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After a successful WrestleMania event, WWE had to figure out a way to keep the momentum going via WrestleMania Backlash. For the most part, Sunday's pay-per-view succeeded in that regard.
This particular show could have benefited from a few surprises, but the general predictability of Sunday's proceedings did not deter the in-ring quality of matches. There was one specific unpredictable moment from the event, which has become a significant topic of conversation since the conclusion of WrestleMania Backlash.
Yes, wrestling fans are indeed talking about zombies on social media. In addition to that controversial topic, do mention your opinions regarding WrestleMania Backlash in the comments section below.
Here are the five biggest news stories from WWE WrestleMania Backlash.
#5 A bunch of zombies "consumed" The Miz and John Morrison during WrestleMania Backlash
WrestleMania Backlash was sponsored by popular director Zack Snyder's new zombie heist film — Army of the Dead. Meanwhile, The Miz and Damian Priest wrestled in a Lumberjack match at the pay-per-view.
As part of a promotional tie-in for the movie, WWE put forward the ultimate test for suspension of disbelief and booked a bunch of zombies to surround the ring. These supernatural creatures acted as lumberjacks for The Miz and Priest's clash. It felt as though viewers had been subjected to a dose of Dungeon of Doom from WCW's silliest moments in history.
WrestleMania Backlash's Lumberjack match just couldn't fit into today's style of wrestling entertainment. The craziness didn't just stop with the premise of this bout, as The A-Lister and John Morrison were supposedly devoured by the zombies at the pay-per-view.
Although Damian Priest won the match, his triumph was overshadowed by the sheer goofiness of the situation. Irrespective of the negative reception to The Miz and Priest's supernatural collision, it has led to lengthy discussions on social media. Creating a lot of buzz seemed to be the primary goal of this marketing ploy.
As far as the story is concerned, let's just hope The Miz and John Morrison can find an antidote to stop their zombie transformations before Monday Night RAW. One can only imagine what a zombie version of Miz TV will look like.
#4 What is next for Roman Reigns after WrestleMania Backlash?
Roman Reigns defeated Cesaro via technical submission, as expected, in a decent main event at WrestleMania Backlash. The Usos didn't interfere during the match. There were no surprising interruptions from any returning stars, and the conflict between Jimmy Uso and Reigns didn't blow out of proportion at the pay-per-view.
But the big takeaway here is what happened after the main event of WrestleMania Backlash. Thanks to a brutal encounter, Cesaro wasn't capable of defending himself against fresh competitors. As a result, Jey Uso and Seth Rollins took advantage of the situation and attacked Cesaro even further.
Having been embarrassed by The Swiss Superman recently, The Tribal Chief's right-hand man and The Messiah had everything to gain by taking advantage of Cesaro. But before Rollins could kickstart a beatdown to end the pay-per-view, he stood toe-to-toe against Reigns for a while, teasing a future confrontation between The Shield brothers.
After WrestleMania Backlash, there are a lot of possibilities for Roman Reigns' title defense at next month's Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. A rematch against Cesaro is still an option unless Rollins doesn't let go of his WrestleMania rival anytime soon.
Jimmy Uso's escalating conflict with Reigns may lead to a match between the two at Hell in a Cell. Maybe Edge will return in time to grab that opportunity instead.
On the other hand, WWE may swerve everyone by inserting an unpredictable name into the Universal Championship picture. The possibilities seem endless at the moment.
#3 Rhea Ripley stood tall at WrestleMania Backlash; her next opponent teased
The RAW Women's Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash featured a consistent level of chaotic energy among all three competitors. A lot of triple threat matches don't always highlight this approach, but Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley, and Asuka went all-out during the first match on the main card.
Asuka seemed to be the third woman in this scenario, and she fulfilled that purpose when Ripley successfully pinned her to retain the title.
However, Ripley's WrestleMania Backlash victory led to the revelation that Flair is far from done in the top title picture. After the match, The Queen pointed to the belt as Ripley taunted her.
Flair didn't lose her composure, though, proving that she is determined to win the RAW Women's Championship without jeopardizing her chances for the same once again.
People knew Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley would happen right when the latter stepped foot on Monday Night RAW this year. After all, both women have a history dating back to WrestleMania 36. Now they can feud again without any additional contenders in the top title scenario, as Asuka's booking indicates that she has been written out of it for good.
#2 Bobby Lashley emerged from an electric explosion at WrestleMania Backlash
The WWE Championship match between Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, and Braun Strowman was a surprisingly agile and athletic fight at WrestleMania Backlash.
As expected, the three men beat the living daylights out of each other. At one point, McIntyre drove Lashley onto the LED boards, which triggered an explosion. When Strowman and McIntyre took charge of the bout, Lashley played a smart game and only struck when the opportunity presented itself.
Towards the end of the match, The All-Mighty swooped in and took advantage of McIntyre's efforts. He quickly speared Strowman to retain the WWE title.
Just like the RAW Women's Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash, this particular fight followed a similar narrative at the end. Braun Strowman fulfilled his role of being the third man, while it seems as though Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley will collide in singles action soon.
If Lashley and McIntyre keep fighting each other over the next few weeks, the latter will very likely become a three-time WWE Champion at some point, perhaps at Hell in a Cell.
#1 Rey and Dominik Mysterio achieved an important milestone at WrestleMania Backlash
Heading into WrestleMania Backlash, Rey and Dominik Mysterio didn't really have a huge conflict to overcome at the pay-per-view. The Dirty Dawgs (Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode) couldn't prove to be a huge threat in the weeks leading up to the event.
But during the kickoff show at WrestleMania Backlash, WWE introduced a temporary conflict for the father-and-son duo. Dominik was attacked by the opposition backstage before the SmackDown Tag Team Championship match took place, meaning Rey Mysterio had to fight Roode and Ziggler by himself for a while.
However, when Dominik returned to his father's side, the challengers worked together and eventually became the new champions. As many have already pointed out, Rey and Dominik are the first-ever father-and-son tag team champions in WWE.
This result was bound to happen at some point, but WWE didn't wait for a live crowd to execute the title change. While the timing of it all is debatable, WWE hinges on these first-time-ever premises for years. As a result, WrestleMania Backlash will likely be remembered forever based on Rey and Dominik's monumental victory.
The Mysterio family seems overjoyed at this development, along with most fans and critics. Given the amount of investment WWE has made in this father-and-son premise, Rey and Dominik Mysterio's SmackDown Tag Team Championship reign could last for a long time.
On a scale of 1-10, do leave your ratings for WrestleMania Backlash in the comments section below. Also, in the video linked above, you can check out Sportseekda Wrestling's entire review and recap for this pay-per-view.
