For a guy whose run ended 18yrs ago, having 184,000 subscribers is really impressive. He speaks with authority - not by being the loudest voice but knowing his shit. Maven clearly loves and respects the business. Would love him doing some live commentary.
There's RUclipsrs who have never been on TV but still get those views. Talent overshadows fame. Maven is a talented talker. I bet even people who don't remember him watch his videos because they grab you. He knows what he is doing.
@@magilla2282I can attest to that last part, being born in 1998, Maven was a bit before I got caught on Wrestling. He speaks with confidence and his videos are entertaining and informative. Definitely would love to see him next to Cole
@@magilla2282 I was an avid wrestling fan in the late 90s and early 2000s. Have no idea who Maven is. If I saw him wrestle, def didnt remember him. But Im hooked on his vids.
@@SouthernDrinkSlinger Pretty much same here. My buddies I grew up with watching wrestling would talk about him with high praise, so I'd heard his name. I think I confused him for a while with Mabel or something, but realized not the same guy and I had no idea who Maven was. I stopped watching wrestling back in 2000. Maven showed up randomly in my feed yesterday and I don't have a whole lot of extra time in my life right now- building a camper van, moving to another state in 3 weeks, starting a new career in the medical field, and picking up a new hobby fishing. I don't hold interest past a few seconds unless it pertains to my life. He hooked me pretty good. And quite honestly I need this total detachment from the stress in my life. The last day watching him has been great. I've been full of smiles and energy instead of dwelling on stuff. It's been 2 or 3 months since I've sat down and just chilled
Maven, the door is not completely shut. You're a great speaker and could be a great commentator or manager for another wrestler. There are always other ways to be around it. Thank you for the great content
@@cassandrabaignoire1762 We don't listen to commentators for eloquence, in which he shines. Commentators are like J.R. and The King. Both hillbilly types. BAH GAWD! Come on, dude. Maven isn't that type of energy. He's a speaker type, not a talker/shouter type.
I say that not out of disrespect for J.R. or The King. I'm an Oklahoman and used to eat at J.R.'s restaurant before it closed down. I have hair to my waist, leather jacket, glam rocker type of dude, 40 now. But I sing the hell out of some country and when I hook my lip up like The King, I see those country girls go wild. I'm just sayin, we all shine in some areas and should focus on that. It would be a downgrade for him to be an announcer, just like it would be for me to be an eloquent speaker. I can write well sometimes when I'm not drinking (I'm drinking), but I can't speak words as well as I write them. I'm soft spoken and not confident with my words and stumble unless I sing them. Speaking basically is not for me lol. But that's okay. I can sing it or write it, and the people I work with are all really old and/or disabled and they like my gentle demeanor. Maven's good at being eloquent and on point. I wish our politicians were all this good... 😮 MAVEN FOR POLITICS 2024
Despite the short WWE run, I liked everything about this man when I was a kid, from the awesome theme (that I remember setting as my phone ringtone for some time) to the fast paced and energetic matches, and I found many of them funny and entertaining (like the day he was challenging anyone in the locker room and then Kane popped out lol). Growing up and now that I know he's killing it on RUclips, I discovered that not only he's a talented individual, but also a charismatic, engaging, and a smart dude. Wish you all the best Maven!
So refreshing to see someone this down to earth on RUclips! This level of honesty and openness makes others feel more comfortable with being themselves as well, thank you Maven
Maven is very natural on doing these type of videos on the fly. It feels like we're just chilling and listening to him in person while he talks lol. Love it.
Honestly, with how fast your channel is growing, I won’t be surprised if WWE calls you again to bring you in for either a royal rumble return, or a commentator of some sort but do whatever makes you happy because you have a ton of fans who will be behind you 100%
I wouldn't be surprised if they reach out and find a spot for him somewhere in the company, even if its doing social media stuff (He is showing a great talent for it). Wonder what his relationship with Trips is like.
He’s positive, upbeat, charismatic, sober, takes full responsibility for his career trajectory and really looks like he hasn’t aged much in 20 years. What’s not to like? Compared to so many of the bitter, broken down wrestlers running a depressing podcast from a dark room and barely getting 700 total views per vid, which Maven got 6 minutes after uploading this video.
@@crispycruiser4654 "Compared to so many of the bitter, broken down wrestlers running a depressing podcast from a dark room and barely getting 700 total views per vid" Can you give me some example of this ?
It definitely IS amazing to see how far these guys have come. I'm 39 now and am old enough to remember seeing Maven & Nidia win the inaugural TE, live on MTV, as well as when Morrison wrestled the runner-up, Jonah, on a Raw in '03. Amazing as fans, to have been on the ride together with them.
I remember seeing you at HSN. I worked there 2011-2012 as a CSR between working shows on the independent scene with my friend/brother T-Bolt. CSRs couldn't talk to the talent, but I always wanted to pick your brain. I am glad you have these videos. This will help everyone going down the same roads you have mentally, physically, etc. Thank you, Maven!
Who knows, maybe you would've incurred a serious injury that could've greatly diminished the quality of your life if you had gone back. I'm sure it stings to think about the missed opportunity, but just remember that you, along with Stevie and Rene, are the main eventers in the RUclips game right now. You're connecting with me and a lot of other people all over the world with your insight into the biz. Keep crushing it, man!
We only get to live life forward. Before considering the short-term gain, one must consider the long-term loss. And before realising an immediate loss, one must embrace the greater reward in the long-term. As an example, consider that you had been in the business for a moderate amount of time, yet you gained so much that 18 years later this experience catapulted you into the Social Media Scene ❤️💪✌️. Ibrahim Syal
These episodes are better than any long-winded podcast. I stopped watching wrestling before Maven debuted, but his take on the business as a whole is entertaining and nostalgic.
as someone who was only 10 when you got fired i can honestly say i forgot about you (and many others, nothing to do with you just from being young a kid.) but finding your channel a few days ago has really been awesome, learning about all the behind the scenes stuff. and the charisma you have, i can see why you got those jobs you did after. would be great if you ever got the chance to be a commentator or something like that with the great personality you have
I learned a long time ago that someone can blame themselves for just about anything. Something out of your control can be made to feel like it was totally in your control. Not saying this wasn't in your power but truthfully I think life is about having regrets. You regret not taking that opportunity and wonder what could have happened. But instead, you chose to stay humble, you chose logic. There is one person/thing you cannot argue with and that's your gut. I guess I'm trying to give peace of mind to someone who might not even need it. But you've always seemed like a standup guy who tried his best at everything he did like he was supposed to. Gotta say after watching your other videos and getting a wider perspective on who you are made me appreciate you more. Much love.
@@MavenKHuffmanI agree with this main youtube comment more and I feel like your actual 2nd great rise is this youtube channel, not with the 2nd time around going to WWE. So just keep doing your thing and keep up the good work.
@@profitabundance70707 I don't know. If he could be half as athletic as he was in his physical prime and paired that with the mic skills and the fan connection he has now that could be big money.
No clue if you’ll see with mave. But as an aspiring wrestler currently in training. These videos have done wonders in putting perspective for me. Thank you truly.
I tried to get into the business years ago. (I have a different look being Chinese, Japanese and Hawaiian) Rick/UPW (Cena was the Prototype there) actually accepted me but the 9-11 tragedy stopped the move in 2001. Had a match with Yuji Nagata and another with Dragon Gate. Did a Chikara event with Generico, Fire Ant, Eddie Kingston and others. Teddy Hart moonsaulted on my head. Almost had a match with AJ Styles. My FCW tryout was with AJ Lee and Adam Rose. I got to do a promo in front of the Legendary Dusty Rhodes. I had a smackdown tryout where I helped a run in with Matt Hardy. It was a short run but my regrets are not getting to meet and learn from all of the wrestlers from that time. I was a worker for 10 years (weekender) but never near the exhausting, back breaking point of wrestling on the road constantly. Search "Best Neckbreaker in Wrestling History". Due to this, I have absolutely no injuries or addictions. I've gone through tables, took huge moves (ex. hit a top rope DDT, did I mention Teddy Hart moonsaulted on my head, etc) Much respect to the Pros who sacrifice their body to the Sport. And much love to everyone on their path. I hope you get farther than me.
