Chris Weaver, the director of the WWE docuseries Unreal, stated in a recent interview that his experience with CM Punk has been entirely positive, presenting a stark contrast to the wrestler’s widely reported negative image. Weaver, speaking to Wrestling Republic, noted he had only heard about Punk’s “negativity” from past promotions but found the reality to be “strikingly different.”
“He’s one of those guys that I look forward to seeing when we go to these events,” Weaver said. “When I would read the stories—all the negativity—I’d be like, ‘That’s amazing how different what he’s being portrayed as online and in the press is relative to what I witnessed.’” Weaver added that he and Punk often chat about sports and described him as friendly, fun, and easy to be around.
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Weaver also elaborated on Punk’s role as a mentor within the locker room. He revealed that Punk sees himself as a “player’s coach,” drawing an analogy to the character Reg Dunlop from the film Slapshot. “He says that in the show… he’s on the back end of his career, just defined by age, but he’s more of a player’s coach now. He likes to coach,” Weaver explained.
Weaver’s comments arrive as the Unreal docuseries itself navigates considerable controversy. On August 16, a podcast report alleged that key creative scenes in the show were staged for dramatic effect. The report specifically claimed that a writers’ room debate over the WrestleMania Triple Threat Match outcome was fabricated, as the decision for Seth Rollins to win had already been made.
The series has also faced criticism from wrestling traditionalists for exposing the creative process. Prominent wrestling figure Jim Cornette has argued that revealing the writers’ room is “embarrassing” and undermines the larger-than-life personas of the wrestlers. This sentiment has been echoed by fans on social media who feel the show breaks kayfabe and removes the illusion essential to pro wrestling.
Furthering the backstage tension documented by the series, Drew McIntyre reaffirmed his critique of the roster in an August 15 interview, adjusting his previous claim that 85% of the talent doesn’t belong in WWE to “closer to 82%.”
However, some top stars have defended the docuseries. Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes stated on August 12 that the show’s transparency helps connect with a new audience. The series has also documented how fan backlash directly influenced creative decisions, such as the formation of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s “Final Boss” persona following the “#WeWantCody” movement earlier in 2024.
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