Stone Cold Steve Austin On The Pros & Cons of WWE: Unreal, Talent Being Likable

Stone Cold Steve Austin recently gave his opinion on WWE: Unreal. The docuseries, which was launched by WWE in 2025, gives fans a behind-the-scenes account of how the shows are put together. While the first season premiered last summer, the subsequent installment was released on Netflix earlier this year.

As expected, the show has been quite polarizing, with many believing that it exposes the business. WWE veterans Paul Heyman and Seth Rollins have notably expressed their reservations against the same.

In the latest episode of The Takedown on SI, Steve Austin was asked to give his views on WWE: Unreal. Austin revealed that he watched the first season and is midway through the second. The Rattlesnake admitted that he initially believed that he would hate it, given that he comes from an era where protecting the business was the utmost priority. However, after watching it, he feels that there is also a positive side to it, given how well the talents are presented.

Below are the highlights:

Stone Cold Steve Austin on the pros and cons of WWE: Unreal

“I watched the first season of Unreal, and I think I’m almost—maybe I’m midway through the second season of Unreal, but that’s about as close as I am to the business. I thought I was going to hate it. When you come from the era that I came from, especially if you were in a Bill Watts territory, it was kayfabe. You didn’t smarten up anybody. If you smartened up anybody? You’re going to get fired. If you get in a fight with some guy at a bar and he kicks your a–, you’re going to get fired, because you got to protect the business. So, I thought I was going to hate it from that standpoint. They give away a lot of information, but that’s what it’s for, right?

“The talent is so likable. Whether they’re heels or babyfaces, the talent shines so much. You end up liking it just because the talent is so likable. The old school part of me says, ‘Hey, man, you can’t give away too much,’ and I think it’s a good show because of the freaking talent on there.”

Steve Austin on the impact of WWE: Unreal on the audience and the business

“I think it changes the ride for the audience. When I was doing my thing, you really thought I was that guy. I wasn’t back there just doing interviews, laughing, and joking because I got a sense of humor. Back then, you didn’t think I had a sense of humor. You believed that I was an a– whipping machine … Now, if you saw me back there just laughing and joking with everybody, you might have a different perspective of Stone Cold the character.”