WWE stars Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins offered different views on the new Netflix docuseries, WWE: Unreal, which aims to offer an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the company. The documentary was produced for Netflix this year but had received mixed reviews from those in the business.
The Unreal concept was to detail how matches are put together, how talent interacts backstage, and even how referees communicate with both the wrestlers and the production team to coordinate the action. While this insight is compelling for some, others argue that revealing these processes ruins the ‘magic’ of professional wrestling.
The Debate Over Exposing the Industry
In an appearance on Bert Kreischer’s Something’s Burning show, Lynch and Rollins shared their thoughts on the series, with Lynch first stating that she would have loved the show as a fan. Lynch first stated her perspective:
“We’ve talked about this. When we were fans, we would have loved to have seen it. We would have loved to have seen it.”
Rollins, however, took a more critical stance on the series, admitting he generally dislikes the idea of fully revealing the industry’s inner workings. He noted that while everyone is aware that wrestling is predetermined, the power of the business lies in the ability to create doubt. Rollins then added his perspective:
“Yeah, but I hate it. I do hate it. I don’t hate all of it. There’s some parts of it that I think are fascinating and interesting. But there’s some things that, in our business, everybody knows what it is, everybody knows that it’s predetermined and planned, but the gray area, that one little question that like, ‘Maybe they really don’t like each other. Maybe there’s something there. What could happen?’”
The Magic is in the Doubt
Rollins elaborated on his feelings, explaining that the true appeal of professional wrestling is the small seed of doubt it creates for the audience. This unpredictability, even if slight, is what he believes allows the ‘magic’ of the business to happen. When that doubt is intentionally removed, the overall experience can be damaged. He stressed the importance of unpredictability by saying:
“That unpredictability that it creates, that’s the magic, that’s where the magic happens in our business, is that little seed of doubt. “And when you start to just chip away at that, it becomes a bit tricky.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Something’s Burning with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can watch Something’s Burning on YouTube.
