most important wrestling show, from Liberace, Muhammad Ali and Pete Rose to Snoop Dog, Snooki and Kim Kardashian, among several others, including a certain President of the United States. In 2021, this role is played by Bad Bunny, the Grammy winner who previously had Ric Flair, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Booker T as guests in his videos, and who has never hidden his love for wrestling and your dream of participating in the show show.
MORE: Everything you need to know about WrestleMania 37
While some guests from the past just showed up, smiled and greeted – although characters like Lawrence Taylor and Floyd Mayweather starred in fights and others like Mike Tyson and Mickey Rourke were physically involved – Priest clarifies that Bad Bunny is not the typical star who only seeks to be present at one of the most media events in the world.
“Bad Bunny is a big star in the world, but when here in the world of us he behaves like a kid who’s trying to learn. I love that about him. He’s not an artist who comes to promote something he’s done, it’s not the reason he’s here. He’s here because he wants to be here, ”Priest said in an interview with ESPN. “Every week, every day. He moved from Puerto Rico here just to spend time in WWE, learning and spending time in that life. That shows the person really wants him.”
1:08
Luis Martinez, better known as Damian Priest, talks about how his friendship with his compatriot Bad Bunny was forged and why the Puerto Rican artist earned the respect of everyone in the WWE.
Priest made his WWE main roster debut at the Royal Rumble, an event featuring Bad Bunny’s musical participation and marking the beginning of his angle with Miz and Morrison. Since then, the Puerto Rican duo is regular and inseparable on TV; in fact, Priest helped the ” Rabbit ” crown as the 24/7 WWE Champion during the Monday Night Raw show on February 15th. Following the history of this championship, Bad Bunny carried the band everywhere, including his live participation in Saturday Night Live on February 20th.
“Bad Bunny is a professional, he knows how to achieve success in his life. That was a dream for him and he was able to achieve it. He is a tremendous person, very respectful. There is no one in the company who has anything. bad to say about Bad Bunny, ”the 38-year-old veteran wrestler added. “To me he’s a person like me, happy to live his dream. He’s enjoying what he’s doing. I understand what it’s like to be living that dream. And I like how they treat him in the company, they treat him with respect because he ‘he deserves it’.
As the angle took shape on TV heading to the bigger wrestling stage, Bad Bunny’s physical activity also increased since that first time he flew all over the air at the Royal Rumble; in recent weeks, he was hit with a guitar, charged ‘revenge’, received a ‘beating’ and cut a promo in the ring … like any other superstar, with a page on the official WWE site and all . And next to him Priest, who did not know personally the ‘Rabbit’ prior to their collaboration, although time together now unites them forever with a memory of a dream come true inside the quadrangle.
“We have a real friendship. We’re from the same place in Puerto Rico, we grew up in the same place in Vega Baixa. We have a lot in common that most people don’t know,” Priest commented. “We don’t just talk about the fight, we talk about other things, about life. I get along very well with him and I love seeing him so happy being a part of our world.”
Héctor Creu of ESPN Digital collaborated in this report
The 10 Best WrestleManias in History