I am a wrestling fan, and as a wrestling fan, I overthink everything that happens both in and outside of the squared circle (more so the latter). So, when WrestleMania XL: Behind the Curtain, WWE’s highly anticipated documentary about the biggest wrestling event of the year (and perhaps all time) missed its announced release date, my mind started racing, and I wanted to know what was going on with this peak behind the curtain at WrestleMania 40.
I mean, WWE talked about it before that crazy main event match, released a trailer on YouTube, and made it seem like it would be up there with the best wrestling documentaries on Peacock. Yet, here I am, more than a month later trying to figure out what happened to the WrestleMania 40 documentary and coming up with all kinds of theories about what may or may not be going on.
Is there a short and simple answer or is this the work of some crazy conspiracy involving The Rock, Cody Rhodes, Triple H, and the guys who supposedly faked the Moon landing?
WWE Probably Realized They Had Way Too Much Footage And Couldn't Finish It In Time
My most logical theory surrounding the missing WrestleMania 40 documentary is that WWE realized they had way too much footage from the two-day wrestling extravaganza and couldn’t get it edited in time for the planned April 10, 2024 debut (three days after the conclusion of the most insane main event ever).
Everyone from Fightful to WWE themselves promoted the date, which caught a lot of us by surprise, as other documentaries about WrestleMania have come out months or a year after the final bell. Three days to compile, edit, and release WrestleMania XL: Behind the Curtain is crazy. Vince McMahon wouldn’t have even tried something like that.
I hope this is the case, and WWE is giving the production team (who should all be celebrated more) a proper (and healthy) amount of time to make the doc, up to their standards. That said, we still have more theories to cover…
The Scope Of The Project Could Have Changed, Forcing WWE To Pivot To Cover More Than The Cody Vs. Bloodline Feud
Though Cody Rhodes’ feud with the Bloodline was the main attraction on both nights, there was so much else that happened that made it the biggest “Showcase of the Immortals” of them all. Maybe the decision to delay the release of Behind the Curtain has something to do with that and is nothing more than WWE pivoting to include more from the rest of the two-night card.
I mean, we had the great opening match where Rhea Ripley successfully defended her Women’s World Championship against Becky Lynch (who became the champ later that month after Judgment Day’s Mami was forced to relinquish her title). There’s also the WrestleMania debut of Jade Cargill, Bayley’s WWE Women’s Championship victory, Snoop Dogg, Damian Priest’s emotional title win, etc. So much happened that night, and it would be a disservice to just not include any of it in the documentary.
Someone Jumped The Gun With The April 10th Release Date
Though this theory seems a little unlikely due to WWE being part of an even larger operation with TKO and there being no lack of oversight, there could always be the possibility of someone announcing the April 10th release date too early when everything wasn’t fully ready. It may seem like a stretch, considering WWE could have simply taken down the YouTube trailer and acted like nothing happened, but that would have probably caused even more of a stir than simply leaving it up and postponing the release.
Now I’m just imagining some kind of corporate in-fighting between Triple H and the powers that be at TKO, that, if we were in some kind of terrible wrestling movie, would end up with the WWE head of creative fighting his corporate overlords atop a skyscraper with the master tape in his clutches.
Is this situation unlikely? Yeah, for reasons I just explained. But, it’s a scenario that’s oddly enough not outside the realm of possibility.
The Upcoming WWE/Netflix Deal, Which Includes Documentaries, Is Maybe Another Reason
In January 2024, it was announced that Monday Night Raw is moving to Netflix in 2025, which could end up having a major impact on both WWE and wrestling in general. According to Deadline, this massive $5-billion deal will include more than just a weekly three-hour wrestling show. Outside of the United States, Netflix will essentially become a new version of WWE Network on Peacock in that it will be home to all kinds of other content, including new documentaries.
So, it’s not too much of a stretch to think that WWE is holding off on releasing Behind the Curtain for free on YouTube so that it can instead be released on Netflix (at least internationally) at the start of the new year when the deal goes live. Is this just wrestling fans reading too much into a situation that may or may not be tied to reality? Probably so, but we’re wrestling fans and that’s what we do.
Though Unlikely, The Rock Could Be Holding The Documentary Hostage
What I am about to say is not based on fact and is purely speculation. Please do not take this as truth and please do not send The Rock after me (unless he wants to accept my challenge for a one-on-one match in WWF No Mercy I made in 2011 when he was filming Snitch in my hometown). I had no reason to think that Dwyane Johnson, who is off being a Hollywood leading man with numerous upcoming projects after exiting the ring at the Raw after Mania, was up to something until his friend and close confidant Brian Gewirtz appeared on The Masked Man Show and said that The Rock “isn’t holding [it] hostage until he has approval of every frame.”
The thought never crossed my mind until Gewirtz, who has been involved with WWE on-and-off for years now, brought up the idea of Johnson holding onto the video and not releasing it. Was this just some tongue-in-cheek comment to get wrestling nerds like myself all upset? Most likely, but there’s always some truth in a rib like this. Also, this could very well be The Rock’s camp making the most out of all those claims about his professionalism. Remember, he is still the heelish “Final Boss.”
Regardless of what’s actually going on with WrestleMania XL: Behind the Curtain, I’m still extremely excited to check out the documentary. In the meantime, though, we do have some promising upcoming WWE events to get stoked about.
