WWE’s new Netflix series, Unreal, is pulling back the curtain on the company’s creative process in a way that has divided the wrestling community. The show offers an unprecedented look into writers’ rooms and backstage moments, exposing the mechanics behind how storylines are built and how winners are chosen on the road to major events like WrestleMania 41.
While the series has been praised for its honesty, some veterans and long-time fans have criticized it for shattering the illusion of “kayfabe” that has long been a cornerstone of the business. Adding a new layer to the show’s mystique, CM Punk revealed that the stars featured are experiencing it for the first time along with the audience.
Appearing on the Lightweights podcast with fellow star Rhea Ripley, Punk shared a surprising fact about the production.
“I’ll tell you a little bit of a secret. We haven’t been allowed to see the show yet. We haven’t seen it. So that’s why when both of us tell you we’re nervous, we’re a little bit nervous,” Punk stated.
He explained that the candid nature of the filming was so effective that he and Ripley couldn’t even recall cameras being present for a specific moment captured between them.
“People have talked to us about a camera catching a moment between myself and Rhea. We were in the car on the way over here and I was like, ‘Do you remember? I don’t even remember there being a camera there.’ So it’s gonna be, I’m getting on the roller coaster. We’re creeping up and I’m about to take the dip just along with the rest of the fans,” he added.
Punk’s experience reflects the core premise of Unreal, which aims to capture the high-stress, fluid reality that WWE talent navigates weekly. The series highlights how last-minute changes, like Jey Uso’s unexpected push to a Royal Rumble victory, can completely reshape months of planning, showing that even the performers are often part of a process that remains unpredictable until the very end.