Things took a rather unique turn at Wrestlemania Backlashlast night. The scheduled lumberjack match between Damian Priest and the Miz put a spin on things but using zombies to surround the ring.
This was a promotional event to support WWE alumni Dave Batista’s new movie, Army of the Dead. The move was a strange one and certainly caught a lot of fans off guard, however. The reaction to the event put Twitter into a spin, with people appearing to either love or hate the gimmick.
Even the star of the movie himself seems less than impressed with things after replying to one of the many Tweets sent in his direction during the show.
Given the matches on the Wrestlemania Backlash card, using the lumberjack match made the most sense. However, these things are not put together on the spur of the moment, and you can’t help but think a better match could have been set. Especially given the effort that went into the zombies and the way everybody ringside sold the invasion.
When you look at WWE programming right now there are two names that instantly come to mind when planning something like this.
Alexa Bliss and Bray Wyatt are mainstay characters, both of whom have a supernatural presence. The way their relationship ended at Wrestlemania this year would have provided the perfect moment for them to come head-to-head. At the very least provided a good backdrop for The Fiend to make a Wrestlemania Backlash return.
You must applaud WWE for their efforts, and it certainly breaks up the monotony of recent programming. However, a little more thought into the placement of the zombies might have seen a more positive and less divisive response.