"I was legitimately terrified" - Former WWE Superstar thought he angered The Undertaker in real life
Maven recently recalled how he thought he may have hurt The Undertaker during their memorable moment at the 2002 Royal Rumble.
The Tough Enough winner produced one of the biggest shocks in Royal Rumble history when he dropkicked the legendary superstar over the top rope. The Deadman then returned to the ring and eliminated the rookie before continuing to attack him backstage.
Speaking on the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast, Maven said he felt genuine fear during their on-screen altercations:
“I eliminated him, he sells, gets up, turns, and looks at me… Then you see fear on my face. Most people are like, ‘That’s some great acting there.’ Nuh-uh, I wasn’t acting. I was legitimately terrified at that moment. Legitimately, not even working, I was shoot terrified because I didn’t know if I kicked him too hard.” [20:00-20:37]
Two weeks after the 2002 Royal Rumble, Maven recorded an unexpected victory over the WWE icon on SmackDown to win the Hardcore Championship.
The Undertaker’s backstage reaction after his segments with Maven
Maven shocked the world (and The @undertaker) 20 years ago today!
#RoyalRumble https://t.co/Zj45TpEZe4
The Undertaker told Maven before the Royal Rumble that he needed to “lay it in” when he hit him with the dropkick. WWE's former locker room leader also warned the up-and-coming superstar that he could not sell the dropkick if he did not feel it.
Reflecting on his feud with The Phenom, Maven said his rival had kind words to say behind the scenes after their Royal Rumble segments:
“It just goes to show how great he was because the look he was giving me for real scared me, and then we get backstage and after I went through the popcorn machine and everything, he’s just telling me, ‘Great job, kid.’ I was on cloud nine that whole night.” [20:50-21:10]
The Undertaker will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on Friday, April 1 in Dallas, Texas. At the time of writing, he is currently due to be the only inductee in the 2022 Hall of Fame class.
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