WWE Unreal premieres on Netflix this week and fans are about to receive an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at the business of professional wrestling.
For decades, the professional wrestling business prided itself on making sure what fans were seeing in the ring was legitimate. A good guy versus bad guy spectacular.
Yes, the public aren't stupid and realised that the in-ring results were pre-determined, but wrestlers especially fought to "protect" the business so that the aura of legitimacy continued to be felt in the stands.
As years have progressed, 'kayfabe' is no longer sacred.
What is kayfabe, you ask? Well, it is simply the act of attempting to make the business seem legitimate and authentic. Back in the day, to break kayfabe was to commit a cardinal sin. In modern day WWE, it is almost encouraged, and WWE Unreal is set to pull the curtain back like never before.
When does WWE Unreal premiere?
WWE Unreal will be released worldwide on Netflix on Tuesday July 29, 2025.
The official Netflix tagline for the show reads:
'From Monday Night RAW to WrestleMania, this series goes backstage with WWE Superstars and staff as they bring the company's biggest spectacles to life.'
A day in the life of WWE Superstar CM Punk
CM Punk is one of WWE's biggest stars and he and colleague Rhea Ripley have been heavily promoting WWE Unreal over the last couple of weeks. Punk has provided some teaser words about what we can expect from the new Netflix show.
“You never know what’s going to happen," Punk told Tudum.
"For instance, I was recently working with Cena and I had to work Smackdown instead of Raw. So you’re used to one routine, of being gone on a Monday, traveling on a Sunday, traveling back on a Tuesday, and then all that changes. You have this weird feeling. On a Monday when I’m sitting at home, I’m like, ‘Why do I feel so weird right now? What is it? Oh, yeah, I’m supposed to be at work, but I’m not. I’m traveling Thursday to get to Smackdown.’ ”
What does a regular Monday look like for 'Best in the World' CM Punk?
“It depends on if I’m wrestling. If I’m wrestling, I will not work out. The work in the ring, the prep, and the warm-up — that’s going to be my workout," he revealed.
"Because I don’t ever want to get hurt in the ring and have it be because I deadlifted that morning. I am now of the age where I’m just like, I don’t need to lift the same day I’m wrestling. I like to wake up in the hotel and take my time and get to work when I'm supposed to.”
As well as seeing more of the day-to-day business side of WWE, fans will learn about how storylines are created and in many case, scrapped. They will learn about the internal politics of the company and just how quickly things can change at the drop of a hat.
At the beginning of 2025, Netflix struck a 10-year $10 billion deal to air WWE's flagship show, Monday Night Raw, as well as certain Premium Live Events and numerous shows from the company archive.
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