Triple H has responded to criticism of WWE’s Netflix docu-series ‘WWE: Unreal’ by suggesting that the internet is hypocritical. The company’s chief content officer gave a lengthy retort regarding whether the documentary pulls the curtain back too far.
Triple H Takes On The IWC Over Unreal Criticism
There’s no hiding that WWE: Unreal has been a success, as when it debuted, it did so at number nine globally on Netflix’s Weekly Top 10 from July 28 to August 3. It’s purported to have hit 2.3 million global views and 10.7 million hours viewed in that time.
Unreal covers the booking and creative behind some of WWE’s biggest storylines over the past year, including the decision to turn John Cena heel. This took the internet by surprise. Even journalists like Dave Meltzer and Sean Ross Sapp hadn’t reported the turn beforehand.
Meltzer and others later delved into plans they had heard, such as the “original idea” that Cena would turn heel at the end of WrestleMania 41. But WWE, as it did during the Road to WrestleMania 40, enjoyed another boom period.
Fans, TikTokers and even mainstream media hyped up WrestleMania 41 with interviews with talent and debates on podcasts about where the soon-to-be 17-time world champion’s heel run was headed or whether The Rock was now leading a stable. It’s situations such as this that Triple H touched on when questioning the backlash over Unreal.
Paul Levesque said on The Pat McAfee Show: “The internet is all complaining that we’re lifting the curtain and showing you stuff, meanwhile they’re doing a podcast where all they’re doing is talking about the behind-the-scenes shit that’s going on. I don’t understand that logic. The world knows, an eight-year-old kid lifts up his phone, Google’s stuff and knows all the behind-the-scenes stuff right there.”
Other storylines covered by the docu-series, which has been renewed for a second season, include Jey Uso shockingly winning the Royal Rumble and Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair going off script during a heated promo exchange. We hear different individuals’ perspectives on decisions and reactions from the higher-ups, such as Triple H in the gorilla position.
“So being able to see it, we’re still not showing you how the trick is done, we’re still not showing you how the guy levitates, we’re still not showing you any of that stuff, but to me, what that show does is show you the heart, soul and passion that everybody puts into that product to make it great for fans.”
The Undertaker recently strongly spoke out over the current generation neglecting the kayfabe side of the business. It’s why he is fond of former two-time World Heavyweight Champion Gunther, who has managed to blend an arrogant heel persona with an old-school wrestling style and mindset.
Triple H gave an interesting perspective regarding fans’ views on pro wrestling and WWE: “It’s not taken as the most serious thing on the planet, it’s supposed to be fun, it’s supposed to be entertainment, it’s supposed to be a good time. If you’re a fan, you already know, if you’re not a fan, watching that makes you think ‘man they put a lot into this, I’m interested in watching that now, I learned something about these people as human beings, not just as characters and that interests me’ – I’ve heard a lot of people say that.”
WWE Unreal will continue to spark controversy as fans question the legitimacy of certain booking decisions and whether events on RAW or SmackDown are natural or orchestrated to fit the behind-the-curtains documentary. But Triple H has rightfully defended a series that is definitely pulling in interest.
Is WWE Unreal Creating A New Kayfabe?
When fans have to explain their love for pro wrestling to friends or family who question liking something ‘fake’, they no longer need to use art and creativity as a defence. This is done for you by WWE, who spell out how they get to every moment or twist and turn in somewhat of a director’s cut.
That can be frustrating for a fan who still wants to suspend their belief and live in the kayfabe world of WWE, where a heel John Cena genuinely dislikes the fans. But Triple H may be achieving more with Unreal that actually makes even non-viewers believe in the product.
Giving a ‘real’ presentation of incidents, matches and supposedly confidential news makes those tuning in question what kayfabe is. Is it now that Seth Rollins ‘really’ wants CM Punk gone from the company and not just a story that sees two former colleagues go to war?
Using Unreal lets Triple H build a new kayfabe world where the real-life aspect makes the audience believe in the stories told on TV. There’s every chance the company starts feeding information to the ‘dirt sheets’ to try and create a narrative before a feud takes place.
As Levesque said, everybody is talking about behind-the-scenes on a podcast, but interestingly, most of his talent, including Cody Rhodes and Undertaker, now have one themselves.
We also now live in a kayfabe world where we question our favourite WWE star’s latest tweet or non-wrestling activity. You needn’t look further than Wade Barrett, who was handed time off to watch Oasis, but the internet believed he’d been exiled from WWE commentary because of a now-resolved issue with Nikki Bella. It’s still real to me, dammit.