You went with your intuition and took the safer option, and now you have a secure future and you can still walk. Had you returned, as others have said, life altering/ending injuries could have happened. It will definitely eat at you at times, but our intuition is often right for a reason. I had stopped watching wrestling in around 2000 so I never saw your run at the time, but I've thoroughly enjoyed your channel both in terms of content and your personality, you're extremely professional yet also listening to you is like listening to a friend. It feels like you're talking with us not at us. Who knows, the phone may ring again for another opportunity out of the ring but in the business. You'd be an absolute asset to any wrestling presentation/commentary team with your clear speaking and honestly smooth voice lol. Keep on keeping on and we're all very glad to see your content!
i was a big wrestling fan as a teen when you were a wwe superstar, but lost interest in wrestling growing up. your videos bring back so much nostalgia and they're so interesting, thank you for providing us with all these stories and behind the scenes info! it's great that we have social media nowadays, back then it was impossible to get such content. glad you found this for you and see you grow, i hope this recent buzz will give you new opportunities!
Maven, it's the decisions of young men that forge wise men. You are exactly where you need to be. Be ok with that :) Great content, enjoying your stories and insights.
We only get to live life forward. Before considering the short-term gain, one must consider the long-term loss. And before realising an immediate loss, one must embrace the greater reward in the long-term. As an example, consider that you had been in the business for a moderate amount of time, yet you gained so much that 18 years later this experience catapulted you into the Social Media Scene ❤️💪✌️. Ibrahim Syal
I honestly think that Maven dodged a bullet in terms of returning for his second run. If he returned, he may have been on the main roster for a short while and then slowly be appearing regularly on Superstars. I do not know personally if Maven would be up for that. I am happy seeing Maven talking about life as a wrestler, and seeing his RUclips channel progressing extremely well.
Why is that a bad thing? There are a lot of wrestlers that would love to be wrestling at the level. Unless your a main event talent. Being a jobber in WWE is still better than any other wrestling job outside of the WWE
I strongly disagree. I’m almost 100% sure WWE would have never given up on Maven as long as he himself was motivated and kept trying. You gotta understand things were a lot different back then. This is the era right after the attitude era, right after the Invasion angle. WWE had a stigma of not really being able to develop a ton of great home grown talent at this time. But they did have … Maven. Their own young hot shot from their own talent-finding program. THEY GOT THE FREAKING UNDERTAKER TO JOB FOR MAVEN. Maven’s success would have equaled WWE’s success in terms of developing their “own”. They woulda kept trying to make Maven a thing until hell froze over IMO. Just think about the things maven himself said in this video. After he got released but while he was STILL getting paid, a ex-wwe person offers him a job on a reality show - this is a coincidence? I think not. I’d guess someone in upper WWE was “looking out” for maven and wanted him to get some exposure doing something while he was STILL getting paid - and then we found out it was essentially in their plans to bring him back anyway, since they called him back and offered him literally the same deal again. And even tho he didn’t accept - they called him back AGAIN in 2 weeks. This is NOT normal, for WWE to essentially beg someone to return. I think the only reason they even ‘released’ him in the first place was to try and light a fire of motivation inside him - since maven in another video admitted to not really training / practicing much. And it was always in their plans to develop him and push him to the moon. HE WAS THEIR GUY.
Thinking back to WWE around '07, I can imagine him feuding against Mr. Kennedy, Jeff Hardy, Bobby Lashley, a run in with Cryme Tyme, a US or IC title run and maybe he would have ended up on ECW? We'll never know but I would have liked to see him come back as I wasn't really watching wrestling as much when he was there.
I’ve started watching your backlog on here, and I think I speak for all of us when I say that I’m so happy that you’re happy. You’ve been public about your experiences and life in and away from the industry, so to see you thriving and making a positive impact in the internet wrestling community puts a huge smile on my face.
Maven really is pretty awesome in terms of how open and candid he is about both his positives and negatives. But man it would’ve been a tough choice to make here and I’m not sure I’d have made a different one than he did. Like he says it’s much more of a possibility to take such a big risk like this would’ve been when you’re young and don’t have a ton to lose if you fail versus when you’re more established in your life with your roots more firmly planted in your current place in life. Looking at his Wikipedia page this time frame would’ve been around 2009-10 so he’d been mostly out of wrestling for a good chunk of years and probably gotten to a point of acceptance that the dream was probably done. It would be tough to allow yourself to develop that hope again and dive in again knowing how easily it can end on a dime. Even more difficult if you now have a solid role post wrestling that pays you well and has more security moving forward than you’d have in wrestling which essentially offers no security of any fashion. Because maybe you do take the chance and they see fairly quickly that what they hoped you’d be isn’t what they actually want and they move on quickly and now you don’t have that opportunity with HSN like you did. But I also absolutely relate to how he feels where he wishes he’d have taken the chance just to truly know if he could’ve done it and eliminate all of the what if scenarios he now deals with. In my life it’s immensely lower stakes than this and nowhere close to this level but I had a similar thing where I had a job I was comfortable in and I had to choose to leave and make an attempt at law school to see if I could do it or stay put. And I chose to take the leap and it worked out for me and I was able to return to the same employer in a legal role because they wanted me back. Even if I hadn’t been able to return I’m still glad I did it because I think the mystery I would’ve lived with would be been tough to move past
Maven you got more of a slot than you think. I remember being a kid and you really stuck out to me. I remember getting hype to play as you in the smackdown shut your mouth game. These RUclips videos are great & could bring you more opportunities than you think if you keep it up. Just cause you can’t wrestle like you used to doesn’t mean you can’t be involved in other ways. Just something to keep in mind 🤘
Same. I remember when he won tough enough and I was so interested seeing how his story gets elevated. Was a bit upset when they just gave up on him. I really thought they were gonna push him after he eliminated taker. Like, I was honestly just a BIT upset when maven was fired back then but now I’m more pissed now that I realize he’s such a likable guy
We only get to live life forward. Before considering the short-term gain, one must consider the long-term loss. And before realising an immediate loss, one must embrace the greater reward in the long-term. As an example, consider that you had been in the business for a moderate amount of time, yet you gained so much that 18 years later this experience catapulted you into the Social Media Scene ❤️💪✌️. Ibrahim Syal
Maven, we all support you brotha! I will continue to watch and like every video you post, as will the rest of us here. Big things are coming for you, I can feel it. Look how much success this channel has created already and youre not even 1 year into it
Hearing this story, with the timeframe you’ve shared, makes me wonder what was going on backstage around 2007-08 in regard to depth. That puts you, Tyson Tomko, D’Lo Brown, and Johnny Stamboli in the same group of ex-talent who were offered or had planned returns.
