Maven

[6.0] "Maven was a middle-of-the-road wrestler, & didn't exactly have many ground-breaking moves. Even after his post-Tough Enough training, he would still occasionally make fairly simple in-ring mistakes & even after his ouster from the WWE, he wasn't proactive in returning, even when given the opportunity to. However, his social media game is so strong and he's making such a solid impression with these videos that it would be impossible not to rate him a 6. It's clear that a certain knowledge and a certain talent is there. I would pick him to commentate NXT any day of the week. His old WWE matches aren't AMAZING, but they're perfectly fine."

[9.0] "As a wrestler, an average rating of 4.64 makes sense. He was as green as can be and didn't improve enough to stick around long-term in WWF/E. But his impact on wrestling goes far beyond his full-time in-ring career or even his 10 one-off appearances from 2015-16 and 2021-24. His YouTube channel changed the game when it came to wrestling content creation. Credit where it's due to his business partner Zach Werre for getting the idea to reach out to him, but the unique perspective Maven had while in the business really makes his content more engaging. Now multiple other wrestlers are trying to replicate what he does, which says a lot about how effective he is at keeping his audiences hooked. Devon [Dudley] and [David] Otunga are the 2 biggest examples, and I'm sure there will be much more to come. For that reason, this man gets a 9 from me."

[5.0] "He wasn't a good wrestler, but at least he could do dropkicks. The Undertaker elimination at the Royal Rumble and the following chair shot was fun. I've definitely liked him more ever since he started his YouTube channel as he seems to have his head in the right place."

[5.0] "He's definitely not worse in the ring than Le Miz. He can't do the promos Miz can but from an athletic standpoints it's not even close. Maven was fine but was never destined for the main event. He was lacking charisma and a personality."

[7.0] "Loved Maven when I was a kid - seeing him win at survivor series with the good guys lads and then go for Triple H I was well pumped up for him, had the charisma and had the talent in a sense but for some reason the cards never seemed to fall his way i guess"

[5.0] "I won't revise history by saying Maven was incredible because he wasn't and he's admitted as such. He's relatively unremarkable in the ring but definitely has charisma. His youtube channel is very entertaining though."

[7.0] "Maven came into WWE with the kind of buzz most rookies only dream of. As the winner of the first season of Tough Enough, he had national TV exposure, a relatable underdog story, and the full weight of WWE marketing behind him. And for a minute, it looked like he might actually live up to the push. Eliminating The Undertaker from the 2002 Royal Rumble was a star-making moment that got a genuine pop and sparked the feeling that this guy might be something special. But once the moment passed, reality kicked in. Maven never found his footing. His matches were fine but never stood out. His promos lacked emotion and timing. He had a good look, decent athleticism, and clearly wanted it, but the polish just wasn't there. The midcard is full of guys who had more fire, more edge, or more presence. Maven just kind of existed in the background. WWE tried to push him again in spurts, including a short heel run in 2005, but by then the audience had moved on. He didn't have the ring credibility to back up the attitude, and his character felt hollow. He was clean-cut and marketable, but he never developed the kind of unique identity that keeps a career alive in the long term. Outside the ring, Maven is looked at more fondly. He carried himself professionally, showed up ready to work, and later found success as a personality and commentator. His recent reemergence on YouTube shows charisma and self-awareness he never fully tapped into during his WWE run. That in itself might be the best part of his legacy -- a guy who stuck around long enough for people to say, "Damn, he's better now than he ever was then." Maven had the launchpad and the look, but never became the star. Outside of the ring, his Youtube channel really opens a lot of eyes to the business and pushes him up a point or two. Also did a great job with QVC & HSN"

[6.0] "If we go solely off his wrestling career in the WWE, Maven is a 3 at best. He was always the rookie and is really only know as the dude who eliminated Undertaker at RR 2002 and then beat him for the Hardcore Title. However his YouTube channel where he educates and entertains fans about the wrestling business is superb. He really made a comeback after being out of wrestling for so long."

