Most wrestling fans agree that kayfabe—the portrayal of scripted events as real—has largely faded, especially with the rise of social media. However, Seth Rollins successfully tricked the wrestling world last year by sustaining an injury that was mostly part of the storyline.
The new season of “WWE Unreal” kicks off by revisiting the behind-the-scenes drama at SummerSlam 2025, including Rollins’ injury. It was revealed that Becky Lynch had to deceive her own family to maintain the illusion. She expressed how difficult it was to lie not just to fans, but to close friends and family. “You can lie to your fans, that’s normal. But lying to your friends and family? That was rough,” she said, mentioning how overwhelmed she felt when Rollins’ dad even messaged her. “Who do I have to lie to? That gave me hives,” she admitted.
Rollins chimed in, saying he didn’t think Becky expected to become part of the deception so deeply that night. He joked that she was a far better liar than himself. He also recalled how his manager contacted Becky, making her juggle between truth and lies awkwardly. “It was like… not lying but lying,” he said, describing her difficult position.
Becky was particularly uncomfortable having to mislead those close to her about the fake injury, leading her to confide in Paul “Triple H” Levesque. She told him, “Next time, never say never,” emphasizing her dislike of dishonesty, especially given the flood of messages and pressure she received from her loved ones. Meanwhile, Rollins described the challenges of maintaining the ruse in public, including navigating life on crutches, flying with a brace, and enduring security checks while trying to hide the act.
Despite their best efforts, one slip-up came from Rollins’ daughter, who didn’t quite keep the story straight. Rollins recounted how she innocently told her summer camp teacher, Miss Joy, about his “fake boo-boo,” forcing him to bring the teacher into the secret circle.
If quoting this story, please credit “WWE Unreal” and Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Fan Take: This glimpse behind the curtain highlights the emotional toll that maintaining kayfabe still takes on WWE performers, showing that the line between fiction and reality can be a heavy burden. For fans, it underscores the dedication wrestlers have to their craft, and hints at how the industry might continue evolving as honesty and storytelling balance in wrestling’s future.
