Damian Priest reveals who he thinks is the BEST performer in WWE as the world heavyweight champion opens on on life in The Judgement Day without injured Rhea Ripley

After winning the briefcase in London a year ago on Monday, holding it high in the middle of the O2 Arena, Damian Priest was Mr - Senor, he liked to be called - Money in the Bank for nine months.

It always seemed like the time to cash it in was never right. Roman Reigns' belt was protected. Seth Rollins was doing wonders for the new belt, then got injured, and time was running out.

Questions began to come around if there ever would be a right time. But when it happened, it was perfect. It doesn't get too much better than cashing in at WrestleMania to win your first world championship.

Now, Priest has the task of adapting his game to act like a champion, represent the company, and produce good quality matches and entertainment for the fans.

Priest reminisces, speaking exclusively to Mail Sport about his win in London, and how far he's come in the last year. He jokes that he is still practicing how to hold the title, and how important it is to never stop learning. 

'I didn't even realise how big of a deal it was to win the briefcase until I actually won it,' he says, just days out from defending his title at this year's edition of Money in the Bank. 'I was like, "Oh my God. I'm part of that special group of people that gets to hold that briefcase", and you become an immediate threat.

'You're automatically around the top talent in the company. Then I was like, "Oh, I've got to step up to be the champ. This is, this is a really big deal". Immediately, that same night, I'm in the main event picture.

'Every day I'm still seeking out advice. I'm still asking questions, non stop, just trying to figure new things out and continue being better tomorrow than I was yesterday.

'People are like, "Well, you got there. You don't need to change anything". And for me, I got here because that's the way I am. So I can't stop being that way, because I feel like that's when I'll fail, that's when I'll go backwards. So I have to continue.'

The man who made Priest's belt what it is today, Seth Rollins, is up next for El Campeon. Rollins is a multi-year veteran - making his main roster debut in 2012 - and a five-time world champion.

If he wins on Saturday, he will go onto face Gunther, the longest-reigning intercontinental champion of all time, at SummerSlam. It's the best of the best when you're a champion.

Priest, though, isn't shying away from the tests. He is full of praise for Rollins, paying him pretty much the ultimate compliment. 

'When I won the title at WrestleMania, I wasn't even thinking of my reign,' Priest admits. 'I was just like, "I'm the champion". But then it's like, "What now? What type of champion am I going to be? What type of reign do I want to have?"

'I wanted to defend against the biggest stars. I need to prove myself. And so far, that's what I've been going up against. I'm happy with the way it's going, I'm happy with where it's heading. I've got Seth Rollins next, the ultimate superstar to me, to the locker room. We all look at Seth Rollins as the best in-ring performer in the company, period. And that's saying a lot, because that's a locker room that has guys like AJ Styles, Randy Orton, just incredible superstars.

'I want to prove myself against him, and then you've got Gunther waiting for SummerSlam, who, again, I have to beat these guys. I have to prove myself in the ring against these guys to really establish myself as a successful and worthy world champion.'

Things have been slightly different for Priest lately, and not just becuase he's got a big gold belt around his shoulder.

There are five members in The Judgement Day; Priest, Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh and Rhea Ripley. Ripley, however, hasn't been around lately, sidelined since just after WrestleMania with an injury and no timeline yet set for her return.

'I message her all the time like, "This is weird. I miss you, and I miss my road buddy", Priest says. 'It's not just what you see on TV.

'It's challenging, just because I got so used to having my buddy to lean on and to vent to and, more than anything, laugh. I'm somebody who loves to smile and laugh with my friends.

'Rhea and I are two goofballs, which is probably why we get along so well. All we do is giggle and laugh, so not having that person with me is actually the worst part about her injury. Then, of course, the dynamic on TV, how much she adds to The Judgment Day and to any segment that we're involved in because of her presence. 

'She's, a mega star, so we definitely feel it. We got to still go out there and put on the best performance we can, and I think we we haven't missed a beat, but she's definitely missed by us, by fans, by everybody.'

There's a lot going on in The Judgement Day right now. Liv Morgan is invovled, Balor and McDonagh hold the tag titles and Priest has the big one.

Ripley will hopefully be back soon. Then there is the sub-plot that has been brewing around Priest and Balor, who don't seem to be able to get along. 

Whether he wins or loses on Saturday, Priest wil be just fine going forward. His title reign has, in some way, exceeded expectations. It may not be his last, and it may not be over yet either.