10 Things We Learnt Watching WWE Unreal; July 31st Wrestling News Round-Up

One of the most intense rivalries heading into WrestleMania 41 was between Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton—but it wasn’t just in-ring action that got fans talking. A new episode of WWE Unreal revealed that during a promo segment, Stratton went off-script and brought up Flair’s recent divorce along with her two previous failed marriages. The unscripted jab shocked many, including Triple H, who was shown backstage visibly frustrated and demanding that Stratton apologize.

What’s caused further debate among fans is that Stratton seemingly faced no serious consequences for her actions and continued to be pushed into the WrestleMania spotlight. The fallout became even more controversial after Flair, months later, admitted that the line had deeply affected her mental and emotional health.

Episode 2 of WWE Unreal has sparked fresh debate among fans after revealing that Jey Uso wasn’t the original plan to win the Men’s Royal Rumble. The docuseries shows that CM Punk and John Cena were both pitched early on as potential winners. It was only after producer Michael Hayes suggested Jey that the decision shifted—eventually resulting in Uso walking out victorious at the premium live event.

While Jey’s Rumble win was initially met with mixed reactions, the revelation that he wasn’t even a top-two option has reignited fan frustration. Many viewers, especially those who had hoped for a Cena or Punk WrestleMania run, feel that learning how close either was to winning only adds to the disappointment. The behind-the-scenes insight, while fascinating, may have unintentionally cast a shadow over what was supposed to be Uso’s breakout moment.

WWE has officially stepped into the streaming spotlight with WWE Unreal, which debuted on Netflix on July 29 to a wave of online buzz.

The behind-the-scenes docuseries promises to pull the curtain back on the creative chaos and emotional intensity that drives the world of WWE, giving fans unprecedented access to the company’s inner workings.

From previously unseen backstage footage to candid moments with Superstars and producers, WWE Unreal is already making waves across social media. Clips have gone viral, and fans are praising the show for its transparency and raw look into the unpredictable nature of sports entertainment.

Despite initial skepticism from some industry veterans, the fan response has been overwhelmingly positive. As reported by Fightful Select, WWE officials are said to be thrilled with the reception, especially as the series continues trending across platforms. Internally, there’s a sense that this series has struck a chord with a newer generation of viewers curious about how the magic is made.

In an interview with Jimmy V3, WWE Unreal director Chris Weaver shared what made this project so unique. According to Weaver, WWE didn’t just allow a peek behind the curtain—they tore it down entirely.

“This isn’t just a peek behind the curtain,” Weaver explained. “This is like pulling the curtain down… They were very open. We said, ‘Let us shoot as much as we possibly can,’ and they did that.”

Weaver added that WWE welcomed the documentary team as part of the family, even granting access to restricted locations like the Stamford headquarters and intimate backstage areas at major events.

“Even internal people at WWE were like, ‘Whoa, you’re going to shoot that?’ That’s when I knew—we’re onto something here. We got something special.”

The debut of WWE Unreal has pulled the curtain back on some of the wildest behind-the-scenes ideas in recent memory—but not all of them are grounded in reality.

One of the most buzzed-about moments from the premiere episode was the claim that Kevin Owens was pitched to win the Undisputed WWE Championship at the Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event earlier this year. According to the documentary, this impromptu swerve would have seen Owens dethrone Cody Rhodes, derailing the eventual Rhodes vs. John Cena WrestleMania main event.

But according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, that idea was “never seriously considered” by anyone inside WWE—and some are now questioning whether it was even a real pitch at all.

“I was told [it was] complete bullsh*t,” Meltzer said. “That they were considering Cody Rhodes losing the title to Kevin Owens at the Elimination Chamber. Because when I heard that—okay, that was Brian Gewirtz‘s idea—I thought, like, well, he may have come up with that suggestion, but there’s no way that that was considered.”

Meltzer, citing internal WWE sources, explained that Gewirtz (a former WWE writer and close associate of The Rock) may have tossed the idea into the creative ether, but it was “dead on arrival.” The main issue? Such a move would have blown up the carefully built Rhodes vs. Cena storyline for WrestleMania 41—an emotional, multi-year saga culminating in one of the most anticipated matches in company history.

“Even if Rhodes vs. Cena is babyface vs. babyface, it’s a much bigger match than Cena going for 17 against Kevin Owens,” Meltzer added. “There’s no way they were changing that.”

Another twist? Kevin Owens didn’t even make it to WrestleMania due to a neck injury—making the alleged pitch, in hindsight, an even riskier proposition.

The rumored plan, as detailed on WWE Unreal, would’ve involved The Rock attempting to manipulate Rhodes into giving up his title shot, only for Rhodes to refuse—leading Rock to call out Owens to do the job instead. This would set up a Cena vs. Owens clash for the title at WrestleMania, bypassing any potential Cena heel turn and drastically altering the company’s direction.

“If they were actually considering it, they’re lucky they didn’t go through with it,” Meltzer noted. “It would’ve been a disaster.”

