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Whether you’re a diehard WWE fan or just a casual observer, the question always lingers: Just how ‘real’ can a sport be when the outcome is pre-determined and the combatants are actually working together rather than trying to beat each other to a bloody pulp. Enter Netflix’s behind-the-scenes series, WWE: Unreal.
For the first time, WWE is pulling back the curtain that separates performers from fans, giving us a look at what actually goes on in the famously secretive world of professional wrestling.
Because it’s all fake, right? More choreographed-ballet-with-muscles than actual combat sport. But think about it. These men and women are performing high-risk stunts in front of a live audience, with millions of people watching at home, multiple times a week — no stunt performers and no re-shoots when things go wrong. The stakes are very, very real.
WWE: Unreal shows us just what goes into pulling off these performances every week. How do they decide who wins and who loses? What does it take for someone to go from middle-of-the-pack to standout superstar? What happens when the powers-that-be make a creative decision that the fans hate? You’ll find out in WWE: Unreal Season 2. Because as Unreal shows, the line between truth and fiction in wrestling is often blurred. Sure, the superstars are working together to put on the best show possible, but that doesn’t mean they necessarily like or trust each other.
Perhaps the most interesting part of WWE: Unreal just how much the performers truly care about what they do. ‘Winning’ in pro wrestling isn’t about getting your hand raised after the match, it’s about making the fans believe in you. Nothing illustrates that better than veteran superstar CM Punk, who has achieved just about everything a wrestler can achieve except for one thing — performing in the main event of Wrestlemania. Until now. His reaction after the match is everything pro wrestling is about, and it was one of the highlights of season 1 of the show.
So, what’s in Season 2 of WWE: Unreal?
Season 1 of Unreal focused on the shocking heel turn of legendary good guy John Cena and introduced us to the female performers like Aussie icon Rhea Rhipley, who frequently outshine their male counterparts, and it was a surprise hit for Netflix last year.
In season 2, we follow several superstars on the road to Summerslam 2025. We’re introduced to veteran performer Ron Killings, who had been with WWE for two decades before he was unceremoniously fired in real life (or was he?). The fans and many of the WWE performers were outraged that such a beloved star could be treated so poorly. So, what do you do? If you’re WWE there’s only one choice. Give him his job back.
It’s a great example of one of the underrated aspects of pro-wrestling. Unlike most scripted shows that are produced long before they’re seen by audiences, WWE gets weekly, live feedback from its fans and can adjust their storylines accordingly — and Unreal goes inside the writers room as they try to figure out just what they’re going to do next.
Also in season 2, we follow the story of Seth Rollins, a veteran star who has been at the top of the card for a decade. Rollins is in the hunt for the World Championship when he suffers what appears to be a serious knee injury mid-match. For weeks, fans are told that Rollins’ injury is legit. And it’s not just fans who are fooled. Rollins spends weeks hobbling around on crutches backstage, eliciting genuine sympathy from fans and colleagues alike. We won’t spoil it for you, but the reveal of the ‘ruse of the century’ is genuinely one of the most shocking moments in WWE history, and Unreal shows us just how they pulled it off.
On top of that, we follow infamous ESPN announcer Pat McAfee as he steps into the squared circle against the Austrian ‘Ring General’, Gunther, as well as country music artist Jelly Roll, who lost more than 90kg before his first-ever wrestling match, in front of 60,000 fans at Summerslam.
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