Speaking exclusively to India Today, WWE Superstars CM Punk and Rhea Ripley opened up on WWE's new docuseries on NetFlix 'WWE: Unreal' and how breaking kayfabe meant for them. The duo also commented on AJ Lee's potential return to the company.
00:00So, Punk, we are, you know, let's start off with Netflix.
00:06You know, we as fans, we have seen the Netflix experience firsthand.
00:11What about you guys?
00:12How has the experience been for you since Netflix has come on board?
00:18I mean, it's been wild.
00:20I feel like the publicity that WWE has gotten just from partnering with Netflix has been so beneficial for not only the company but all of us.
00:33To see the amount of people that have started watching WWE just because we are on Netflix so it's obviously easier, it's right there.
00:43A lot of people just go, I don't know, I've never checked it out.
00:45So, they just click on it, they watch it.
00:46But it's just like welcoming new people in is just awesome to me.
00:52Like, I love when new eyes start watching it and you hear the excitement that they get by watching it first off.
00:58And, yeah, I love this partnership.
01:00I think it's good for everyone involved.
01:04Yeah, you know, I think WWE wrestling has been on cable and network television for 30, 40 years.
01:11So, you as a superstar almost take it for granted.
01:14Like, this is it.
01:15This is as big as it's going to get.
01:17And then Netflix comes around and you realize, like, oh, this is getting so much bigger.
01:23And now it's, like, so much more global and areas that couldn't access us before.
01:29I think India might be a pretty big market.
01:32Everybody's got Netflix, right?
01:33Everybody's got Netflix on their phone.
01:35So, I feel like we are now even somehow more accessible and more available to people worldwide.
01:42And that's, it's very exciting.
01:46Now, coming to the documentary, Unreal, now I have the chance to see two of the episodes, the first two episodes.
01:53You saw two?
01:54Yeah.
01:55Okay.
01:55I started with the two of them.
01:58So, it has been brilliant.
02:00And, you know, it's such a nice thing to see the journey of both of you guys.
02:06And seeing you as Phil Brooks and seeing you as Demi Bennett, that was a great experience.
02:10Now, one of the things that I've always, as a wrestling fan, you know, it's, sometimes it's seen like a taboo of sorts that you kind of break kayfabe, right?
02:20So, when this documentary idea came in, it was more about breaking that kayfabe.
02:24I have remembered this quote from The Undertaker a long time back, a story of Undertaker where he never used to break kayfabe wherever he went, right?
02:32So, when this idea came in, what was your initial response?
02:36And what were you expecting from this scene?
02:38Well, I still don't know how comfortable I am with all of it.
02:43Even, you know, just sitting here talking with you, saying the word kayfabe makes my skin kind of crawl.
02:51But it's a brave new world.
02:52You know, I think once you break through all of that, what the Unreal documentary series to me is going to give the fans, it's going to humanize us a little bit more.
03:05They see CM Punk when they turn on Netflix and watch Monday Night Raw.
03:13I think backstage, you're going to see a little bit more Phil.
03:18And I don't know how I feel about that, to be completely honest with you.
03:23You know, like I think there's definitely a big part of me that still wants to keep a lot of this protected and private and in a way just for us.
03:32But I recognize, in a lot of ways, the importance for people to see what we go through.
03:40I know we talk a lot about like anxiety issues.
03:44And I just think of, you know, like maybe a little girl who has it pretty tough and then sees Rhea and sees how Rhea is reacting in live time to how she deals with like her anxiety and stuff like that.
04:03And I think that can give, you know, any number of little girls, you know, like a way out of whatever they're dealing with.
04:11And to me, that's more important than me trying to protect the business.
04:14You know, I think it's important to try to elevate everybody.
04:18Right. Now, coming to a little bit about both of your WWE careers right now, CM Punk, you know, you had a great match with John Cena at Night of Champions.
04:32A brilliant match.
04:34You know, one of the things as a fan, I felt a little bad was when Triple H said that, you know, this is it.
04:40The rivalry is over.
04:42We'll not get to see a Cena versus CM Punk.
04:45Okay.
04:46Is that true?
04:47Is it the end of the rivalry?
