Maven (wrestler) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maven |
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Maven in 2023
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| Birth name | Maven Huffman |
| Born | November 26, 1976 Tennessee, U.S. |
| Website | Official website: https://archive.today/20140716164942/http://mavenhuffman.com/ (archive) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Maven Maven Huffman |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Billed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Billed from | Charlottesville, Virginia |
| Trained by | Al Snow Tazz< HWA |
| Debut | October 2, 2001 |
| YouTube information | |
| Years active | 2023–present |
| Genre | Professional wrestling |
| Subscribers | 550 thousand |
| Total views | 92.9 million |
| Subscriber and view counts updated as of January 25, 2025. | |
Maven Huffman (born November 26, 1976) is an American professional wrestler and YouTuber. He is most famous for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). There, he was known by his first name, Maven. He co-won the first season of the TV show Tough Enough with Nidia Guenard. Maven also held the WWE Hardcore Championship three times.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Maven Huffman was born on November 26, 1976, in Crimora, Virginia. His father is African-American, and his mother was Argentinian. When he was two years old, his mother passed away. He was then adopted and raised by his maternal uncle and aunt.
Maven graduated from Wilson Memorial High School in Fishersville, Virginia. He later attended Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. In 1999, he moved to Portland, Oregon, where he played baseball for the Aloha Knights team. Before becoming a wrestler, Maven was a middle school teacher for two years. He taught at Twality Middle School in Tigard, Oregon.
Professional Wrestling Career
Starting in WWE: Tough Enough and Championships (2001–2005)
Maven Huffman began his wrestling journey in 2001. He was chosen for the first season of Tough Enough. This was a reality television show where the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) looked for new wrestling stars. Maven became a co-winner of the competition, along with Nidia Guenard. After winning, he trained further at the Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA).
On October 4, 2001, Maven made his first wrestling appearance on SmackDown!. He faced Tazz, one of his Tough Enough trainers. Maven lost this match. After a short rivalry, Maven won his first match by defeating Tazz with help from Nidia Guenard.
Maven then started a rivalry with The Undertaker. This happened when Maven eliminated Undertaker from the 2002 Royal Rumble match. Undertaker returned to the ring, eliminated Maven, and attacked him.
On January 28, 2002, Maven got a chance to wrestle for the Undisputed WWF Championship. He faced Chris Jericho but lost the match. After this, The Undertaker attacked Maven again.
On February 7, Maven faced Undertaker for the WWE Hardcore Championship. With help from The Rock and Al Snow, Maven won the title. This was his first championship in wrestling. Their rivalry ended when Undertaker defeated Maven and Al Snow in a special match.
At WrestleMania X8, Maven lost the Hardcore Championship. However, he won it back the same night from Christian. This was possible because of the title's special 24/7 rule. The next night, Maven was attacked by Brock Lesnar. Maven was later traded to the Raw brand in November 2002.
Later Wrestling Appearances (2006–Present)
After leaving WWE, Maven wrestled for other promotions. In 2006, he joined United Wrestling Federation Live. He also wrestled a few matches for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). His last match during this period was in October 2007.
In 2015, Maven announced he would return to wrestling. His first match back was on July 19, 2015, in New York. He teamed with Johnny Clash and won. He continued to wrestle occasionally in the independent circuit.
In 2021, Maven returned to wrestling again. He won the FWF Tough Enough Trophy Street Fight title in October 2022. In July 2023, he won a 26-man battle royal. In April 2024, Maven participated in a rumble match, where he eliminated an opponent in a way that reminded fans of his famous elimination of The Undertaker in 2002.
Television and YouTube Career
In July 2005, Maven appeared on MTV's The 70s House. He and other WWE wrestlers played dodgeball. In March 2006, he was a participant on The Surreal Life season 6. He was chosen as the final cast member.
Maven also hosted a show called BET's J List on BET J. He was also a co-host and expert on the Home Shopping Network's HSN Today.
Since July 2023, Maven has a popular YouTube channel. On his channel, he shares stories about his time in WWE. He also gives insights into what it was like to be a WWE superstar.
Personal Life
Maven Huffman has worked in different fields outside of wrestling. After 2012, he worked as a bouncer in New York City. He was also an account executive for the Brooklyn Nets basketball team until 2019. In 2021, Maven shared that he now works in finance on Wall Street.
Championships and Accomplishments
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Rookie of the Year (2002)
- PWI ranked him #88 among the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2003
- World Wrestling Federation
- WWF Hardcore Championship (3 times)
- Tough Enough I – with Nidia Guenard