The clip has since gone viral, with fans split between viewing it as a fascinating “what-if” and a clear example of WWE Unreal leaning into scripted drama. Veteran insider Bryan Alvarez even called the now-infamous whiteboard scene “a work,” further casting doubt on how legitimate the Owens pitch ever was.

As the first episode of WWE Unreal came to an end fans were treated to an incredibly emotional interaction between Rhea Ripley & Triple H.

Following Rhea Ripley’s mammoth victory over Liv Morgan during RAW’s Netflix debut, Triple H & Ripley shared a moment backstage which showcased to fans just how much The Game respects Rhea Ripley.

“I’m so proud of you, so proud of everything you’ve done. I can’t tell you a time when I have felt like ‘hey who’s the most over person in the company right now’ and it’s not like you’re not one of the most over women here you are just one of the most over people here it’s amazing. Your aura is off the charts. So proud of you.”

As the debut episode of WWE Unreal came to an end fans were treated to a behind-the-scenes glance at a wholesome interaction between John Cena & Triple H.

As Cena prepared to head out for RAW’s debut on Netflix and the start of the John Cena fairwell tour, Triple H had some advise for the future Hall of Famer…enjoy it.

John Cena: “Thank you for tonight.”

Triple H: “Enjoy this man.”

John Cena: “I’ll do my best.”

Triple H: “I know it’s tough cause we get in business mode but man enjoy this.”

John Cena: “I will, I’m always present out there so i’ll do my best.”

WWE Unreal saw Triple H & the WWE pull back the curtain like never before exposing the secrets and tricks that make the WWE so successful.

As part of that, Triple H would breakdown the origins and set up of WWE’s iconic ‘Gorilla Position.’

Triple H would begin by explaining the origins of the term itself, noting;

“When TV production started to become a thing, Gorilla Monsoon, a very famous wrestler, he was timing things and controlling things from the area right before talent would walk out to go to the ring…that became known as Gorilla Position”

Continuing, Triple H & Bruce Prichard would explain how Gorilla Position has evolved and what that looks like in 2025:

Triple H: “It is the epicentre of everything we do, the show is run from there.”

Bruce Prichard: “The Gorilla Position is probably the most important position in the arena, you basically control the world… the Gorilla Position is very unique, it’s custom built however the inside and the workings of it are the same [across all venues].

WWE’ SVP of Creative Writing Ed Koskey would the breakdown that set up:

“There’s primarily three tables;  there’s one table where Triple H & Bruce Prichard are sitting. There’s another table where Billy Kidman, who is our producer responsible for timing out the show and keeping tabs on tabs, next to him will sit the respective match producer.”

It’s well known that Rhea Ripley suffered an unfortunate shoulder injury that kept her out of action for three months but did you know that it was almost much longer,

During a backstage brawl with Liv Morgan, Ripley tore her AC joint after being sent into a wall separating the muscle and requiring three months of intensive rehab that has left her a gnarly permanent disfigurement in her shoulder.

During WWE Unreal, Rhea revealed that there was an alternative, corrective surgery that would have corrected the injury leaving nothing but a scar.

However, on the run of her life, Ripley was keen to minimise her time away from the company and surgery came with a minimum recovery time of six months something that didn’t work for ‘The Nightmare’.

Rhea Ripley is one of the biggest women’s wrestling stars in WWE history – beloved by fans and the locker room and even Triple H.

During episode one of WWE Unreal, whilst discussing the transformation from Demi to Rhea, Triple H would reveal that he believes Rhea Ripley is going to be the face of women’s wrestling for a long, long time.

“When that music hits it’s a moment in the crowd and it’s undeniable, she has it. She can be the biggest star in this business for a long time to come.”

During the first episode of WWE Unreal, we are introduced to Rhea Ripley.

Rhea recaps her journey in the WWE so far, from trying out at 17 to signing for NXT, taking part in the Mae Young Classic and eventually becoming the face of women’s wrestling, a journey WWE fans know well.

However, what some fans didn’t know is that the name Rhea Ripley has it’s origins in Greek mythology and Sci-Fi films.

The name Rhea references to a titan and the wife of Cronus in Greek mythology, mother of Zeus and the other core Gods of the pantheon whilst Ripley refers to Ellen Ripley the badass protagonist of the Alien film series.

An all powerful titan and a feminist icon, what a perfect fit for Rhea Ripley.

Hello and welcome back to the ITRWrestling live blog

My name is Liam and I will be with you from 2pm to 6pm (UK) covering all the biggest stories from the past 24 hours across the world in wrestling.

Today we are going to be taking a detailed look at the incredible, divisive, controversial Netflix show WWE Unreal and dive into ten (and more) things we found out watching the show, including:

• The shocking origins of Rhea Ripley‘s name,
• Original plans for WWE Elimination Chamber including Kevin Owens and more.
• How WWE writers really produce storylines and segments.
• What John Cena, CM Punk, Chelsea Green and more are really like behind-the-scenes.