Zombies in WWE match spark debate about realism in professional wrestling

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Narratives have to be consistent, if only for the audience’s mental well-being,” wrestling commentator Marcus Benjamin wrote in a lengthy column. “Beyond rules for characters, the world those characters live in needs to have parameters as well.” The event to which Mr Benjamin objected was WrestleMania Backlash, a pay-per-view World Wrestling Entertainment championship that included a match between the muscle-bound fighters Damian Priest and The Miz. “When WWE deals with weird story beats or characters, they shouldn’t feel incongruent,” Mr Benjamin continued. “Even if it’s to promote a movie, which WWE knows how to do, everything needs to feel like it’s a part of the same show.” The event led to some heated disagreements on Twitter, where some fans argued that the WWE has always included “supernatural stuff” – including an undead wrestler named The Undertaker.