The physical toll of professional wrestling is a well-known reality, with performers often facing very real injuries. For instance, Rhea Ripley was forced to vacate the Women’s World Championship in April 2024 after suffering a shoulder injury during an on-screen scuffle with Liv Morgan. This setback occurred just six months after a fractured right orbital socket, sustained during an NXT appearance, had also sidelined her.
“Being on the sideline is one of the worst experiences that I could think of,” Ripley admitted. “You’re watching everyone else at work, your family, have fun, and go out there and do your dream, and it’s just like you just want to get back. The itch is just there.”
A new Netflix documentary highlights these challenges alongside the drama inside the ring, also capturing emotional off-camera moments. One storyline follows John Cena’s final season with WWE as he prepares to retire after more than two decades with the company.
His journey is discussed by CM Punk, who refers to Cena as his “wrestling soul mate.” After leaving WWE in 2014 due to creative disagreements and making a major return in 2023, Punk reflected on their decade-long friendship.
“There’s a part of me that regrets stepping out, because what more we could have done,” Punk admitted. “But it makes it so much sweeter that I’m back now, and I was able to come in here and work with him one last time.”
