Latest news with #WWEUnreal
Newsweek
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
CM Punk Reveals 'Secret' WWE Rule
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. CM Punk has pulled back the curtain on the production of live WWE television, revealing what he calls one of the "secret rules" of professional wrestling. The rule explains how and when top superstars are allowed to go over their allotted time for a promo or match. In a new interview with Josh Lawless of SportBible, conducted to promote the upcoming Netflix docuseries WWE Unreal, Punk gave a fascinating insight into the art of timing a live show. He explained that while WWE shows are meticulously timed, there is one major exception to the rule. The "Secret Rule" Of Going Long Punk stated that the unwritten rule is that a performer can go over their allotted time, but only if the segment is connecting with the audience on a high level. He contrasted this with a segment that is failing to get a reaction. "It's one of the secret rules. As long as it's really, really good, you can get away with it," CM Punk explained. "Going 20 minutes over and you suck, that's no good." The Art Of Timing A Live Show Live WWE broadcasts like Raw and SmackDown are complex productions that are timed out to the second. Producers and agents work with a "rundown sheet" that allocates a specific amount of time for each match, interview, and backstage segment to ensure the show hits its commercial breaks and ends on time. Going over your allotted time can have a domino effect, forcing other segments on the show to be shortened or cut entirely. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 19: CM Punk (L) and Paul Heyman look on during Punk's Triple Threat match against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins during WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium on April 19, 2025... LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 19: CM Punk (L) and Paul Heyman look on during Punk's Triple Threat match against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins during WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium on April 19, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. More This is why only the most trusted and successful superstars are given the leeway to improvise and extend their segments. Punk, who delivered the legendary, time-bending "Pipe Bomb" promo in 2011, is one of the few who has earned that trust. More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation A Locker Room Leader's Mentality Punk also revealed that he often prefers to go shorter than his allotted time to help his fellow performers. He explained that a good locker room works together to ensure the best possible show. "I would rather go short than long," he said. "If Rhea [Ripley] is in the next segment, I can nudge here and be like, 'Hey, you guys need two minutes? I can give you two minutes'. That's the way a lot of the talent work together." He cited recent, lengthy segments involving The Bloodline and The Rock as examples of when it is right to go long. "When it's really good and the crowd's going absolutely banana for it – you can't really rush through it," he stated. He also mentioned the passionate overseas crowds, whose singing and chanting are special moments that the company has learned not to interrupt. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
CM Punk Explains Why He's Reluctant To Embrace WWE: Unreal
CM Punk reacts to Netflix's upcoming WWE: Unreal docuseries. Netflix is set to premiere WWE: Unreal on July 29, 2025. The new docuseries will pull back the curtain on WWE, giving fans access to the inner workings of the company. Taking fans from the writer's room to major events like WrestleMania and Royal Rumble, the series aims to reveal how iconic storylines come to life. During an appearance on Unsportsmanlike with Evan Cohen, Chris Canty, and Michelle Smallmon, CM Punk shared his perspective on the show. He acknowledged that he's not the ideal person to promote it, noting how he's always tried to protect the magic of the business. CM Punk has mixed feelings about WWE: Unreal 'I'm probably the wrong guy to put on this show to try and talk it up. It is not that I'm so much against it. It's that my entire existence in my profession, professional wrestling, you're taught and you're brought up, and you're old school, you protect the business. It's always been that way. Since the 1920s or 1930s, everyone knew that wrestling was predetermined. They talk about how they didn't know, and how in the 1980s we just kind of blew it wide open. And now we're exposing the business. If you're living under a rock, you don't know, but most people do know. 'What this show is going to do is just show us backstage in our environment, interacting with each other. That's really for the fans. You see it all the time with football shows like Hard Knocks. That's a big one. You're in the room, you're seeing the special teams, Xs and Os, and the relationships between the coaches and players and families. That's sort of what we're doing. We're following suit in a way. It's just really strange, for me at least, because I've always been taught you protect the business, you don't let the insiders in.' [H/T: Fightful] Read More: The post CM Punk Explains Why He's Reluctant To Embrace WWE: Unreal appeared first on Wrestlezone. Solve the daily Crossword
NDTV
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Triple H Makes Major Announcement Before WWE Smackdown: "You Never Know..."
