CM Punk has come to the defense of WWE following criticism of the Netflix documentary series WWE: Unreal, which chronicles his return leading up to the main event at Night 1 of WrestleMania 41. Punk, featured in the five-part series, emphasized the importance of the human stories shared in the show and encouraged fans to look beyond Charlotte Flair’s wrestling persona to understand her true self.
CM Punk Addresses Criticism of WWE: Unreal
The WWE: Unreal series has faced notable backlash, particularly from former professional wrestler and MMA star Josh Barnett, who strongly criticized the series for revealing behind-the-scenes secrets of the wrestling industry. Barnett, known for creating GCW Bloodsport, voiced his concerns about the exposure of private aspects of the business.
Responding to Barnett’s comments during an episode of the Good Guy / Bad Guy podcast with former UFC fighters Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen, CM Punk acknowledged the traditional mindset of protecting the business’s secrets. However, he also praised the series for showing the emotional side of wrestlers, using Charlotte Flair as a prime example of how WWE: Unreal humanizes performers.
“Josh isn’t wrong. I’m old school, maybe I’m just old, I don’t know. But you’re taught to protect the business. You’re taught to not give away your secrets. And I’m very big on there’s a lot of things that are just for us… I would like to protect all of that as much as I can,” Punk said.
“My takeaway was, this was fantastic because you get to see somebody like Charlotte, and it humanizes her… (Fans) think they know us. I think this can kind of peel back the curtain a little bit to show you that like, ‘No, man, like we have real human emotions. We’re human beings just like everybody else. You probably don’t know us the way you think you do.’ And for somebody like Charlotte, I think who’s a lot of the times grossly misunderstood, I think this kind of makes it softens her a little bit. You get to see Ashley instead of Charlotte.” —CM Punk, wrestler
Throughout WWE: Unreal, Charlotte Flair’s emotional journey is on display, from her comeback after a knee injury to winning the Royal Rumble, and a deeply personal conversation with Tiffany Stratton. This portrayal offers fans a perspective of Charlotte as Ashley, revealing her vulnerability behind the ring persona.
CM Punk Set for SummerSlam Main Event Against Gunther
During the same podcast appearance, CM Punk hinted that his upcoming World Heavyweight Championship bout with Gunther will headline Night 1 of SummerSlam. Punk expressed his belief that world title matches ending major events should occur more often, highlighting the significance of the match.
The first-ever WWE televised confrontation between CM Punk and Gunther is scheduled for this weekend’s SummerSlam 2025 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This highly anticipated match is expected to be a major draw, with Punk once again positioned at the center of WWE’s biggest occasions.
CM Punk’s defense of WWE: Unreal and his focus on revealing the human side of wrestlers adds depth to the ongoing conversation about transparency in professional wrestling. With SummerSlam imminent, fans will soon see how Punk’s in-ring story continues to unfold on one of WWE’s grandest stages.
