Backstage WWE drama over CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins

CM Punk and Seth Rollins have been part of a heated WWE feud ever since The Second City Saint returned to the promotion in 2023. The two have repeatedly crossed paths, traded insults, and were even involved in the main event of WrestleMania 41 Night One.

But before their high-profile bout in Las Vegas, the stars tore the house down on RAW's Netflix debut on January 6. They competed in the show's main event match, which eventually saw Punk win.

The match included a lot of interesting spots as Punk and Rollins wrestled all over the arena. However, backstage, there was a concern with their bout going over the allotted time.

On episode one of Netflix's WWE: Unreal series, fans could see the situation in Gorilla Position during the match. The match's producer, Chris Park, aka Abyss, seemed anxious as he was calling on them to cut down certain spots to ensure they finish the show on time.

What Went Wrong for Hulk Hogan? Watch Here!

Before the match, WWE Executive Producer Bruce Prichard made it clear to Park that the match needed to be wrapped up by 8 PM. However, as the match went over the time limit, there seemed to be some frustration backstage. After the main event was over, Park apologized to Prichard.

"Bruce, I'm sorry we went over. We know it was two and a half. But we cut out a bunch of s**t. We cut out the Anaconda Vise," Park told the WWE veteran. [From 49:40 onwards]

While Prichard was fine with how the show went, he had some comments for Park regarding the match.

"It was overwritten, overproduced. It was over everything else. It's fine. It was a great show," Prichard told Park.

The match ended when CM Punk delivered a second consecutive GTS to Seth Rollins to pick up the win.

Bruce Prichard revealed the problem with CM Punk and Seth Rollins' match

The main event match between CM Punk and Seth Rollins was the perfect showcase for WWE RAW's Netflix premiere. However, during the abovementioned WWE: Unreal episode, Bruce Prichard pointed out that it went on too long.

"It was a great match, it was awesome. But it was way long," he mentioned. [From 47:00 onwards]

Prichard also said that they can't go over their allotted time and have a flexible schedule, despite being on Netflix. Thus, there was some added tension while CM Punk and Rollins were brawling in the ring on January 6.

If you use quotes from this article, please credit WWE: Unreal on Netflix and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.

About the author

Sherjeel Malik is a writer at Sportskeeda and covers pro wrestling. He was hooked on the product from the moment he saw The Hardy Boyz jumping off ladders during the Attitude Era. While he comes from an engineering background, Sherjeel’s love for pro wrestling and content writing led him to pursue a career in sports journalism. Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Sherjeel worked at other reputable organizations for five years.

While writing articles, he ensures that he only relies on credible sources for information and covers relevant subjects that do not project an agenda against a particular person or association. WWE legend Paul Heyman once shared Sherjeel’s work on his social media handle.

Sherjeel’s earliest memory of pro wrestling is watching Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker square off for the WWE Title in the main event of a pay-per-view in 1998. His favorite wrestlers are Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy. While he admires Orton for his character work as a heel, he looks up to Jeff because of his unique wrestling style and risk-taking ability.

If he could go back to the Attitude Era, Sherjeel would like to manage Ken Shamrock and be his mouthpiece. He feels Shamrock’s promo skills prevented him from becoming a main event-level act in WWE. Hence, he would like to help the UFC Hall of Famer get over with fans.

When not writing about pro wrestling, he likes to read classics and fiction books.

Know More

Edited by Pratik Singh