WWE brings fans closer to the action with WWE Backstage, the official WWE studio show that airs weekly on Fox Sports 1. The show made an immediate impact when CM Punk made his first appearance on WWE television since 2014, surprising everyone when he showed up at the end of the second episode.
In keeping Punk's return a secret, the only person in the front of the camera who knew was host Renee Young. Speaking to Scott Fishman at TV Insider, Young discussed what it's like working with Punk.
“Fans respect Punk so much, to see him back in any capacity of the wrestling world is a huge win for everybody all around. To see him get more comfortable in that spot, it’s fun. It’s cool to be there with him side-by-side as he is dipping his toe back into this world. To hear his perspective and share that on television, I’m looking forward to seeing what happens this week coming up as we always look for that honest opinion from him. Anything that strays from that would be a misstep. We want that unfiltered Punk on our show," she said.
As far as a return to the ring for Punk goes, Young stated that she doesn't see it happening in the near future. Punk has previously said that he is not actively pursuing an in-ring return.
Before the debut of WWE Backstage, fans were curious as to how the show would cover topics that WWE typically wouldn't touch on during Raw or SmackDown. For example, WWE recently released The Ascension, Luke Harper, and Sin Cara, and news broke that Robert Roode and Primo Colon had been suspended for wellness violations. Both topics went uncovered on Tuesday's episode of WWE Backstage, though the items were mentioned in the news ticker at the bottom of the screen.
Young admitted that while the show is produced by Fox, they do bounce topics off WWE.
"We want to do a service to WWE and FOX. Obviously, we keep our fans in mind with all of it. We want to cover as much as we can, but we bounce stuff off WWE as well to see what they are comfortable with us talking about," she said. "I’ve worked there for so long I know exactly what that line is always going to be anyway. We’re still developing the show and listening to what fans want. We’re always on social media and seeing what people are into and not into. We’re going to cover the big headlines and the reaction, but also other stuff going on like Dana Brooke and Dave Bautista’s weird love affair that’s happening online. So, we try to cover as much as we can. An hour goes by so quickly.”
Elsewhere during the interview, Young said that she would like to take the show on the road for major WWE events like the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. She also listed Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles, and Randy Orton as guests she wants on the show.
You can read Fightful's recap of the latest episode of WWE Backstage by clicking here.