[5.0] "Maven was the typical "default wrestler". He has ok ring skills, ok mic skills, and an ok character. He did not last long in the WWE because he scarcely made an impression on anybody. He is killing it on YouTube though!"

[10.0] "First WWF Tough Enough Champion in 2001. Maven is a good WWE Hardcore Champion (3 times), he defeat the Undertaker in 2002 to become Hardcore Champion and made championship matches at WrestleMania X8, he also eliminate the Undertaker at Royal Rumble 2002, his first PPV, he would have deserved to become WWF Tag Team Championship with Al Snow. He can be proud of himself when he was the winning team of Orton at Survivor Series 2004. Booking himself in a World Heavyweight Championship match against Triple H was a very good idea. He could do so much better when he was heel."

[6.0] "Had a few memorable moments. I like this guy outside of the squared circle, telling us the business's ins and outs is amazing. Shows tons of charisma and tells a lot of passion for it. Wish he had a longer run in the business. YouTube is worth checking out, 100%--very respectable 6, 3 for his wrestling, 3 for him outside the squared circle."

[4.0] "He had a few memorable moments but was overall just okay, and he'd be the first person to tell you that. His YouTube channel is worth checking out."

[5.0] "The dude was ok in the ring, ok on the mic, and ok storywise. That was his big problem though, he is literally cookie cutter to the point of being the default guy you'd have in a WWE video game. His one big moment is like what you'd see in a WWE video game story as yourself taking out the Undertaker at Royal Rumble. He was just the definition of flat, bland, and ok."

[5.0] "Maven was decent, but nothing stands out. He was in some of the biggest angles during his time period even though he was never really the main story line nor did it help him in the long run. I do enjoy his Youtube show and wish he had a slightly longer run in wrestling."

[5.0] "Maven had a decent run, but he was never destined for any kind of real greatness, since he was just a guy who won a reality show. He showed potential athletically, and was never a drag on any show he was on, but there weren't many memorable moments or storylines for him, let alone any banger matches. He deserves a 5 because of his youtube channel, which is a fun look into the ins and outs of wwe. He shows tons of charisma and charm in his presentation and manages to come up with interesting topics for his many videos."

[3.0] "Maven has certainly had an interesting career for himself. He was a decent talent who had a bland look but he had enough athleticism to get by as a talent even though he was never seen as anything more than a job guy. The most high profile thing they ever did with him was have him have that brief feud with Undertaker after Maven eliminated Undertaker in the Royal Rumble. From there he kind of toiled in the Hardcore division and was mostly used as either a mid-card guy or as an enhancement talent. Most people know him for his recent success on YouTube where he's enjoyed alot of success as of late"

[2.0] "A lot of people are rating this guy highly due to his YouTube channel but be honest about his career, he never even had a match that was above "decent", when he was carried by someone like Triple H. No charisma, no character work, no personality. I guess he knew the basics and never hurt anyone so there is that, but do you ever want to see a Maven match?"

[7.0] "By himself on his personal in-ring work and wwe career; I would give him a 4; however, because of his YouTube channel giving a lot of information and insight into WWE, I will boost him up to a 7. The guy was a fan who just wanted to follow his dreams."

[8.0] "Maven is a guy who is fully aware of strengths and weaknesses, he's especially aware of where his place on the roster was. Obviously the 2002 Royal Rumble spot where he dropkicked The Undertaker out of the match is a career highlight. Maven's other career highlight/s were being victorious as a part of Orton's team at Survivor Series 2004, which led to him receiving a World Heavyweight title shot against Triple H. At the end of the day, he was a fan who won a competition to get a spot on the roster, he didn't get a chance to spend years on the indies honing his craft, and I find it hard to believe that anyone on this site would've done much better had they got the same opportunity that he did. In the last year or so, Maven has found success on YouTube, talking about his time in the WWE and giving fans an honest insight into the business. His time in the ring didn't set the world on fire but Maven's honesty is very respectable and the work he's doing on YouTube are my reasonings behind this rating. Oh, and his theme was an absolute banger."

