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Aleister Black Dives Into Rivalry With Damian Priest & Reveals Perfect End Game Scenario [Exclusive]

This is part three of The Takedown on SI's conversation with Aleister Black, where he speaks about his motivations and the perfect ending to his ongoing rivalry with Damian Priest.
Rick Ucchino|
Aleister Black
Aleister Black | WWE

Aleister Black and Zelina Vega have dubbed themselves the necessary evil on Friday Night SmackDown, but even some of the duo's most dastardly acts of violence have come from a good place.

The meticulous and mysterious Black has been locked into a bitter rivalry with Damian Priest for the past few months, and while the former World Heavyweight Champion is under the impression that Aleister has some kind of personal beef with him, that could not be further from the truth.

The Takedown on SI recently had a lengthy conversation with Aleister Black where we took a deep dive into his very creative mind. He revealed that he has a great deal of respect for Damian Priest and actually really likes him as an individual. Which is why he's trying to help him.

"People think that dark characters are all cut from the same cloth. And with my character, especially in this iteration, it's much more a societal criticism with what this Aleister Black is. He's pulling out from looking at what the human race is from the outside and seeing all the hateful comments, the indecisiveness, the wanting to be rewarded and awarded constantly."

While most people would push back against those tendencies and advocate for someone to do better with their lives, Aleister Black doesn't believe in going against the grain.

He not only encourages folks to give into their habits but to really lean into them in order to reach their full potential, especially Damian Priest.

"That's your nature. Indulge in that behavior. You're a destructive race, so be destructive. I look at someone like Damian Priest, who has this violence to him, but at the same time has this inhibiting moral code where he will still stand up for other people. In Aleister's eyes, I want him to get away from that, because it's holding him back."

Black and Vega have already identified their next target in WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. The American Nightmare is very similar to Priest, in the sense that he has this much darker side that is restricted by his desires to be the ultimate good guy and the face of the entire company.

Aleister Black may be the very man who forces Rhodes to ultimately unleash all of his anger and aggression, but first he must handle his unfinished business with the Archer of Infamy by getting him to finally see the light at the end of this very dark tunnel he's found himself trapped inside.

MORE: Aleister Black Discusses Trust For Triple H And WWE Creative Process [Exclusive]

"Don't worry about these people. You be you, and if I have to sacrifice myself to prove that point, I will do that," Black said. "I'm corrupting you further and further, but in [my character's] eyes, it's not really corrupting. It's just setting you free. And I think that Damian plays that character really well, because he's slowly divulging deeper and deeper into doing things to Aleister Black that he wouldn't have done three months prior."

What's the end game between Aleister Black and Damian Priest?

Zelina Vega & Aleister Black
Zelina Vega & Aleister Black | WWE

The battles between Black and Priest appeared to over after their Last Man Standing Match in Perth, Australia. That was the night that Damian caught a fire ball to the face, which has rendered his left eye severely compromised.

That injury cost Priest dearly this past Monday night on Raw as Rusev was able to exploit it to win their opening round match-up in John Cena's The 'Last Time is Now' Tournament. That loss will no doubt only serve to add fuel to Damian's burning desire for revenge.

Aleister Black wouldn't have it any other way.

"I see the end game as being able to, win or lose, look him in the eyes and say, 'Look at what I've made you do. Look at all the things that I've made you do,'" Black said. "You're not as good as you think you are, but you shouldn't feel as much remorse as you probably feel. This is the true you. This is you cut out from your skin. This is you without the code of morality stitched to your skin. This is who you're meant to be."

Make sure to check out part four of our conversation with Aleister Black when if drops Friday, November 21 here on The Takedown on SI.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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