Triple H match led to downward spiral and WWE release, 3-time champion says
Triple H was one of WWE's top stars when he held the World Heavyweight Championship on RAW in 2004. In a recent video, Maven Huffman recalled how a match with The Game might have contributed to his exit from the company.
On November 15, 2004, Maven performed as the RAW General Manager for one night. The inaugural Tough Enough winner appeared in a backstage segment with Triple H before unsuccessfully challenging him for the World Heavyweight Championship.
The latest video on Maven's YouTube channel revolved around his on-screen authority role. Reflecting on his bout with Triple H, the three-time Hardcore Champion admitted his performance likely contributed to WWE releasing him several months later.
"Did I do everything he said?" Maven stated. "Absolutely. Did we pull off a match that the fans believed? Yes, we did. But I did just enough, just enough, to show him, Vince [former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon], and upper management that I wasn't ready. I had no clue, no idea that the match I had with Hunter [Triple H] probably started my downward spiral, which would ultimately lead to my exiting the company." [27:01 – 27:32]
WWE released Maven on July 5, 2005. The 48-year-old is best remembered for his Tough Enough victory and 2002 feud with The Undertaker.
Maven analyzes his match with Triple H
Although Maven had been in WWE for three years, he allowed The King of Kings to dictate almost everything that happened in their match.
The former WWE star watched the 12-minute bout back and acknowledged he was not good enough at that stage of his career to headline events.
"He shouldn't have had to call the entire match move-for-move," Maven said. "That's just proof that I wasn't ready to be in the position that I was in. So, it comes to no surprise that this would be the last time I would be in the main event. I wasn't ready." [22:07 – 22:25]
Maven's last WWE match aired on the June 26, 2005, episode of Sunday Night Heat. He joined forces with Antonio and Romeo in a loss against The Hurricane, Rosey, and Val Venis.
Please credit Maven Huffman and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.