Former WWE wrestler Maven addresses whether he’s retired
Former Tough Enough winner Maven is open to having another match but does not consider himself a pro wrestler anymore.
Twenty years after his WWE career ended, Maven now runs one of the most popular wrestling channels on YouTube in addition to still working a regular job in finance. He stepped away from the ring in 2007 but returned in 2015 for occasional indie matches, most recently competing in 2024.
On a new episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Maven was asked if he remains open to having another match.
“I mean, if the situation was right, of course,” he said. “And last night, taking 70 bumps [for a YouTube video] proved that physically, I could at least get through it. I don’t think if somebody said, ‘Hey, we got a three-year storyline, we want you…’ I don’t know if I could do that, but I definitely would keep it open. As far as, man, in this business, you know, never say never.”
But Maven says he’s now at the point where he sees himself more as a YouTuber rather than a wrestler.
“No,” Maven responded when asked if he still views himself as a wrestler. “In a grocery store a few months back, and normally somebody comes up to me, ‘You’re that old wrestler, you won Tough Enough.’ Yeah, yeah. I had somebody come up to me and say, ‘You’re that guy that talks about wrestling and answers questions on YouTube, aren’t you?’ And I was like, I suppose I am.
“But I’m fine with that. Like, I’m okay with aging. I’m okay with — I just can’t do what I used to do, and I’m okay with advancing in just the next parts of my life. I’ve watched these guys now. They’re so much more athletic than I was, and obviously am now. Yeah, I’m perfectly fine with not being a wrestler anymore.”
Maven said his body still hurts daily from his time in the ring. Eventually, he might have to undergo surgery for herniated discs that he’s dealing with. Maven said he thinks every wrestler feels like this when they’re 48 years old, with some faring a little better and some faring a little worse.
In the early 2000s, Maven began his WWE career as a winner of the first-ever season of Tough Enough. The most memorable moment of his run was eliminating The Undertaker from the 2002 Royal Rumble.
Maven told Van Vliet that he is hoping his YouTube channel will reach one million subscribers in 2026. It’s currently at 736,000 subscribers.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.