I’ve already gone on the document saying that as a wrestling fan, I get pleasure from watching WWE: Unreal. I nonetheless maintain that opinion, however after WWE SummerSlam, I feel the wrestling firm wants to significantly consider the way it promotes the streaming sequence going ahead. There was fairly a little bit of discuss in regards to the sequence out there with a Netflix subscription, and I do not suppose a bit of it was completed on the applicable time.
In an evening that resulted in fairly a shock due to Seth Rollins, it nonetheless did not prime my general shock when Wade Barrett immediately talked about CM Punk’s storyline in WWE: Unreal, and his nerves about coming again as a performer. Thoughts you, that is within the midst of Punk being within the ring and competing in opposition to Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship. That is throughout the primary occasion of Evening 1 of SummerSlam, the most important occasion of upcoming WWE occasions for the remainder of the yr, and we’re utilizing it to advertise a Netflix sequence?
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It was such a weird second, and because of all I realized in WWE: Unreal, a deliberate try to advertise the present when persons are essentially the most tuned into this system. The issue I had with it’s that whereas I do know wrestling is a scripted product with performers and pre-determined outcomes, I feel it is secure to say I do not need somebody immediately concerned within the product reminding me all the pieces I am watching is pretend within the midst of the match.
Think about watching the just lately launched The Incredible 4: First Steps, and out of nowhere, a personality immediately refers to Reed Richards as Pedro Pascal, the actor, and tells the viewers that Galactus is CGI. It could not solely be a baffling choice by Marvel Studios to greenlight that, however to do it within the midst of one of many greatest moments of your complete film.
Wrestling is scripted – nobody is breaking information with that announcement – however it’s nonetheless a product that its expertise and inventive staff need to be taken severely. For that motive, I discover it so unusual that the WWE is hellbent on seemingly making it painfully apparent to even the smallest of kids that your complete product is a sham within the second moderately than letting individuals simply droop disbelief for some time. Is that this a directive from coming from somebody larger up at TKO? It is so unusual to me, I solely should assume there’s one thing from outdoors of the world of wrestling guiding this.
It is gotten to a degree the place even Cardi B is extra involved about breaking kayfabe than the precise wrestlers:
CARDI B LOWKEY SCARED TO BREAK KAYFABE 😂“Can yall be seen on digital camera collectively?” #SummerSlam pic.twitter.com/5E2BcMZFyTAugust 3, 2025
The WWE has all the time operated on this bizarre house between fiction and actuality, living proof being the newest ordeal with Seth Rollins’ “damage.” That mentioned, I can not say I feel it is the perfect technique to so immediately current your product as pretend within the midst of placing on a present. Don’t be concerned: we’re in on the joke each time we endure via an odd wrestler with an odd gimmick or somebody inexplicably overcoming an damage that may hospitalize most individuals. However talking so blatantly in regards to the scriptedness of all of it mid-match simply spoils the enjoyable, and I am nonetheless wrapping my head round whose thought it was to try this.
SummerSlam continues on Sunday night, and naturally, Monday Evening Uncooked in on Netflix on Monday. We’ll see what number of extra mentions WWE: Unreal will get within the meantime and the way the followers reply to it.