During a recent appearance on ESPN’s First Take, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque opened up about the company's new five-part docuseries on Netflix, WWE: Unreal. Levesque discussed why now was the right time to showcase the behind-the-scenes world of WWE, how the show balances transparency with protecting the business, and why he believes it will deepen fan appreciation.

Levesque explained that with fans already speculating online about the inner workings of WWE, the idea of pulling back the curtain felt like a natural evolution. He made it clear that while the series does reveal some of what goes into producing WWE content, it does not fully expose the process.

“I think in today’s world with the internet… half the fun for our fans, I think sometimes, is speculating around what is going on behind the scenes anyways. So we decided to let them take a look,” Levesque said. “We’re not exactly showing you everything and how the magic is done, or how the tricks are done, if you wanted to use a magic reference, but we’re giving you the behind the scenes. We’re showing you what goes into this.”

He continued by pushing back against the notion that WWE is simplistic or effortless in execution. “A lot of people think it’s just these athletes show up and they put on a show and that’s it. And, you know, it’s all predetermined. So it’s easy. It’s not that at all. There’s a million things that go into this, and a lot of complex navigating, and it’s a fascinating look.”

When asked by host Stephen A. Smith whether he was concerned about opening WWE up to more criticism, Levesque acknowledged it was a calculated decision. “Absolutely, we all looked at that. We looked at every aspect of it, and the positives and the negatives, and we weighed it out,” he stated. “You can’t be afraid to do something in life. You can’t be afraid that, ‘Well, somebody might criticize us.’ If we were afraid that people might criticize what we do, we wouldn’t put on a show every week.”

Levesque likened the situation to the way sports fans debate coaching decisions. “It’s part of what makes us wonderful. You can look at it no different than a sport. You can look at it and say, ‘This coach doesn’t know what he’s doing. I would have done this, and I know that would have been better.’”

He also cited the success of Drive to Survive, the Formula 1 documentary series, as proof that revealing the personal side of athletes can drive a stronger connection. “I think of… people that weren’t fans of F1 racing, see the behind the scenes of everything that goes into it, and it has increased their respect of an industry, their respect of what those athletes go through. I think this just increases the respect level for what we do.”

He concluded by saying that seeing the humanity in WWE Superstars could help build even stronger bonds with viewers. “I think it builds that deeper connection. When you have athletes like Rhea Ripley, who many see as this larger-than-life, never-would-have-a-doubt character, going through the highs and the lows and the pressure and the doubts, the self-doubts, and overcoming those to go out there and perform the way she does, I do not know how it does not make you appreciate her more as a performer… They do it for the fans. They do it to entertain. They do it because they love what they do.”