Last week, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) launched its programming on Netflix with a historic event that captivated fans worldwide. At the heart of this buzz was an exclusive interaction between The Rock and CM Punk, which took place backstage at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles during Raw’s inaugural Netflix premiere.
The moment, captured by Rich Wade, a Belfast-based photographer in New York, was just one of 41 images featuring WWE superstars like Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes that the WWE shared from the event.
WWE Vault uploaded this video of the time The Rock phone called CM Punk after Raw went off the air in 2017.
Between this and the pic of them together at last week’s Netflix debut, maybe Rock and Punk could do something together with all this content dropping 👀 pic.twitter.com/zTF0GmrMEo
— Teffo (@Teffo_01) January 13, 2025The backstage photo of The Rock and Punk quickly became a focal point for WWE fans, highlighting the night’s charged atmosphere. Adding to the excitement, WWE’s Vault channel released a never-before-seen video titled “The Rock gets CM Punk’s voicemail,” just hours before Raw aired on Netflix. This video, capturing a controversial moment when The Rock attempted to call Punk during a live broadcast, has already attracted over 100,000 views within the first 24 hours.
The Rock’s Controversial Call to Punk
The call, which occurred live on WWE TV, was significant as it occurred when Punk was notably absent from WWE following his departure in 2014. This act by The Rock reportedly caused tension within WWE, particularly with Vince McMahon and other executives. Later, during a social media Q&A, Punk revealed that he missed the call because he was walking his dog, expressing appreciation for The Rock’s gesture and thanking fans for their support.
Peek behind the curtain of the #RawOnNetflix premiere at the @IntuitDome in Los Angeles with these exclusive photos featuring @CMPunk, @TheRock, @WWERomanReigns and more WWE Superstars and Legends!
📸 : https://t.co/w30P7tI37K pic.twitter.com/wVlW8UsGrG
— WWE (@WWE) January 13, 2025Punk and The Rock were central to WWE Raw’s triumphant Netflix debut. The Rock’s return to Raw and Punk’s main event match against Seth Rollins marked a monumental episode. The event thrilled fans and set a record as the highest-grossing WWE arena ever, signalling a promising future for WWE on Netflix.
Read: The Rock and John Cena Shine in WWE Raw’s Netflix Debut
This fusion of classic WWE action with new media platforms promises to bring fresh dynamics to the viewing experience. It sets the stage for more thrilling events in WWE’s future programming.