Triple H, former WWE star and current chief content officer of the American wrestling promotion, has made a major announcement. Ahead of this week WWE Smackdown, Triple H shared a poster of "Unreal - It's More Real Than ouy Think", a Netflix sports series. The show is likely to give fans a behind-the-scenes experience of the WWE. 'WWE: Unreal' will have appearances from John Cena, Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, CM Punk, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Chelsea Green, Jey Uso, Xavier Woods, and Triple H himself. The series is aimed at showing the intense work that goes behind the glitz of WWE. "You never know what to believe… until now. #WWEUnreal premieres July 29 on @netflix." Triple H posted on X. You never know what to believe… until now. #WWEUnreal premieres July 29 on @netflix. — Triple H (@TripleH) July 17, 2025 According to reports, Triple H will narrate the docuseries. Triple H is a 14-time WWE world champion who has served as WWE's Chief Content Officer since 2022. Recently, Triple H - whose real name is Paul Michael Levesque - told Entertainment Weekly: 'Our business evolves and so do the expectations of our audience. When you look at the track records of Omaha Productions and NFL Films, it felt like we had the right partners in place to pull back the curtain and showcase WWE in a brand-new way." However, not all agrees with triple H. WWE superstar CM Punk has mixed feelings. 'I have that old-school mentality of protecting the business," Punk said. 'So the idea of letting cameras this far behind the scenes is really strange to me — even if I understand why fans want to see it." WWE: Unreal will premiere globally on Netflix on July 29. The series is directed by Chris Weaver and produced by Omaha Productions, NFL Films, Skydance Sports, and WWE.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Watch: WWE takes fans behind the scenes in 'Unreal' trailer
July 17 (UPI) -- WWE pulls the curtain back and takes fans behind the scenes in the latest trailer for the upcoming Netflix documentary series Unreal. The trailer, released on Thursday, shows how WWE produces its weekly shows, from coming up with the storylines to how wrestlers prepare for each match. "For people that think, 'Isn't that just a bunch of guys pretending to fight?' When you see the behind-the-scenes, I don't know how you can't fall in love with the business," WWE chief content officer and Hall of Famer Triple H says in the clip. Triple H narrates Unreal, which also explores the decision to have longtime wrestling hero John Cena become a villain and the personal journeys of WWE's biggest stars. "This was the biggest show of the year. I'm like freaking out and then as soon as my music plays, I'm Rhea Ripley," Ripley says. Season 1 also features Cena, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Jey Uso, Bianca Belair, Chelsea Green, Charlotte Flair and Xavier Woods. WWE Unreal is coming to Netflix on July 29. Netflix is the current home of WWE's weekly Raw show, which streams live every Monday at 8 p.m. EDT. Solve the daily Crossword
UPI
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Watch: WWE takes fans behind the scenes in 'Unreal' trailer
1 of 3 | Chief Content Officer of WWE Triple H (L) and his wife, Stephanie McMahon, attend the ESPY Awards in 2019. Triple H narrates the Netflix documentary "WWE: Unreal." File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo July 17 (UPI) -- WWE pulls the curtain back and takes fans behind the scenes in the latest trailer for the upcoming Netflix documentary series Unreal. The trailer, released on Thursday, shows how WWE produces its weekly shows, from coming up with the storylines to how wrestlers prepare for each match. "For people that think, 'Isn't that just a bunch of guys pretending to fight?' When you see the behind-the-scenes, I don't know how you can't fall in love with the business," WWE chief content officer and Hall of Famer Triple H says in the clip. Triple H narrates Unreal, which also explores the decision to have longtime wrestling hero John Cena become a villain and the personal journeys of WWE's biggest stars. "This was the biggest show of the year. I'm like freaking out and then as soon as my music plays, I'm Rhea Ripley," Ripley says. Season 1 also features Cena, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Jey Uso, Bianca Belair, Chelsea Green, Charlotte Flair and Xavier Woods. WWE Unreal is coming to Netflix on July 29. Netflix is the current home of WWE's weekly Raw show, which streams live every Monday at 8 p.m. EDT. WWE superstars past and present John Cena arrives for interviews after a news conference for "WrestleMania" at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on March 16, 2018. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
