The Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has pushed back on the idea that WWE Unreal exposes the wrestling business, arguing the Netflix series doesn’t pull back the curtain so much as become another part of the performance.
The comments arrived after Brie Bella said WWE Unreal made her feel like kayfabe is dead. Rhodes sees it differently, and he made his case on his What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast.
Responding to a debate sparked by critics who fear the show kills kayfabe, ‘The American Nightmare’ said wrestling has too many layers for one behind-the-scenes series to reveal everything.
Speaking alongside guest Brian Koppelman, who praised the series, Rhodes voiced his support without hesitation.
I love it. I’ve watched every episode. Thank you for liking Unreal. A lot of people watch it and say they don’t like it. We love it,” Rhodes said.
The “16 Curtains” Argument
Rhodes dismissed the notion that the show simply peels back the curtain. In his view, there is no single curtain to pull.
That’s why I don’t get mad at it, by the way, they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re peeling the curtain back.’ I mean, come on. There’s 16 curtains here guys. There’s so many layers of curtain the whole time,” Rhodes said.
He added that even when viewers believe they are seeing the real process, the performance never stops:
That’s why I kinda let you know, you’re just working more, the match is just still on.
Koppelman agreed, saying WWE Unreal works because it presents itself as behind-the-scenes reality while everyone involved is still performing. Rhodes noted that even a show claiming to reveal everything still has its limits.
And the challenge of Unreal is, okay, we’re gonna show everything. Are we, you know? Like the challenge is,” Rhodes said.
The same podcast episode produced other talking points, including Cody’s comments on how John Cena has made things hard for him in Hollywood.
