The Hated WWE Match Damian Priest Loves

Damian Priest is Señor Money In The Bank and one-half of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, not bad for someone who once had to fight off zombies in a WWE ring.

Most match sponsorships in wrestling see the sponsor named during the bouts or appearing on the video boards on the sides of WWE rings and have little to do with the match itself. But not at WrestleMania Backlash in 2021 when Damian Priest took on The Miz in a Lumberjack Match.

WWE signed a deal with Batista’s new Army of the Dead movie and promoted the zombie flick in unique fashion during Priest and The Miz’s bout. The match became a Zombie Lumberjack match and rather than contend with WWE stars putting them back in the ring, the two men had to fight off an apparent army of the dead of their own.

Priest won the match with the zombies attacking The Miz. To say the bout was not received well by the majority of fans would be an understatement and perhaps its only saving grace is the fact that it took place during the Thunder Dome era so no fans were in attendance to voice their immediate displeasure.

Damian Priest Very Proud Of Zombie Match

Speaking to Inside The Ropes, Damian Priest reflected on the match and says while he knew what people were going to think going in, he had a blast and was proud of what was produced:

I knew the feedback, what it was going to be. It’s hard when you do something different. People are accustomed to one way and some are open to change, but most aren’t. Just in general, that’s what it is. For me personally, fighting zombies was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. I’m a big zombie fan, zombie movies and everything. I loved Army of the Dead. So for me, getting to fight zombies while I was doing it, I was like, this is pretty cool.

I know most people disagree with me, but they weren’t in my shoes in that moment when you see these professionally done-up zombies coming at you. And just me kicking them and doing wrestling moves. I mean, it was just ridiculous but it was very cool. I loved it. I understand the feedback because it’s just not the norm of what we do.

I get it. I sympathise with the purists who were like, This is not what we want to see. And I get it. But sometimes it enhances everything else that much more. You see that and then you see a great match that follows right after, it enhances that match even more. So there’s different ways to look at it. And I’m proud that we did that.

Damian Priest also lifted the lid on the WWE star that makes him break character and fans might not be surprised to find out who it is.