15 Things We Learned From WWE Unreal

WWE Unreal offers unrivalled access to what it's really like day to day behind the curtain. Throughout all 5 episodes, Netflix got up close and personal with the creative process, the strengths, weaknesses and fears attached to key members of the roster, and repeatedly went out of their way to show how much thought goes into producing shows like Raw, SmackDown, Royal Rumble, WrestleMania and more.

Anyone with even a basic knowledge of wrestling knows that the biz is a 24/7 "always on" industry, but Unreal is essential for newbies and hardcores alike. This is, by quite some margin, one of the most fascinating pieces of curtain peeling WWE has ever produced - it's like the old 24 pieces on steroids. There's even more depth than before, and every sub-plot is given room to breathe.

In short, it's gripping, and there will be some out there who gobbled the whole lot up in one sitting. 'Just one more episode' thinking was made for docs like this. Of course, some elements would've been loosely manufactured for maximum punch. Neither Netflix nor WWE were going to expose absolutely everything, but there's enough behind the scenes meat to keep even the most up-to-the-minute and clued-in wrestling fan happy.

Major occasions - from John Cena's heel turn, to WWE debuting on a streaming behemoth like Netflix and how grand scale events such as 'Mania are produced live in the moment - went under the microscope. There's a lot more honesty and fragility to the whole series than you might be expecting going in, but some comments do seem strictly curated to protect certain decisions.

Here's every tasty tidbit learned from an experiment WWE simply must repeat in the future.

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Not every entry here is offered in chronological order. Some are, but not all, and that's simply down to how interesting or important the topic is. One major positive to take away from Unreal is that WWE/Netflix didn't mind getting lighthearted even when real human drama was pinning down the episode. Top creative mind Ed Koskey definitely added some levity to multi-million dollar business by serving up a deliciously-entertaining thought before the 2025 women's Royal Rumble.

In episode 3, Koskey called this a “horrible option” when scheming a women’s Rumble winner. His idea? That the final 2 women left in the match before entrant #30 eliminated themselves. Then, Chelsea Green would come out last and already be the winner without having to lift a finger. Triple H liked that and everybody got a kick out of it, but they didn’t roll with it in the end.

If only, eh? Green came across well whenever she was on camera. It was slightly heartbreaking to hear that she'd bought 15 tickets for friends and family before learning she wouldn't actually be on the card at Survivor Series 2024. That was "upsetting" and "frustrating" to Chelsea, but she understands how business works: "You don't just score more goals and become the captain".

A segment on Green becoming the first ever Women's United States Champ was payoff for this sacrifice, at least, but it's Koskey's quirky Rumble pitch that stands out most here. It might well be something WWE comes back to the future for someone else, because there's never been a moment like it.

Chelsea would've been perfect for that spot had Trips not veered towards Charlotte Flair's comeback win instead.