WWE: Damian Priest Says Injuries Has Been Reason for Reduced Work Schedule in 2025, JD McDonagh Dealing with Hand Injury & Been Working Through Injuries, WWE TV Taping Schedule for This Week

Damian Priest Says Injuries Has Been Reason for Reduced Work Schedule in 2025

A recent episode of the Delivering Happiness with Nicholas Turturro show featured Damian Priest as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Priest revealing that WWE has put him on a reduced work schedule for this past year due to him currently dealing with several injuries but he opted to not undergo surgery for it.

“This past year, I’ve taken a step back. Been banged up a little bit. Kind of giving the bones and joints and ligaments and everything in between a little bit of a break.

The company now this year decided, ‘Let’s take it easy on him,’ because I’ve been going hard for a while. Tore my shoulder a couple times within the last year and a half. My knees are banged up, my back is oof.

I need a lot of work done, but I choose to not because if I don’t have to, I won’t. I’ll just figure it out. Let’s do rehab and just keep me in the game coach type of thing.”

Priest also stated that WWE has been forcing him to “take it easy” with his injuries situation for his work schedule with the company.

“This year I think the company was like, ‘We’re happy with you but we need to make sure you’re going to last here.’ So, they’ve been forcing me to take it easy, put it that way. Not the easiest thing to do when you want to just go out there and perform because you love what you do.”

Transcript h/t: F4WOnline.com

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JD McDonagh Dealing with Hand Injury & Been Working Through Injuries

JD McDonagh announced earlier today on Instagram that he is currently dealing with a hand-related injury and revealed that he has been working through injuries these past few months.

No other details were given regarding the nature nor severity of the injuries but McDonagh had posted a photo of him in a hospital bed and his hand in a cast.

“Been working thru some stuff for the last few months, but now is the time to pump the brakes and get put back together. Won’t be long, BRB.”

JD McDonagh reveals he’s underwent surgery on his hand.

We wish him a speedy recovery pic.twitter.com/ad4d9KabQu

— Fightful Wrestling (@Fightful) December 15, 2025

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WWE TV Taping Schedule for This Week

WWE will be holding a double taping of WWE RAW and WWE SmackDown tonight at The GIANT Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

WWE will be tapings Smackdown first starting at 6PM EST and going through shortly before the start of tonight’s live RAW show. This will be for this week’s episode on Friday, December 19th.

WWE will also be taping two episodes of WWE NXT on Wednesday, December 17th at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. This will be for the December 23rd and 30th episodes.