Paul Heyman says WWE: Unreal has forced him to adjust to a level of openness he never experienced in wrestling before.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, with the transcript provided by Fightful, Heyman compared the industry of today to the one he entered decades ago.
“It’s a reality of the industry today that I have to accept,” Heyman said.
“I grew up in this business at a time when if you’re in a bar and someone walks up to you and says, ‘You’re in that fake wrestling business –’ notice the Southern accent when I say it?
“No offense to all the people from the South but, if you don’t swing, if you don’t defend the business, and someone else sees it or finds out about it, you’re catching an ass-kicking and you’re getting shipped out of the territory.
“That’s the way it was back then.”
Heyman also contrasted that old-school mentality with what WWE: Unreal puts on screen.
“To now be in a situation where it’s so open to where it’s not just this is how the magic is done but we’re gonna show you the wires and we’re gonna show you the crew that inserts the wires and we’re gonna show you the writing team meeting in which we discuss the wires to do the magic trick, whew, that’s an adjustment for me, and it’s an adjustment that I have to make and accept,” he said.
The five-part Netflix series takes viewers backstage at Raw, SmackDown, and premium live events. Cameras go inside the “Gorilla Position” and the writers’ room.
The series shows the creation, changes, and removal of storylines, while also following the emotional journeys of stars such as Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Charlotte Flair.
For Heyman, the change still feels strange.
“I’m always going to be like this (jumpscare) when I see a camera behind the scenes because I’m still not used to it,” he said.
“I’m gonna have to get used to it, because the train is leaving the station and I wanna be part of, if not the conductor, I wanna be one of the conductors or one of the top advisors to the conductors as to where that train is going.”
While WWE: Unreal does not position itself as an exposé, it offers unprecedented access to the company’s inner workings. Episodes cover WrestleMania 41 preparations, the Royal Rumble, and the Women’s Royal Rumble.
Heyman’s comments show how much the business has changed and how even its most experienced figures are adjusting.
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