You may regret not taking up that second chance, but i think it was probably the right call. Wrestling is demanding on the body, and for all you know, you could've ended up with worse longtime issues and likely shortened your life further
It’s okay to say ‘no’ even if it was a big offer. You’ve had your chance to be a WWE superstar, not many people say they had that experience. Sure, maybe you didn’t win the big titles (Though a few hardcore title reigns aren’t bad). Maybe you never got to headline Wrestlemania or had successful tag teams or had a bigger, better entrance theme. But you won the Tough Enough challenge, along with that Nidia lassie, because of you two you’d start a trend of potential WWE favorites still to come (Though most of them barely had their chance to shine). In a way, you already won. In the end, you’re not just another wrestler… you’re a person. Don’t let them throne you don’t have better things to do with your life. Don’t make you second guess the fact that you have dreams or ambitions of your own. As great as it would be to see you make a brief return, even as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble, you’re not entitled to do a favor for the company… or even us. You made it clear that your story with the WWE is over. If you wish to stay in the independent circuit or go ‘fully’ retired or even write books, that’s your choice. You are the narrator of your own story. All we want is for you to be happy, whatever you decide.
You were always the standalone winner in that first season of Tough Enough, so genuine and hardworking without any attitude. It's a real shame that things didn't end how you might have hoped, but it's great to see that you are still the same humble guy that we saw all those years ago. Keep on keeping on Maven, and thanks for giving us this content.
I hope WWE gives you another opportunity. Not as an in-ring performerbut maybe as a trainer or even producer. I think it'll be cool to see you back in that world in some capacity.
Bro I swear they could put this mature, thoughtful well spoken guy in so many different storylines and he could carry on the mic. I really liked how accountable he was of his younger self in the "the day he got fired" vid and even in this video I still think it was shame on the company for recircling when they could have given him better nods on the mic early on.
As I've heard it said in the biz: How can they miss you if you don't go away? Sometimes a little time off and a big comeback is all you need. Thank you for all of these videos and telling your stories from your experiences.
Man a surprise appearance at Royal Rumble could definitely reignite something. Look at it like this, if Edge, Christian, Sting, Jericho, Matt & Jeff Hardy can still go at seasoned ages, we believe you can too. If you still got something left in the tank, get it out while you still can
I remember watching you when I was a kid. I remember you winning Tough Enough, eliminating Taker at the Rumble, turning heel and teaming with Simon Dean, and reading about your release. It had been years since I heard your name or read about you and I found out you were on here, on RUclips. I didn't sit down and watch any of your videos until today and seeing how you speak about your experiences in the WWE, owning up to your mistakes and being so open about them and about everything. I respect that a lot and I have a bunch of respect for you as well, Maven. I'm rooting for you and I hope someday (if you still want it) I hope you can make your way back home to WWE in some sort of capacity🙏
Maven I appreciate your candor. Many people don't want to mention their regrets, even though we all have them. You had the courage to talk about this regret publicly on youtube. I think regrets makes us better persons. We grow, develop, and get wiser in large part to regrets, setbacks, disappointments, and failures. Once again, great content. You have found great success doing your channel.
OMG. You act like he confessed a long lost dark secret or something. Lol. This is not earth shattering news. He made a decision at the moment and regrets it. That's life.
I love how honest and humble you are in these videos. You had more than a slot in the business. Without you, guys like Morrison and Miz maybe don't get the chance they got.
Sorry bro :( I can see the pain in your eyes and voice from everything you lost and loved…I hope you find happiness one day bro and hopefully heal! Prayers! 🙏🙏🙏
I would have loved Maven to come back in the late 2000s or 2010s since he was one of the guys i always looked forward to see him on RAW and PPVs. There's a match on Heat with Maven v Triple H (as WHC) and honestly its a little bit of a hidden gem. I do wish he wasnt cut out of Raw vs Smackdown 2006. If Chris Masters could come back in 2009 there would be room for Maven
I think that sadly would’ve been the situation-the Chris masters treatment. Masters returned and was much better, but he never got even close to the level of push as his first run. Mostly a job guy. At best, we may have got a good midcard run with Maven. I’d have loved to see heel Maven as 2-3 time intercontinental/US champ. Have him facing Ziggler, Kofi, Barrett, Mysterio, Bryan, Miz, Benjamin, MVP, Morrison, etc. But realistically he would’ve been slotted lower card again whereabouts Dibiase was post Legacy or Carlito around that time.
Jesus, the more I see from you, the sader I get, having missed you back then during your WWE times. I've been a Wrestling Fan during the 90ties and recently came back to it. But I am missing all the time between 1997 to let's say 2020. You are a guy with a great attitude and personality
I believe there is a time and place for everything. You are where you are meant to be. You are immensely talented at everything you do. I love your vulnerability to talk about your regret that you didn’t try again. You are looking awesome by the way! I am cheering you on in whatever you do! Love ya Maven!
Dude I'm so glad to have re-discovered you. I watched that first season and being from grants pass oregon I was rooting for ya. You have a lot to be proud of. I wish I could have had a moment in the spotlight. But 37 now and ya time is a hell of a thing.
This is just proof that middle aged male fans control pro wrestling. I was a kid when Maven was in WWE (10-12 y/o) and myself and my childhood friends at the time all loved Maven. We thought he was awesome. It was the 35-40 year old male fans who probably didn’t like his character because he wasn’t “edgy” enough. A heel turn might have worked upon returning, sadly we will never know.
You could be a on-screen manager or authority figure. Be a announcer or be a commentator like Micheal Cole. A trainer at WWE's performance center. You can be a producer. There are many possibilities other than just being in-ring talent.
@@MavenKHuffmanMan when you were on The Surreal Life if I were you with you're looks I would have been getting those hot chicks even if it was just one of them.
After watching all these video the past few months, I think you're going to gain enough momentum for the new WWE team to bring you on in some sort of way. You have enough experience and you've taken complete accountability for being fired, I can see it happening. Keep making these great videos.
We all have what ifs in life, but I admire that you have no regrets. Even our worst decisions that can lead us to our darkest hour contain lessons to be learned that can make us stronger and become better people. I’m glad you made the decision to not return because that choice has led you to where you are today and that seems like a good place. Respect.
no he didnt. He literally said himself that him not trying hard enough to master his skill is the main reason behind his termination. He was a kid back then and I understand that.
@@diamondcutter8155 I wouldnt go that far. He was very received very fondly from fans as a great underdog. Had his attitude been better, he could have maybe got a bit more time to find his voice. But hes the one giving us that info. We can see from youtube along hes a confident guy who could have done something more character based. I could see him being a greag cocky heel.
@@silentlytriggered9001The perspective you have in your 20s and the perspective you have in your 40s are very different. He gave everything he had in his mind back then, but looking back now he sees that he honestly didn't with is growth and we can all relate to that. He's done well with his life and while he may have regrets that he didn't go back and try one more time, it's probably for the best as he might have been injured in a way that would affect his life now, or he might have gone back and a year later be let go because the creative team couldn't find a good storyline for him like they do with most of the people on the roaster.
Honestly, I feel like you could come back to WWE in a non-wrestling capacity. WWE has Pre-show panelists, managers, producers, etc. You have a sharp mind and I think you'd make a great manager. WWE has a lot of young talent who could benefit a lot from a manager.
No regrets man! Hope this amazing RUclips run makes up for not having a 2nd WWE one. Either way, there's only ever going to be one "first" Tough Enough winner in the history books! Great content as always!
The growth of this channel, in terms of quality and how the videos are produced, is ridiculously impressive. Not trying to be "that guy," but the algorithm recommended his first video the day it came out, and I have not missed a video since. This has EASILY become my favorite channel in the pro wrestling (and maybe all of sports) genre. Thanks for all the great work, Maven!! Can't wait to see where this continues to go.
