During an appearance on the Wrestling Republic podcast, WWE Unreal director Chris Weaver opened up about his experience working with CM Punk on the upcoming Netflix docuseries, and he had nothing but praise for “The Best in the World.”
Weaver admitted that when production began, Punk was one of the few names he actually recognized: “I didn’t know the roster at all. Like, I don’t think I knew a single one of the characters in our series except for CM Punk. I knew the name CM Punk—just enough to recognize it. I don’t even know if I knew what he looked like, but I knew the name.”
He continued, “I knew that he had taken a lot of heat from past promotions, and I would read these stories filled with negativity about him. But I never had a single negative encounter with him. In fact, he’s one of those guys I look forward to seeing at events. He’s near the top of the list.”
Weaver went on to describe Punk as approachable, down-to-earth, and someone he enjoys talking sports with whenever they meet at events: “Every time we get there, we talk sports. I always ask him what he thinks of the Cubs or the Bears, depending on the season. And whenever I’d read all the negativity online or in the press, I’d think, ‘That’s amazing how different he’s being portrayed compared to what I’ve witnessed.’ It really struck me.”
Weaver also highlighted Punk’s role as a mentor, something that even made it into the Unreal series: “And then, yes—the mentorship part. He even says it in the show; it made the cut. He mentions that he’s on the back end of his career, just based on age, but now he’s more of a player’s coach. He likes to coach.”
CM Punk, who returned to WWE in late 2023, has been open about his desire to help younger talent while still competing at a high level. Weaver’s comments offer fans a behind-the-scenes look at Punk’s evolving role and reputation.