04:49And do you, what do you take from that rivalry with Cena?
04:53Yeah, that was a really important night for me personally and professionally, like emotionally.
04:58Yeah, that's it.
05:00You know, like John, to me, has written his own ticket.
05:04John can do whatever he wants.
05:06And I told him when, I think it was a year ago, I saw him for the first time in a while.
05:10And he announced in Toronto he was going to retire and he was going to do X amount of dates.
05:15And I immediately, I grabbed him and I said, hey, I don't know if I figure into your plans, whatever you want to do, obviously.
05:23But, man, I'm your Huckleberry.
05:25Like, to me, selfishly, I want to be a part of it.
05:28So, if you want me on commentary for one of your matches, you want me to be a referee, you want me to, you know, I'll drive you to the shows, buddy.
05:36Like, whatever it takes to get me to be a small part of your story because he's such a big part of mine.
05:43And, yeah, that was it, you know, like that was, there's something romantic and poetic about it, you know.
05:51There's a, the John Cena-CM Punk rivalry, there's a beginning, there's a middle, and now there's an end, you know.
05:57And that's, that's, that's life.
06:01And Rhea, coming to you, you know, you and Eoskye have been brilliant.
06:06Let me just ask this question.
06:08Is Eoskye the John Cena to Rhea replace CM Punk?
06:15Hmm.
06:16I never thought of it like that.
06:18But, I mean, she, it's hard because I feel like I have a couple John Cena's.
06:23I feel like Bianca Belair is a John Cena as well.
06:30But, I mean, Eoskye definitely fills that spot for sure.
06:35She's someone that I've gone through a lot with in this business and every step of the way she's had my number.
06:43She's been able to pin me every single time or win somehow.
06:47And I think that is the only way that I say she is not John Cena, just because I would have beat her by now if I was CM Punk.
07:01I'm sure, I'm sure, I'm sure she'd whip my ass too.
07:06It's okay.
07:07But, like, story-wise and connection-wise, I would say she, she would be on that same level, yes.
07:13Right, right.
07:16So, yeah, one small question that I have, and I'm finishing off.
07:21WWE Evolution happened.
07:23CM Punk, you did not get to see AJ Lee.
07:26Will she ever come back?
07:27And Rhea Ripley, would you want to face AJ Lee in the ring one last month?
07:33I don't know!
07:36I love my wife.
07:37She's my best friend.
07:40It's not 100% up to me.
07:42I always say this selfishly.
07:44If it was up to me, if I made the decisions for her, and trust me, I do not, yeah, I would love to see it.
07:52But also, if, you know, this isn't something she's interested in, if it doesn't serve her anymore, more power to her.
07:57She's very busy.
07:58She's very brilliant.
07:59She's doing a great many things.
08:03And, you know, it's not even like a balls-in-her-court sort of thing.
08:07It's just like, you know, I was gone from WWE for 10 years, and it wasn't for them, you know, the lack of trying to get me back.
08:17It's just stuff didn't line up, you know?
08:19Like, I was busy doing other stuff, and the timing wasn't right.
08:22I think timing is probably a really important factor in the decision.
08:27I'm not saying there's anything even going on.
08:30It's just talking in circles now.
08:34Huge AJ Lee fan.
08:35Would love to see her back, but also love and respect everything she's already done.
08:40Like, she's got a Hall of Fame career already.
08:43Yeah, and if she were to come back, you know, I would love to face her.
08:51I think stepping in the ring with AJ would just be absolutely incredible.
08:58I honestly just want to be in the ring to hear the reaction.
09:03I would die.
09:04Dude, to hear the reaction from the fans and everyone in attendance as she does her entrance.
09:09Like, that is something so special, and, like, it doesn't even have to be a full match.
09:14I just want to be a part of whatever she's a part of.
09:16I want to be there on the day that she comes back if that ever happens.
09:20I think it'd be awesome.
09:22I'd be down.
09:24Yeah.
09:24Guys, thank you so much for your time.
09:26I know I took a little bit extra, but it was great talking to you.
09:29Good for you.
09:30All the best for you guys at SummerSlam, and all the best.
