3-time WWE champion announces his in-ring days are officially over

A three-time WWE Hardcore Champion has confirmed the end of his wrestling career. Maven Huffman recently addressed his future in the business.

The 48-year-old star found incredible success in a short time as a full-time performer in WWE. Maven was the co-winner of the inaugural Tough Enough before joining the main roster in 2001.

He had the best rookie year, famously eliminating The Undertaker from the 2002 Royal Rumble match and even dethroning him for the Hardcore Championship. His short yet entertaining run ended abruptly after he was released by WWE in 2005.

He then joined TNA for a couple of years before becoming a part-timer on the independent scene. In recent years, he hasn't been relatively active in the ring, with his last singles match taking place in 2022.

Maven runs a YouTube channel nowadays, where he frequently answers questions from his fans.

Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Maven said he doesn't see himself as a pro wrestler anymore.

"No [On if he still feels like a pro wrestler]. In a grocery store a few months back, and normally somebody comes up to me, ‘You’re that old wrestler who 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."

He added that he is focusing on his outside ventures and has accepted ageism.

"But I’m fine with that. I’m okay with ageing. I’m okay with I just can’t do what I used to do, and I’m okay with advancing into 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."

You can check out the full interview below:

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Does former WWE star Maven have one more match left in him?

During the conversation, Maven revealed that he would be open to the idea of coming back for a one-off match.

However, he confirmed that his full-time wrestling career is in the rearview mirror.

"I mean, if the situation was right, of course. And last night, taking 70 bumps proved that physically, I could at least get through it. I don’t think if somebody said, Hey, we got a three-year storyline, I don’t know if I could do that, but I definitely would keep it open. As far as in this business, you know, never say never.”

Maven was offered to return to the Stamford-based promotion as an announcer in 2020, but the pandemic halted his plans. Will the WWE Universe ever see him on TV again? Only time will tell.

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If you carry quotes from the article, please credit the Insight with Chris Van Vliet and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.