“We’re going to lift the curtain. We are going to show you things you’ve never seen in this show,” WWE Hall of Famer and Chief Content Officer Triple H said in announcing its docuseries collaboration with Netflix. The question is, do we really need to see this?
“WWE: Unreal” gives the audience unprecedented access, going backstage with WWE Superstars and staff as they bring the company’s biggest spectacles to life from the Royal Rumble to WrestleMania.
When I was younger, I believed that The Undertaker was a dead man walking, Umaga was a tribal chief and Vince McMahon was an egomaniacal billionaire… Maybe that last one was true. There was a real magic in keeping kayfabe alive as audiences get lost in the compelling storylines that make the matches and rivalries more believable.
The upcoming Netflix sports documentary is controversial within the wrestling fan community as it’s the most obvious example of WWE directly breaking kayfabe — the illusion that wrestling and its storylines are real.
In the McMahon era, breaking kayfabe and lifting the curtain to this extent was a big taboo and something out of the question. But times have changed, and the demand for more wrestling content is greater than ever in the WWE’s Netflix era. With that in mind, there was a fear that “WWE: Unreal” would break that illusion. But the slow-burning documentary doesn’t reveal too much to wrestling fans that they didn’t already know.
However, it was a good opportunity to introduce a new audience to the personalities that make the WWE the global powerhouse that it is. From CM Punk to Rhea Ripley to Cody Rhodes to Bianca Belair, the industry is in great hands with its stacked roster of beloved talent.
It was compelling viewing to see the nerves and fears the WWE superstars have before stepping into the ring as they show their vulnerability and human sides, especially with CM Punk. CM Punk had dreamed about main-eventing WrestleMania from the moment he stepped into the ring. Therefore, seeing the culmination of this hard-fought journey was a powerful segment of the documentary, which shows the Chicago WWE legend break down in tears after his match with Roman Reigns and Seth Freakin’ Rollins as Triple H consoles him. These are the moments that elevate the documentary as we rarely get this access and insight into their lives.
The highlight of the documentary was Episode 4 as the audience were given a detailed breakdown of John Cena’s heel turn. The WWE icon turned ‘heel’ — bad guy — at Elimination Chamber on March 1 after Cody Rhodes refused to “sell his soul” to the Final Boss, A.K.A The Rock. In a moment that shocked the world, Cena viciously beat Rhodes alongside The Rock and Travis Scott.
The captivating segment of the documentary was led by Triple H as he discussed the inception of the heel turn and alternative ideas that the creative team had considered before this historic moment. One idea even suggested that after Cody Rhodes refused to sell his soul, The Rock was supposed to call an impromptu title match against Kevin Owens and Cody would lose his title before WrestleMania.
“WWE: Unreal” felt like the perfect opportunity to lift the curtain on some of the controversial moments in recent months, especially the ending of Cody Rhodes vs John Cena at WrestleMania. Many WWE fans questioned why Travis Scott needed to be involved in the main event of WrestleMania and despite being an integral part of the storyline in Elimination Chamber, The Rock was nowhere to be seen.
The anti-climactic moment at WrestleMania led to speculation and fan theories about a power struggle within the industry, which could have easily been put to bed with this documentary. However, despite going into meticulous step-by-step detail for Cena’s heel turn, there was no explanation or discussion of the WrestleMania main event, which was quite disappointing.
In answer to the question at the beginning of the piece, “Do we need to see this?” Well, yes and no. In theory, “WWE: Unreal” is a promising concept as the audience gets unprecedented access into the writers’ room during one of the most exciting times in wrestling history. However, this only works if there’s real drama, jeopardy or suspense, but instead, it felt too polished and edited. The charm and intrigue of the show came from getting to know the real personalities behind the larger-than-life characters, as this insight into their lives and ambitions will build a strong connection with fans around the world.
“WWE: Unreal” is now streaming on Netflix.