Man, I want to say this to you. You have an awesome mic skill, every week you prove that you can keep the people hooked by listening to your stories. If someone in the higher places gets an hint of what your're doing, and how you are doing it awesomely (and most probably it already happened) and gives you a call for a talking job on the stage, think about it please, I assume that you can still take a bump or two sometimes, you are not Hulk Hogan, or Ric Flair or any legend that still wrestle way past his prime just for a check, but this doesn't mean that aging made you lost everything that made you "special" back then. With this channel you definitely proved that you still got something, something that you never lost with the years but instead improved even more, and would be a waste to regret it for the rest of your life.
This video was awesome. The WWE needs you back. Atleast as a manager or just for backstage segments. I'd wanna see you as the manager of The Alpha Academy or on Smackdown to interact with Carlito.
I definitely would have liked to see you back in the ring, regardless of where. Your dropkicks were a thing of beauty, and I felt like you had more to accomplish. As long as you’re happy doing what you do, that’s important.
You're blowing up as a voice now, took less damage overall and might even have less beefs by not getting involved again which may give you more interview opportunities and such over time. Outside of tragedy these situations tend to turn out for the best in the long run because we find what we cherish now.
I remember you vividly, especially your name, because at the time, I didn't speak any English and I used to watch and ask my dad who this or that was, and he said your name. It stuck ever since. You wore pink at the time. I found your channel and binged all your videos and man did they bring back a lot of good memories. You're a great speaker and your content is just amazing.
I'm not big on superstition or 'destiny' but I am a big believer in the butterfly effect. And youre life right now is a testament to it. I think now, at 46, this might be the beginning of the indefinite peak of your career in wrestling. Had things gone differently you may have never even entertained the idea of a youtube channel but now youre on the path to being possibly one of the greatest wrestling personalities that ISNT in the ring.
Seems like you had a good life. Like your first time around and only in WWE, obviously almost every fan wanted to do that. And you did it for a few years. Met a lot of great legends at the time and wrestled with them. Lot of cool stories just in those few years
Literally have your notifications on for every video haha your channel is GOLD 🙏 We all fall victim to making the comfortable choice, less risky. But man sometimes it does strike the question "what IF .. I did this.."
If there’s anything we’ve seen with WWE recently it’s that you don’t have to wrestle to be talent. Greg Miller is the perfect example. Always loved wrestling, then got his own show for the network and has been on PPVs. Plus, Punk has taught us to never say never. If they recognized you enough to want you back, I gotta believe they’ll always have that door open even if it’s slightly. You’d be great on the mic or as a mentor, etc behind the scenes. Being Tough Enough Maven isn’t a stigma, it’s your legacy. Never give up the dream. ❤
"Woulda coulda shoulda" we can't live like that man. We all have made decisions based on the headspace and options we had at that moment. Don't beat yourself up, keep on with them videos.
There are 10s of other channels covering wrestling, but Maven is different because one he was in there, second he is honest with no sensationalism ... Very down to Earth content... You got me hooked ... And I never followed wrestling that much yet I am hooked to your content... I think that says much ...
Sorry to hear about your missed oportunity Maven. We ALL have them. I don't care who you are. Its because we all have choices and can be hesitant to make them. It also depends on many factors such as where we are in life (like you said).
I wonder if WWE meant "you won't be the TE kid anymore" as in the fans wont see you that way or the boys wont see you that way. It seems like the talent had more of an issue with the TE guys than the fans did.
On the plus side, I'm sure this iteration of you in this universe is a hell of a lot more physically healthy than the alternate universe 46 year old Maven who went back to the wwe, had a great and long second run but now can barely walk after a multitude of surgeries
The more I see of Maven recently, the more I could see him fulfilling an on-air authority role in WWE or AEW. Really hoping to see him booking some tag team matches in the future, playa.
Maven would be perfect for the role of a heel Manager. The way he speaks....its just gold,man.this again proves the point, instead of someone writing the promo and all that shit superstars should be allowed to express their ideas in their own ways. Thank you maven. Your videos are way entertaining than todays product.
I absolutely love watching these videos and hearing your stories... There was one point in time where I used to wonder what happened to you. I'm very happy things turned out this way for you my friend
@@Tonaldo90exactly these people in the comments section think he's like stone cold or the Rock he wasa nobody when you think about it and could have been a good heel 2nd time around
Maven is the wrestling RUclipsr we didn’t know we needed 👏
You’re both really solid dudes.
He really is
Him and Stevie Richards. Your content is also really good.
Most def
Maven might just be the personality we need on tv. 📺 😊
For a guy whose run ended 18yrs ago, having 184,000 subscribers is really impressive. He speaks with authority - not by being the loudest voice but knowing his shit. Maven clearly loves and respects the business. Would love him doing some live commentary.
There's RUclipsrs who have never been on TV but still get those views. Talent overshadows fame. Maven is a talented talker. I bet even people who don't remember him watch his videos because they grab you. He knows what he is doing.
@@magilla2282I can attest to that last part, being born in 1998, Maven was a bit before I got caught on Wrestling. He speaks with confidence and his videos are entertaining and informative. Definitely would love to see him next to Cole
@@magilla2282 I was an avid wrestling fan in the late 90s and early 2000s. Have no idea who Maven is. If I saw him wrestle, def didnt remember him. But Im hooked on his vids.
Dude he is so good at speaking. He's very eloquent, informative, on point, and engaging.
@@SouthernDrinkSlinger Pretty much same here. My buddies I grew up with watching wrestling would talk about him with high praise, so I'd heard his name. I think I confused him for a while with Mabel or something, but realized not the same guy and I had no idea who Maven was. I stopped watching wrestling back in 2000. Maven showed up randomly in my feed yesterday and I don't have a whole lot of extra time in my life right now- building a camper van, moving to another state in 3 weeks, starting a new career in the medical field, and picking up a new hobby fishing. I don't hold interest past a few seconds unless it pertains to my life. He hooked me pretty good. And quite honestly I need this total detachment from the stress in my life. The last day watching him has been great. I've been full of smiles and energy instead of dwelling on stuff. It's been 2 or 3 months since I've sat down and just chilled
Maven, the door is not completely shut. You're a great speaker and could be a great commentator or manager for another wrestler. There are always other ways to be around it. Thank you for the great content
For real! Amen to that! He should definitely be a commentator, since he's so witty and eloquent as he talks. He would have killed it!
@@cassandrabaignoire1762 We don't listen to commentators for eloquence, in which he shines. Commentators are like J.R. and The King. Both hillbilly types. BAH GAWD! Come on, dude. Maven isn't that type of energy. He's a speaker type, not a talker/shouter type.
I say that not out of disrespect for J.R. or The King. I'm an Oklahoman and used to eat at J.R.'s restaurant before it closed down. I have hair to my waist, leather jacket, glam rocker type of dude, 40 now. But I sing the hell out of some country and when I hook my lip up like The King, I see those country girls go wild. I'm just sayin, we all shine in some areas and should focus on that. It would be a downgrade for him to be an announcer, just like it would be for me to be an eloquent speaker. I can write well sometimes when I'm not drinking (I'm drinking), but I can't speak words as well as I write them. I'm soft spoken and not confident with my words and stumble unless I sing them. Speaking basically is not for me lol. But that's okay. I can sing it or write it, and the people I work with are all really old and/or disabled and they like my gentle demeanor. Maven's good at being eloquent and on point. I wish our politicians were all this good...
😮 MAVEN FOR POLITICS 2024
Commentary doesn't pay very well.
Despite the short WWE run, I liked everything about this man when I was a kid, from the awesome theme (that I remember setting as my phone ringtone for some time) to the fast paced and energetic matches, and I found many of them funny and entertaining (like the day he was challenging anyone in the locker room and then Kane popped out lol). Growing up and now that I know he's killing it on RUclips, I discovered that not only he's a talented individual, but also a charismatic, engaging, and a smart dude. Wish you all the best Maven!
this guy needs to be a commentator for AEW or WWE ASAP
I agree. Maybe replace Booker T on NXT lol. Booker was always great on the mic but whatever he is trying to do down there is borderline unlistenable.