"[6/10] it's crazy to think he was just a normal dude that somehow ended up in the biggest wrestling machine possible at the time, without much time to train, to polish himself in the independent circuit or developmental territories. his looks were pretty good, could have done better if he was a heel for longer, but in the end it was not a good idea to put a guy as green as he was on the spotlight, overall tough enough didn't worked that good back in the day."

[6.0] "The thing about Maven is, he was content being a midcarder. He believed that was his destiny as far as pro wrestling was concerned, and that held him back. He didn't really WANT to be a pro wrestler until his WWE days were long gone. He COULD have been a superstar, but he just didn't believe in HIMSELF."

[7.0] "As a pro wrestler, Maven was nothing special at all and almost exclusively remembered for eliminating The Undertaker at the 2002 Royal Rumble, which was absolutely HUGE! The push that followed was a let down and proved that Maven could barely wrestle as a decent midcarder, let alone reach superstardom. However, Maven's resurrection in the pro wrestling sphere does not come from actually wrestling, but somehow, from his YouTube channel. Unlike his work in the ring, his channel is a treasure for the wrestling community. It is interesting, captivating, at times fascinating, and gives you such a formidable insight on how it all goes (went) down behind the curtains and inside the ring. On top of that, the man is very humble, transparent, no ego whatsoever, and has quickly become one of my favorites personalities in the wrestling world. An underwhelming wrestler that would probably get a 4 or a 5 from me, but a fantastic content provider for wrestling fans that upgrades his rating to 7... And I guess that's fair considering the favor he is doing for wrestling with his YouTube channel."

[5.0] "Maven is completely harmless as a wrestler. Everything he did was fine. Not amazing, not bad, just fine. I think the biggest determent he had in his career was that he was a babyface for far too long. A lot of wrestlers seem to find their groove as a heel and I think it would have done him a lot for him if he turned sooner, rather then the last 6 months of his WWE run, which I enjoyed. Outside of his legendary Rumble 2002 spot and brief feud against Undertaker, he will unfortunately just be remembered as guy on the roster."

[5.0] "Maven was not the worst wrestler ever, but it's pretty clear that his moveset was quite limited and that coupled with his lack of charisma made it impossible for him to get over. It's a shame because I really do like him and love his youtube channel, but Triple H was in the right to not support his push."

[5.0] "I liked his YouTube channel, he makes some really interesting videos, but despite his YouTube channel, Maven didn't do much in his actual wrestling career. He won Tough Enough, which I never really liked Tough Enough. He was able to eliminate The Undertaker at the 2002 Royal Rumble, so there's a highlight in Maven's career. I believe he even defeated The Undertaker in a hardcore championship match as well, especially beating a household name early in Maven's career was also yet another highlight. However, his push came to an end when he turned heel and teamed with Simon Dean of all wrestlers. Nonetheless, Maven's career wasn't as illustrious as Triple H's, The Undertaker's, and John Cena's careers. But he was able too have a long enough career to have some nice moments in it."

[5.0] "In reality he's like a 4 but Imma give him a 5 because I like his YouTube channel. And that counts as something he does thats wrestling related so I think its fair to mention. He really didn't do much, wasn't a great worker but not a bad one either (even Maven admits it) and he had some good moments, like the 2002 Rumble and his match with Goldust. Also he's open about steroids which is good and more people should be. that's kinda it really not much to say about Maven sorry guys."

[6.0] "Another "what if" story. What if Tough Enough was never a thing (wishful thinking eh? ). What if Maven had stuck around the struggling American independent scene at the time, long enough to catch the mild resurgence some years later? What if instead of being called to television right away, he stayed with others in developmental for a longer stretch? What if they never bothered to book him dropkicking out The Undertaker (of all people! ) from a Royal Rumble? What if he never broke his leg in 2002? What if TNA actually used him? I think the answer truly does lie within the way he was presented to us as a whole: Enhancement talent. EDIT: His YouTube channel is outstanding, extra points added for truly great content that any wrestling fan should check into. 5.75"

[5.0] "I've actually been watching Maven's YouTube videos about his time as a professional wrestler and it's very interesting listening to his stories about his life in the WWE and the sacrifices he made there, even though he was rarely in the upper midcard. It definitely gives me a greater respect for him as a person. As far as his wrestling career goes, his elimination of The Undertaker is one of the most memorable Royal Rumble moments. He got a great pop from the crowd and he had a few main event matches on TV because of it, but most of his career past that was pretty forgettable. A lot of that for me feels like he was pushed when he was just learning on the job and he didn't have much of a character there either."

