47-year-old star calls eliminating The Undertaker from WWE Royal Rumble his career highlight
A former WWE Superstar recently reflected on the highlight of his pro wrestling career involving The Undertaker. The star recalled tossing The Deadman out of the ring at Royal Rumble 22 years ago.
Fresh off his win in WWE's reality show, Tough Enough, Maven took part in the 2002 Men's Royal Rumble Match, entering the bout at #11. The odds were stacked against the then-upstart. However, he shocked fans by eliminating The Undertaker with a well-timed dropkick.
During an interview with Business Insider on YouTube, Maven shared that the crowd went wild after he eliminated the former WWE Champion from the Rumble. The 47-year-old star expressed his gratitude to The Phenom and mentioned that the unexpected moment became a career highlight for him.
"In the Royal Rumble 2002, The Undertaker, The Phenom. The fact that he was allowing me to eliminate him from the Royal Rumble. So, in this Rumble, there was a period of time when I was the only legitimate participant that was still fighting in this Rumble. And I'm as green, I am as much of a rookie as you can be. The spot was he had just finished eliminating The Hardy Boyz and he had gotten rid of Lita, and my music hits, I come out. He immediately dispatches of me and at a moment of weakness when his back is turned, I threw and hit a dropkick," Maven said.
The former WWE Hardcore Champion added:
"And then him coming up and just the look of disdain and surprise on his face. I see why people to this day still bring it up. It was a great spot, it was an iconic moment that I'm thankful that I had. I know I wouldn't have had the career I had without it. And I'm still grateful to Mark ['Taker's real name] for giving me the opportunity." (23:17 - 25:09)
You can watch the full interview below.
The Undertaker responds to WWE veteran's comment about him
Triple H recently praised The Deadman while providing details about WWE Experience in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Game said replicating 'Taker's aura was next to impossible.
Taking to X/Twitter, The Undertaker responded to Triple H's positive comments about him. The 59-year-old legend wrote:
"Grateful to have such an awesome display at the #WWEExperience in Riyadh."
Check out The Phenom's tweet below.
The Undertaker appeared at WrestleMania 40, took out The Rock, and helped Cody Rhodes finish his story. WWE fans are excited to find out whether The Deadman will make more appearances on the company's programming in the future.
If you use any quotes from the article's first half, please credit Business Insider and add an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.