CM Punk and Rhea Ripley Lift the Veil on WWE’s Storyline Secrets
Riley Carter here with a quick take that barely registers as excitement. Another day, another backstage deep dive, but trust me, this one is worth the drumroll.
WWE is pulling back the curtain in Netflix’s new docuseries WWE: Unreal, premiering July 29. In an exclusive chat with E! News, CM Punk and Rhea Ripley explain how ideas morph from a spark in Connecticut headquarters to live drama on Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown. What starts as a simple pitch in a writers’ room can become a championship feud weeks later on the road.
CM Punk, who stormed back into WWE in 2023 after a decade away, says viewers will witness “the seed of an idea” and watch how that concept evolves through sometimes tense closed-door meetings. Fans get to see writers negotiate character arcs, choreography and surprise twists under tight deadlines, all under the watchful eye of Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who narrates the five-part series.
Ripley adds that the real thrill comes when plans go sideways mid-show. “Things can change on the fly,” she told E! News. “You have to adjust live on television with no help. It’s a rush, but also terrifying.” The stakes are higher when injuries intervene. Earlier this year, Ripley vacated the Women’s World Championship after a shoulder injury, then fractured her orbital socket on NXT, benching her for months. “Sitting out sucks,” she says. “You see everyone else living your dream and you just itch to get back.”
The documentary also captures emotional farewells and career milestones, including John Cena’s final WWE season before retirement. Punk fondly calls Cena his “wrestling soul mate” and admits that his 2014 exit from WWE still feels bittersweet. “Stepping away had pros and cons,” Punk reflects. “Coming back made working with him one last time extra special.”
Looking ahead, Punk is gearing up for SummerSlam 2025 at MetLife Stadium on August 2 and 3. He teases bringing in celebrity pals like Jelly Roll, Cardi B and even Jeffrey Dean Morgan or Jon Hamm for a surprise six-man tag match. “We’ll do all sorts of referee switches behind the guy’s back,” he jokes. Creative liberty is the name of the game.
WWE: Unreal peels back layers of scripted athleticism and reveals the raw nerves beneath. It’s part sports doc, part reality series, all adrenaline. If behind-the-scenes wrestling drama is your thing, keep your popcorn handy.
Okay cool, so like, yeah, that happened.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News, Netflix
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
