WWE Superstars CM Punk and Rhea Ripley have shared their thoughts on the upcoming WWE: Unreal docuseries, offering contrasting perspectives on what fans can expect when the show premieres July 29 on Netflix.

During an appearance on ESPN Radio this week, the two stars were asked about the behind-the-scenes series, which will take viewers inside WWE’s new era. CM Punk, never one to hold back, admitted upfront that he may not be the best person to sell the show.

“I am probably the wrong guy to put on this show to try to talk it up,” Punk said. “It is not that I am so much against it, it is that my entire existence in my profession, professional wrestling, you are taught and you are brought up and if you are old school, you protect the business. It has always been that way.”

Punk went on to explain that while the scripted nature of wrestling has been widely known for decades, he still finds the idea of exposing certain aspects unsettling.

“I feel like since the 20s or 30s, everybody knew wrestling was predetermined. They talk about how they did not know and they talk about how in the 80s, we just kind of blew it wide open and now everybody is exposing the business and this and that. I think if you are living under a rock, you do not know, but most people do know.”

He compared WWE: Unreal to the NFL’s Hard Knocks series, noting that both shows give a peek behind the curtain.

“You are in the room, you are seeing the special teams, you are seeing the Xs and the Os, and you are seeing the relationships between the coaches and the players and their families and all that, and that is sort of what we are doing. We are following suit in a way. It is just really strange, for me, at least, because I have always been taught you protect the business.”

Punk also described the experience of being followed by cameras backstage.

“I was never sure when they were filming, what they were filming, who is mic’d up. You could probably make a really good blooper reel of me looking directly down the lens of the camera going, what are you doing? Get out, do not film this.”

Rhea Ripley, meanwhile, took a more optimistic approach and said she views the series as an evolution in WWE’s efforts to innovate.

“I feel like WWE is always trying new things and bits and pieces to make it different and make it grow, and this is just one of the next steps. Do I think that everything should be shown? No. I have not seen it yet so I am very intrigued to see.”

She echoed Punk’s unease about the constant presence of cameras but said it is part of WWE’s growth.

“It was really strange having the camera crew around as well because you are so used to all of this being so top secret and hidden and you did not know how to really react to things sometimes, like some of the questions. It was just wild to me, but at the same time, it is a growing business.”

WWE: Unreal will feature five episodes. According to a source close to the production, the premiere will spotlight WWE Raw’s January 6, 2025 Netflix debut at the Intuit Dome. Additional episodes will cover the Royal Rumble, John Cena’s shocking heel turn, a feature on the women of WWE, and the road to WrestleMania 41.