With his recent buzz, i suspect a company definitely will be reaching out to him soon.
Or a manager
@@liquidamerican8543 I'd rather have him replace Kevin Patrick at least Booker is funny at times and not an AI
@@unstablebrother well Maven would most likely be color commentary so it wouldn't make sense for him to replace KP.
So refreshing to see someone this down to earth on RUclips! This level of honesty and openness makes others feel more comfortable with being themselves as well, thank you Maven
Danzig
@@scorpions1965Mother?
Maven is very natural on doing these type of videos on the fly. It feels like we're just chilling and listening to him in person while he talks lol. Love it.
This guy is answering all the questions we’ve always wanted to ask
Honestly, with how fast your channel is growing, I won’t be surprised if WWE calls you again to bring you in for either a royal rumble return, or a commentator of some sort but do whatever makes you happy because you have a ton of fans who will be behind you 100%
I definitely see him as commentator 🔥
Same. Before too much longer, we'll most definitely see him on WWE TV again.
He's to old for in ring action he could definitely commentate
I wouldn't be surprised if they reach out and find a spot for him somewhere in the company, even if its doing social media stuff (He is showing a great talent for it). Wonder what his relationship with Trips is like.
@@nicholasdunlap2275No
Much love Maven. Killing this RUclips gig 🔥🔥
Fr he is it’s extremely impressive
He’s positive, upbeat, charismatic, sober, takes full responsibility for his career trajectory and really looks like he hasn’t aged much in 20 years. What’s not to like? Compared to so many of the bitter, broken down wrestlers running a depressing podcast from a dark room and barely getting 700 total views per vid, which Maven got 6 minutes after uploading this video.
@@crispycruiser4654 "Compared to so many of the bitter, broken down wrestlers running a depressing podcast from a dark room and barely getting 700 total views per vid"
Can you give me some example of this ?
It definitely IS amazing to see how far these guys have come. I'm 39 now and am old enough to remember seeing Maven & Nidia win the inaugural TE, live on MTV, as well as when Morrison wrestled the runner-up, Jonah, on a Raw in '03. Amazing as fans, to have been on the ride together with them.
I remember seeing you at HSN. I worked there 2011-2012 as a CSR between working shows on the independent scene with my friend/brother T-Bolt. CSRs couldn't talk to the talent, but I always wanted to pick your brain. I am glad you have these videos. This will help everyone going down the same roads you have mentally, physically, etc. Thank you, Maven!
Getting fired from the WWE is basically like being put in Timeout.
They always bring wrestlers back who been fired
Even Nailz?
@@SuperChaos002 Nailz wasn't a wrestler after all...
some gimmicks were shitty right from the start...
Didnt bring back punk
cm punk ?
@@ersyv677they said they would if it was good for business
Who knows, maybe you would've incurred a serious injury that could've greatly diminished the quality of your life if you had gone back. I'm sure it stings to think about the missed opportunity, but just remember that you, along with Stevie and Rene, are the main eventers in the RUclips game right now. You're connecting with me and a lot of other people all over the world with your insight into the biz. Keep crushing it, man!
Rene Dupree?
We only get to live life forward.
Before considering the short-term gain, one must consider the long-term loss.
And before realising an immediate loss, one must embrace the greater reward in the long-term.
As an example, consider that you had been in the business for a moderate amount of time, yet you gained so much that 18 years later this experience catapulted you into the Social Media Scene ❤️💪✌️.
Ibrahim Syal
@@akale2620 Yep! He shares personal stories and interviews other wrestlers about their experiences in WWE on his podcast Cafe de Rene.
@@dustin2006 kool
Weeeeelllll, according to the New Age Outlaws…..
These episodes are better than any long-winded podcast. I stopped watching wrestling before Maven debuted, but his take on the business as a whole is entertaining and nostalgic.
He missed the best days of wrestling @IStevenSeagal
@IStevenSeagalmaybe He didn't like the Attitude era.
Maybe I turned 16 in 2001 and had a girlfriend, high-school, learned to drive...
@IStevenSeagal chill, I'm not 40 yet!
as someone who was only 10 when you got fired i can honestly say i forgot about you (and many others, nothing to do with you just from being young a kid.) but finding your channel a few days ago has really been awesome, learning about all the behind the scenes stuff. and the charisma you have, i can see why you got those jobs you did after. would be great if you ever got the chance to be a commentator or something like that with the great personality you have
I remember him being my tag team partner in “ Smackdown shut your mouth” Season mode on Sunday night heat lmao
U forgot him because you thought he wasn’t good enough back then
I learned a long time ago that someone can blame themselves for just about anything. Something out of your control can be made to feel like it was totally in your control. Not saying this wasn't in your power but truthfully I think life is about having regrets. You regret not taking that opportunity and wonder what could have happened. But instead, you chose to stay humble, you chose logic. There is one person/thing you cannot argue with and that's your gut. I guess I'm trying to give peace of mind to someone who might not even need it. But you've always seemed like a standup guy who tried his best at everything he did like he was supposed to. Gotta say after watching your other videos and getting a wider perspective on who you are made me appreciate you more. Much love.
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
@@MavenKHuffmanI agree with this main youtube comment more and I feel like your actual 2nd great rise is this youtube channel, not with the 2nd time around going to WWE. So just keep doing your thing and keep up the good work.
@@profitabundance70707 I don't know. If he could be half as athletic as he was in his physical prime and paired that with the mic skills and the fan connection he has now that could be big money.
No clue if you’ll see with mave. But as an aspiring wrestler currently in training. These videos have done wonders in putting perspective for me. Thank you truly.
I tried to get into the business years ago. (I have a different look being Chinese, Japanese and Hawaiian) Rick/UPW (Cena was the Prototype there) actually accepted me but the 9-11 tragedy stopped the move in 2001. Had a match with Yuji Nagata and another with Dragon Gate. Did a Chikara event with Generico, Fire Ant, Eddie Kingston and others. Teddy Hart moonsaulted on my head. Almost had a match with AJ Styles. My FCW tryout was with AJ Lee and Adam Rose. I got to do a promo in front of the Legendary Dusty Rhodes. I had a smackdown tryout where I helped a run in with Matt Hardy. It was a short run but my regrets are not getting to meet and learn from all of the wrestlers from that time.
I was a worker for 10 years (weekender) but never near the exhausting, back breaking point of wrestling on the road constantly. Search "Best Neckbreaker in Wrestling History".
Due to this, I have absolutely no injuries or addictions. I've gone through tables, took huge moves (ex. hit a top rope DDT, did I mention Teddy Hart moonsaulted on my head, etc)
Much respect to the Pros who sacrifice their body to the Sport.
And much love to everyone on their path. I hope you get farther than me.
Good Luck on your journey
Already figured out your correct dose? 💊 💉😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣@@SupremeOracle YOU'RE SO FUNNY
biggiechungus future wwe world champion
You went with your intuition and took the safer option, and now you have a secure future and you can still walk. Had you returned, as others have said, life altering/ending injuries could have happened.
It will definitely eat at you at times, but our intuition is often right for a reason.
I had stopped watching wrestling in around 2000 so I never saw your run at the time, but I've thoroughly enjoyed your channel both in terms of content and your personality, you're extremely professional yet also listening to you is like listening to a friend. It feels like you're talking with us not at us.
Who knows, the phone may ring again for another opportunity out of the ring but in the business. You'd be an absolute asset to any wrestling presentation/commentary team with your clear speaking and honestly smooth voice lol.