[4.0] "They tried with Maven. Gave him the uber push by eliminating Undertaker at the 02 Rumble and the crowd, including me popped for that one because who saw THAT coming? Became hardcore champion then just kinda hung around post 2002 and then disappeared. His best success was during his rookie year."

[3.0] "Maven was the definition of a "spot monkey", as he did a lot of aerial moves, yet couldn't tell a good story in the ring with those moves and was prone to botches. He still kept getting yearly pushes to try and validate Tough Enough, yet none of the pushes worked."

[4.0] "Maven wasn't entirely bad-- as others said, he had some skills and charisma. He was just never developed properly-- pushed too much in order to promote their show before he was ready. Given time I think he could have become pretty solid."

[2.0] "He won tuff enough but looked like the generic wrestler you get on a wwe game when you go to create a wrestler. Not sure what ever happened to him but he flaked out after a couple years and after the first few months of him being on tv I was pretty sick of him. Wwe should have taken sometime to build him up properly instead of throwing him into the fire right after tuff enough. I just think the wwe was dead set on making tuff enough a way to push people similar to the way king of the ring was used."

[4.0] "At least, Maven eliminated the Undertaker and became a champion. Its a shame that Maven had to go through a terrible program to become a wrestler. Maven's in ring skills are okay but he has a nice dropkick and a good DDT. His charmisa is good and its a shame he was very underrated."

[5.0] "Good talker and looked like a million bucks. Very average in the ring from the time he was wrestling. Amazing dropkick, and pretty innovative DDT, but he didn't do much outside of that. Had he managed to still around in the WWE longer, or even motivated to have a TNA stint, I feel like he could've done more."

[3.0] "Tough Enough was a flawed system right from the get go, so Maven really didn't stand a chance. Biggest claim to fame will forever be eliminating Taker from the Rumble. Maven never strayed from the basics in the ring. As a face, he was hard to stomach. But when he changed it up towards the end & became a heel, there was actually a little intrigue for me there. But ultimately, it was too late & his death warrant was already in the mail."

[5.0] "Co-winner of the first season of WWE's Tough Enough, Maven had a good look and gradually-improving ring skill. He never quite had a chance to put it all together, though, and WWE seemed not to know what to do with him after he grew out of the "plucky rookie" role. After his WWE release, Maven had a short run in TNA in 2007 (where he only wrestled house shows and never made it to TV), and has otherwise only sporadically appeared on the indies."

[4.0] "Maven was probably never going to be a great worker, or maybe even a good one, but he had an undeniable charisma about that the WWF, as they usually do, failed to make full use of because they had already decided he wasn't going to rise above a certain level."

[7.0] "He was one my favorites around in 2004, he think could been a bigger deal. And he one of the best dropkicks and themes in wrestling history."

[6.0] "Weak wrestling skills. However, he did beat Josh Matthews and that other douchebag in Tough Enough, so that bumps him up a few points."

[7.0] "I thoroughly liked Maven. His Mercy Drive theme song "Memory" is catchy and still one of my favorite wrestling theme songs. Had some sick dropkicks and his elimination of The Undertaker at the 2002 Royal Rumble was probably one of the best, unexpected surprises of the year. Sucks that the guy is struggling with a job and works as a bouncer in New York City in 2015."

[6.0] "He was good, his run as a upper midcarder in late '04 was good, he played the role well and had the fans behind him, shame about creative at that times decision to just drop him from any revelent storylines."

[3.0] "Well, he had a good look just didn't have that much talent in the the ring or on the mic."