Keep on keeping on and we're all very glad to see your content!
This
i was a big wrestling fan as a teen when you were a wwe superstar, but lost interest in wrestling growing up. your videos bring back so much nostalgia and they're so interesting, thank you for providing us with all these stories and behind the scenes info! it's great that we have social media nowadays, back then it was impossible to get such content. glad you found this for you and see you grow, i hope this recent buzz will give you new opportunities!
Maven, it's the decisions of young men that forge wise men. You are exactly where you need to be. Be ok with that :) Great content, enjoying your stories and insights.
100%
We only get to live life forward.
Before considering the short-term gain, one must consider the long-term loss.
And before realising an immediate loss, one must embrace the greater reward in the long-term.
As an example, consider that you had been in the business for a moderate amount of time, yet you gained so much that 18 years later this experience catapulted you into the Social Media Scene ❤️💪✌️.
Ibrahim Syal
But when do you LISTEN to wise men? Pat Paterson gave him great advice and he ignored it
He should of done it. Never give up on your dream. He could’ve been a good upper mid card (ic title) guy for years
"In order to be old and wise, first one has to be young and stupid"
I honestly think that Maven dodged a bullet in terms of returning for his second run.
If he returned, he may have been on the main roster for a short while and then slowly be appearing regularly on Superstars. I do not know personally if Maven would be up for that.
I am happy seeing Maven talking about life as a wrestler, and seeing his RUclips channel progressing extremely well.
I highly agree definitely dodged that bullet for sure
Why is that a bad thing? There are a lot of wrestlers that would love to be wrestling at the level. Unless your a main event talent. Being a jobber in WWE is still better than any other wrestling job outside of the WWE
I strongly disagree.
I’m almost 100% sure WWE would have never given up on Maven as long as he himself was motivated and kept trying.
You gotta understand things were a lot different back then. This is the era right after the attitude era, right after the Invasion angle.
WWE had a stigma of not really being able to develop a ton of great home grown talent at this time. But they did have … Maven. Their own young hot shot from their own talent-finding program.
THEY GOT THE FREAKING UNDERTAKER TO JOB FOR MAVEN.
Maven’s success would have equaled WWE’s success in terms of developing their “own”. They woulda kept trying to make Maven a thing until hell froze over IMO.
Just think about the things maven himself said in this video.
After he got released but while he was STILL getting paid, a ex-wwe person offers him a job on a reality show - this is a coincidence? I think not. I’d guess someone in upper WWE was “looking out” for maven and wanted him to get some exposure doing something while he was STILL getting paid - and then we found out it was essentially in their plans to bring him back anyway, since they called him back and offered him literally the same deal again.
And even tho he didn’t accept - they called him back AGAIN in 2 weeks. This is NOT normal, for WWE to essentially beg someone to return.
I think the only reason they even ‘released’ him in the first place was to try and light a fire of motivation inside him - since maven in another video admitted to not really training / practicing much. And it was always in their plans to develop him and push him to the moon. HE WAS THEIR GUY.
Hearing ur love for the business would like to see a rumble return just to see how the crowd reacts
Thinking back to WWE around '07, I can imagine him feuding against Mr. Kennedy, Jeff Hardy, Bobby Lashley, a run in with Cryme Tyme, a US or IC title run and maybe he would have ended up on ECW? We'll never know but I would have liked to see him come back as I wasn't really watching wrestling as much when he was there.
I’ve started watching your backlog on here, and I think I speak for all of us when I say that I’m so happy that you’re happy. You’ve been public about your experiences and life in and away from the industry, so to see you thriving and making a positive impact in the internet wrestling community puts a huge smile on my face.
Maven really is pretty awesome in terms of how open and candid he is about both his positives and negatives. But man it would’ve been a tough choice to make here and I’m not sure I’d have made a different one than he did. Like he says it’s much more of a possibility to take such a big risk like this would’ve been when you’re young and don’t have a ton to lose if you fail versus when you’re more established in your life with your roots more firmly planted in your current place in life. Looking at his Wikipedia page this time frame would’ve been around 2009-10 so he’d been mostly out of wrestling for a good chunk of years and probably gotten to a point of acceptance that the dream was probably done.
It would be tough to allow yourself to develop that hope again and dive in again knowing how easily it can end on a dime. Even more difficult if you now have a solid role post wrestling that pays you well and has more security moving forward than you’d have in wrestling which essentially offers no security of any fashion. Because maybe you do take the chance and they see fairly quickly that what they hoped you’d be isn’t what they actually want and they move on quickly and now you don’t have that opportunity with HSN like you did. But I also absolutely relate to how he feels where he wishes he’d have taken the chance just to truly know if he could’ve done it and eliminate all of the what if scenarios he now deals with.
In my life it’s immensely lower stakes than this and nowhere close to this level but I had a similar thing where I had a job I was comfortable in and I had to choose to leave and make an attempt at law school to see if I could do it or stay put. And I chose to take the leap and it worked out for me and I was able to return to the same employer in a legal role because they wanted me back. Even if I hadn’t been able to return I’m still glad I did it because I think the mystery I would’ve lived with would be been tough to move past
Thanks Maven for your honesty and humility during these videos. We’re all loving the content and look forward to more.
Maven you got more of a slot than you think. I remember being a kid and you really stuck out to me. I remember getting hype to play as you in the smackdown shut your mouth game. These RUclips videos are great & could bring you more opportunities than you think if you keep it up. Just cause you can’t wrestle like you used to doesn’t mean you can’t be involved in other ways. Just something to keep in mind 🤘
Same. I remember when he won tough enough and I was so interested seeing how his story gets elevated. Was a bit upset when they just gave up on him. I really thought they were gonna push him after he eliminated taker. Like, I was honestly just a BIT upset when maven was fired back then but now I’m more pissed now that I realize he’s such a likable guy
We only get to live life forward.
Before considering the short-term gain, one must consider the long-term loss.
And before realising an immediate loss, one must embrace the greater reward in the long-term.
As an example, consider that you had been in the business for a moderate amount of time, yet you gained so much that 18 years later this experience catapulted you into the Social Media Scene ❤️💪✌️.
Ibrahim Syal
yeah when he was featured in thq inc games.
His one fan
Maven, we all support you brotha!
I will continue to watch and like every video you post, as will the rest of us here.
Big things are coming for you, I can feel it.
Look how much success this channel has created already and youre not even 1 year into it
Hearing this story, with the timeframe you’ve shared, makes me wonder what was going on backstage around 2007-08 in regard to depth. That puts you, Tyson Tomko, D’Lo Brown, and Johnny Stamboli in the same group of ex-talent who were offered or had planned returns.
You may regret not taking up that second chance, but i think it was probably the right call. Wrestling is demanding on the body, and for all you know, you could've ended up with worse longtime issues and likely shortened your life further
yep could have been in a wheel chair now.
Or he could have found a sweet gimmick and be a multi millionaire, like he says there's no way to know.
@@disliked1390 life too short to gamble that
@@disliked1390 correct.
And wrestling is fickle. They love you today and wont care tomorrow
It’s okay to say ‘no’ even if it was a big offer. You’ve had your chance to be a WWE superstar, not many people say they had that experience. Sure, maybe you didn’t win the big titles (Though a few hardcore title reigns aren’t bad). Maybe you never got to headline Wrestlemania or had successful tag teams or had a bigger, better entrance theme. But you won the Tough Enough challenge, along with that Nidia lassie, because of you two you’d start a trend of potential WWE favorites still to come (Though most of them barely had their chance to shine). In a way, you already won.
In the end, you’re not just another wrestler… you’re a person. Don’t let them throne you don’t have better things to do with your life. Don’t make you second guess the fact that you have dreams or ambitions of your own. As great as it would be to see you make a brief return, even as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble, you’re not entitled to do a favor for the company… or even us. You made it clear that your story with the WWE is over. If you wish to stay in the independent circuit or go ‘fully’ retired or even write books, that’s your choice. You are the narrator of your own story. All we want is for you to be happy, whatever you decide.
You were always the standalone winner in that first season of Tough Enough, so genuine and hardworking without any attitude. It's a real shame that things didn't end how you might have hoped, but it's great to see that you are still the same humble guy that we saw all those years ago. Keep on keeping on Maven, and thanks for giving us this content.
Always a nice surprise seeing a notification from you uploading, thank you for the quality content, greetings from Greece.
Love 🇬🇷
I hope WWE gives you another opportunity. Not as an in-ring performerbut maybe as a trainer or even producer. I think it'll be cool to see you back in that world in some capacity.
For real. He should reapply!
I think he'd be pretty happy about it too, if they find the right fit for him.
Your channel is my favourite in the wrestling genre. Raw, honest, humble, and just entertaining
Bro I swear they could put this mature, thoughtful well spoken guy in so many different storylines and he could carry on the mic. I really liked how accountable he was of his younger self in the "the day he got fired" vid and even in this video I still think it was shame on the company for recircling when they could have given him better nods on the mic early on.
As I've heard it said in the biz: How can they miss you if you don't go away?
Sometimes a little time off and a big comeback is all you need. Thank you for all of these videos and telling your stories from your experiences.
Man a surprise appearance at Royal Rumble could definitely reignite something. Look at it like this, if Edge, Christian, Sting, Jericho, Matt & Jeff Hardy can still go at seasoned ages, we believe you can too. If you still got something left in the tank, get it out while you still can
Even if it's one or two appearances, can still be worthwhile without being dangerous
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels, just how honest you are about your time while wrestling, keep up the great work!
Congratulations 🥰
I remember watching you when I was a kid. I remember you winning Tough Enough, eliminating Taker at the Rumble, turning heel and teaming with Simon Dean, and reading about your release. It had been years since I heard your name or read about you and I found out you were on here, on RUclips. I didn't sit down and watch any of your videos until today and seeing how you speak about your experiences in the WWE, owning up to your mistakes and being so open about them and about everything. I respect that a lot and I have a bunch of respect for you as well, Maven. I'm rooting for you and I hope someday (if you still want it) I hope you can make your way back home to WWE in some sort of capacity🙏
Maven I appreciate your candor. Many people don't want to mention their regrets, even though we all have them. You had the courage to talk about this regret publicly on youtube. I think regrets makes us better persons. We grow, develop, and get wiser in large part to regrets, setbacks, disappointments, and failures. Once again, great content. You have found great success doing your channel.
So damn true
OMG. You act like he confessed a long lost dark secret or something. Lol. This is not earth shattering news. He made a decision at the moment and regrets it. That's life.
@@ivanvalentin3898shut up. You know many, many people regret decisions but won't admit it.
I love how honest and humble you are in these videos. You had more than a slot in the business. Without you, guys like Morrison and Miz maybe don't get the chance they got.
Sorry bro :( I can see the pain in your eyes and voice from everything you lost and loved…I hope you find happiness one day bro and hopefully heal! Prayers! 🙏🙏🙏
Watching the end gave me a lump in my throat... could almost feel his regret with him. Kudos to you for staying graceful about it man
I would have loved Maven to come back in the late 2000s or 2010s since he was one of the guys i always looked forward to see him on RAW and PPVs. There's a match on Heat with Maven v Triple H (as WHC) and honestly its a little bit of a hidden gem. I do wish he wasnt cut out of Raw vs Smackdown 2006.
If Chris Masters could come back in 2009 there would be room for Maven
I think that sadly would’ve been the situation-the Chris masters treatment. Masters returned and was much better, but he never got even close to the level of push as his first run. Mostly a job guy.
At best, we may have got a good midcard run with Maven. I’d have loved to see heel Maven as 2-3 time intercontinental/US champ. Have him facing Ziggler, Kofi, Barrett, Mysterio, Bryan, Miz, Benjamin, MVP, Morrison, etc. But realistically he would’ve been slotted lower card again whereabouts Dibiase was post Legacy or Carlito around that time.
You're one of the few RUclipsrs that when I get a notification saying you uploaded I click instantly 😅
🙏🏽🙏🏽
Jesus, the more I see from you, the sader I get, having missed you back then during your WWE times. I've been a Wrestling Fan during the 90ties and recently came back to it. But I am missing all the time between 1997 to let's say 2020. You are a guy with a great attitude and personality
I believe there is a time and place for everything. You are where you are meant to be. You are immensely talented at everything you do. I love your vulnerability to talk about your regret that you didn’t try again. You are looking awesome by the way! I am cheering you on in whatever you do! Love ya Maven!
Dude I'm so glad to have re-discovered you. I watched that first season and being from grants pass oregon I was rooting for ya. You have a lot to be proud of. I wish I could have had a moment in the spotlight. But 37 now and ya time is a hell of a thing.
Life is full of what ifs, I'm glad Maven is humble and wise enough to discuss one of his. Thank you for sharing this story!
This is just proof that middle aged male fans control pro wrestling. I was a kid when Maven was in WWE (10-12 y/o) and myself and my childhood friends at the time all loved Maven. We thought he was awesome. It was the 35-40 year old male fans who probably didn’t like his character because he wasn’t “edgy” enough. A heel turn might have worked upon returning, sadly we will never know.
You could be a on-screen manager or authority figure. Be a announcer or be a commentator like Micheal Cole. A trainer at WWE's performance center. You can be a producer. There are many possibilities other than just being in-ring talent.
Loved the jab at everyone saying Mave is wearing makeup all the time. 😂
😉
@@MavenKHuffmanMan when you were on The Surreal Life if I were you with you're looks I would have been getting those hot chicks even if it was just one of them.
After watching all these video the past few months, I think you're going to gain enough momentum for the new WWE team to bring you on in some sort of way. You have enough experience and you've taken complete accountability for being fired, I can see it happening. Keep making these great videos.
We all have what ifs in life, but I admire that you have no regrets. Even our worst decisions that can lead us to our darkest hour contain lessons to be learned that can make us stronger and become better people. I’m glad you made the decision to not return because that choice has led you to where you are today and that seems like a good place. Respect.
Not a wrestling fan anymore, haven't been for over 20 years, but I enjoy this content very much.
Maven may not have been a top guy like Shawn, Bret, Austin, and Taker, but he certainly gave everything he had in the business.👏🏽
no he didnt. He literally said himself that him not trying hard enough to master his skill is the main reason behind his termination. He was a kid back then and I understand that.
@@silentlytriggered9001it’s also just lack of natural talent
@@diamondcutter8155 I wouldnt go that far. He was very received very fondly from fans as a great underdog. Had his attitude been better, he could have maybe got a bit more time to find his voice. But hes the one giving us that info. We can see from youtube along hes a confident guy who could have done something more character based. I could see him being a greag cocky heel.
@@silentlytriggered9001The perspective you have in your 20s and the perspective you have in your 40s are very different. He gave everything he had in his mind back then, but looking back now he sees that he honestly didn't with is growth and we can all relate to that. He's done well with his life and while he may have regrets that he didn't go back and try one more time, it's probably for the best as he might have been injured in a way that would affect his life now, or he might have gone back and a year later be let go because the creative team couldn't find a good storyline for him like they do with most of the people on the roaster.
He literally repeatedly states the reason for being fired is that he DIDNT commit himself to the industry lol
Honestly, I feel like you could come back to WWE in a non-wrestling capacity. WWE has Pre-show panelists, managers, producers, etc. You have a sharp mind and I think you'd make a great manager. WWE has a lot of young talent who could benefit a lot from a manager.
I wouldn’t regret that. The downside risk was too much. You were good in the ring, but a legend outside of it. Your channel is fire.
No regrets man! Hope this amazing RUclips run makes up for not having a 2nd WWE one. Either way, there's only ever going to be one "first" Tough Enough winner in the history books! Great content as always!
The growth of this channel, in terms of quality and how the videos are produced, is ridiculously impressive. Not trying to be "that guy," but the algorithm recommended his first video the day it came out, and I have not missed a video since. This has EASILY become my favorite channel in the pro wrestling (and maybe all of sports) genre. Thanks for all the great work, Maven!! Can't wait to see where this continues to go.
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Man, I want to say this to you.
You have an awesome mic skill, every week you prove that you can keep the people hooked by listening to your stories.
If someone in the higher places gets an hint of what your're doing, and how you are doing it awesomely (and most probably it already happened) and gives you a call for a talking job on the stage, think about it please, I assume that you can still take a bump or two sometimes, you are not Hulk Hogan, or Ric Flair or any legend that still wrestle way past his prime just for a check, but this doesn't mean that aging made you lost everything that made you "special" back then.
With this channel you definitely proved that you still got something, something that you never lost with the years but instead improved even more, and would be a waste to regret it for the rest of your life.
With Mav's ways with words and articulations, WWE should make a show segment called "Post Match Analysis" and let him run it.
This video was awesome. The WWE needs you back. Atleast as a manager or just for backstage segments. I'd wanna see you as the manager of The Alpha Academy or on Smackdown to interact with Carlito.
Drop everything you're doing. A new Maven video has dropped 💪
The pat Patterson impression is epic…so is the Johnny ace Impression….Maven is very talented
I definitely would have liked to see you back in the ring, regardless of where. Your dropkicks were a thing of beauty, and I felt like you had more to accomplish.
As long as you’re happy doing what you do, that’s important.
Maven seems like a natural actor. Charismatic guy. He wouldn't seem out of place in big movies.
You're blowing up as a voice now, took less damage overall and might even have less beefs by not getting involved again which may give you more interview opportunities and such over time. Outside of tragedy these situations tend to turn out for the best in the long run because we find what we cherish now.
Best wrestling content on RUclips HANDS DOWN! And he's only been doing this channel for several months. So impressive! Love every video
I remember you vividly, especially your name, because at the time, I didn't speak any English and I used to watch and ask my dad who this or that was, and he said your name. It stuck ever since. You wore pink at the time. I found your channel and binged all your videos and man did they bring back a lot of good memories. You're a great speaker and your content is just amazing.
Rewatching the first Tough Enough after I binged your channel, so cool to see you’re still doing great and keep up the content 👊
Where was it streaming?
@@ratgenerationx2946Peacock of course lmao
I was always wandering were Maven was after 2005. At least now you have youtube channel and i enjoy watching your videos
I'm not big on superstition or 'destiny' but I am a big believer in the butterfly effect. And youre life right now is a testament to it. I think now, at 46, this might be the beginning of the indefinite peak of your career in wrestling. Had things gone differently you may have never even entertained the idea of a youtube channel but now youre on the path to being possibly one of the greatest wrestling personalities that ISNT in the ring.
Seems like you had a good life. Like your first time around and only in WWE, obviously almost every fan wanted to do that. And you did it for a few years. Met a lot of great legends at the time and wrestled with them. Lot of cool stories just in those few years
Literally have your notifications on for every video haha your channel is GOLD 🙏
We all fall victim to making the comfortable choice, less risky. But man sometimes it does strike the question "what IF .. I did this.."
Or you might’ve went back and got hurt.
Only God knows.
Wish you the best, though! You are awesome!
Maven is very relatable. The kind of guy you meet, give him a hug, and say thanks brother then wish him a long healthy life.
Maven, it speaks volumes how your channel is growing. Don’t stop. I would still like to see you inside the ring one more time.
Congratulations on 100k+ subscribers!
🙏🏽🙏🏽
If there’s anything we’ve seen with WWE recently it’s that you don’t have to wrestle to be talent. Greg Miller is the perfect example. Always loved wrestling, then got his own show for the network and has been on PPVs.
Plus, Punk has taught us to never say never. If they recognized you enough to want you back, I gotta believe they’ll always have that door open even if it’s slightly. You’d be great on the mic or as a mentor, etc behind the scenes. Being Tough Enough Maven isn’t a stigma, it’s your legacy. Never give up the dream. ❤
I’m also from Virginia I’m trying to get into wrestling I really enjoy and appreciate these videos from you bro🙏🙌
Dude would be an AMAZING wrestling commentator.
"Woulda coulda shoulda" we can't live like that man. We all have made decisions based on the headspace and options we had at that moment. Don't beat yourself up, keep on with them videos.
Yeah true
There are 10s of other channels covering wrestling, but Maven is different because one he was in there, second he is honest with no sensationalism ... Very down to Earth content...
You got me hooked ...
And I never followed wrestling that much yet I am hooked to your content... I think that says much ...
My respect for you to be open about your feelings and life experiences.
Demands great courage.
Love the openness and transparency Mave - best content on RUclips - period!
Sorry to hear about your missed oportunity Maven. We ALL have them. I don't care who you are. Its because we all have choices and can be hesitant to make them. It also depends on many factors such as where we are in life (like you said).
WWE needs to hire this man in some capacity !!! Best on RUclips!!
I wonder if WWE meant "you won't be the TE kid anymore" as in the fans wont see you that way or the boys wont see you that way. It seems like the talent had more of an issue with the TE guys than the fans did.
On the plus side, I'm sure this iteration of you in this universe is a hell of a lot more physically healthy than the alternate universe 46 year old Maven who went back to the wwe, had a great and long second run but now can barely walk after a multitude of surgeries
I subscribed because you had 999.
I'm your 1000th subscriber❤
Plus pills. He’d be thrust right back into the environment that got him hooked on pills in the first place.
@@saeenime much appreciated i subbed to you too🙏🙏
@@MusicGuyFK yeah i thought about that too but didn't want to bring it up
The more I see of Maven recently, the more I could see him fulfilling an on-air authority role in WWE or AEW. Really hoping to see him booking some tag team matches in the future, playa.
Maven would be perfect for the role of a heel Manager. The way he speaks....its just gold,man.this again proves the point, instead of someone writing the promo and all that shit superstars should be allowed to express their ideas in their own ways. Thank you maven. Your videos are way entertaining than todays product.
He'd be a better face
On 🔥 brother!!!! Keep it going 💪🏻💪🏻
Really consistent content ,Great Work.
Maven, as someone who started watching at the exact time you started appearing on tv, yeah, it would’ve definitely worked out. You were beloved dude
I absolutely love watching these videos and hearing your stories... There was one point in time where I used to wonder what happened to you. I'm very happy things turned out this way for you my friend
If Vince McMahon called you and asked you to return for one night at the royal rumble would you accept it?
That's a good question. Im curious what his answer would be.
Triple H* , but he would not ever ask. Facing facts, Maven was midcard, no crowd popper :)
@@Tonaldo90exactly these people in the comments section think he's like stone cold or the Rock he wasa nobody when you think about it and could have been a good heel 2nd time around
Dude you can talk and have a pleasant voice, you could be a manager easy.
I feel like im in the car with my former wrestler uncle while he's telling stories, love the vibe, very candid
Always loved Maven, it all makes sense now, what a cool guy