
Former WWE Superstar Snuck Backstage At AEW Event
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Former WWE Tough Enough winner Maven Huffman recently shared an entertaining video on his popular YouTube channel, documenting what he humorously portrayed as an attempt to "sneak" backstage at an AEW Collision event. The footage captures his journey through an All Elite Wrestling show in New Jersey.
In the video, despite not being an official AEW employee or possessing credentials for the event, Maven successfully navigated past an initial security checkpoint. He convinced a guard that he was part of the talent roster, thereby gaining access to the talent parking area.
Maven documented his exploration through the production and TV truck zone. He eventually entered the main backstage area of the AEW Collision taping.
Once inside, he had a friendly encounter with his old friend and former WWE colleague, Billy Gunn. The two veterans were seen reminiscing about their time working together at WrestleMania 18.
During his unauthorized tour, Maven also met several other AEW personalities. These included interactions with former AEW Women's World Champion Thunder Rosa and commentator Josh Mathews.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 11: A WWE logo is shown on a screen before a WWE news conference at T-Mobile Arena on October 11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was announced that WWE...
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 11: A WWE logo is shown on a screen before a WWE news conference at T-Mobile Arena on October 11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was announced that WWE wrestler Braun Strowman will face heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury and WWE champion Brock Lesnar will take on former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez at the WWE's Crown Jewel event at Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 31. More
He also showed viewers the wrestlers' monitor viewing area and the catering spread available to talent and staff. The entire venture was presented with a lighthearted and adventurous tone for his channel's content.
More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation
Maven Huffman first rose to prominence in the wrestling world as the co-winner of WWE's inaugural season of the reality competition series Tough Enough in 2001. This victory secured him a coveted WWE contract.
His most enduring WWE moment occurred early in his career at the 2002 Royal Rumble. As a rookie, Maven famously delivered a dropkick that sent The Undertaker over the top rope, shockingly eliminating the legend from the match.
This audacious act led to The Undertaker's brutal post-elimination assault but significantly elevated Maven's profile. It even propelled him to capture the WWF Hardcore Championship on three occasions, once by pinning The Undertaker on SmackDown with assistance from The Rock and Al Snow.
Throughout his WWE tenure, which lasted from 2001 to 2005, Maven was often cast as an underdog. He teamed with his former Tough Enough trainer Al Snow and had memorable interactions and matches against top-tier stars like Chris Jericho and Evolution, even challenging for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Despite these notable moments, Maven was released from WWE in July 2005. He has since attributed his relatively short run to issues with immaturity at the time.
In recent years, Maven has experienced a resurgence in popularity through his candid YouTube channel.
More WWE News:
For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Forbes
43 minutes ago
- Forbes
WWE SummerSlam 2025 Match Card, Start Time And Odds For Night Two
WWE SummerSlam 2025 ended with an unforgettable moment on Saturday when Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to beat CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship. On Sunday, SummerSlam Night Two will set it out to top it. Last night in front of a crowd of more than 53,000 fans, Punk defeated Gunther in an instant classic Punk in the show's headlining match only to have his magical moment spoiled by a returning Rollins. In addition, Roman Reigns and Jey Uso toppled Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker in the show opener while Tiffany Stratton shockingly beat Jade Cargill and left MetLife Stadium still the WWE Women's Champion. At WWE SummerSlam Night Two on Sunday, WWE presents another loaded card featuring a whopping six title matches. The main attraction is a Street Fight WWE Championship match pitting the champion John Cena and Cody Rhodes after Cena appeared to turn babyface in an explosive segment on last week's SummerSlam 2025 Start Time And Streaming Info for Sunday WWE SummerSlam 2025 Night Two takes place on Sunday, Aug. 3 and will air exclusively on Peacock in the United States. The event is available on Netflix internationally. WWE announced that for the first time ever, SummerSlam 'will screen live in select Regal Cinemas across the U.S. on Saturday, Aug. 2 and Sunday, Aug. 3' as part of a partnership with Fandango. As was the case on Saturday, WWE will air a three-hour pre-show on Peacock. WWE SummerSlam 2025 Match Card For Night Two (Sunday) WWE SummerSlam Night Two features six matches, and in every single bout, a WWE championship will be on the line: WWE SummerSlam 2025 Betting Odds for Night Two (Sunday) WWE betting odds from BetUS suggest that there are some runaway favorites at SummerSlam on Night One. But as always, major WWE pay-per-view events can be remarkably unpredictable. John Cena beat Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41 in a widely-panned match that reinforced WWE's commitment to Cena's lackluster heel turn. Since then, however, Cena has consistently teased that he's heading back to his babyface roots while Rhodes, the top fan favorite in WWE, is poised to take back the title and reassert himself as the No. 1 star in the company. If Rhodes loses again, that would be a downright shocker, though the Street Fight stipulation certainly leaves room for another cheap win for the 17-time world champion. This match is essentially a rematch of the Women's World title match at WrestleMania 41, only with Naomi replacing Bianca Belair. It's also a contender for best match of the weekend. That being said, it should have an obvious result. Naomi only just won the championship at Evolution, making her a virtual shoo-in to win this triple threat match under shady circumstances. She'll likely sneak in for a pin on Sky after Ripley hits Sky with the Riptide, setting up a possible loss to Stephanie Vaquer at Clash in Paris. Does Bayley, who's been heavily involved in this storyline, show up at SummerSlam? The answer is a resounding yes. The question, however, is who she helps, or rather, who she shafts. If Valkyria loses, she can never challenge for the Intercontinental title as long as Lynch is champion, so the best bet is Bayley getting involved and costing Valkyria the match given the No DQ rules. That would allow Lynch to move onto a different feud while Bayley, possibly as a heel, continues her storyline with Valkyria. The steel cage stipulation is supposed to keep Solo Sikoa's henchmen out of the ring, but of course, anyone who's ever seen a WWE cage match knows that isn't happening. Expect at least a few, if not all, of Sikoa's 'MFTs' to show up and help him defeat Jacob Fatu inside the steel structure. Although Sikoa taking another loss is not ideal, WWE can book it in a way that protects him and allows him to quickly move from the midcard to the main event picture where he belongs. Admittedly, however, this match is one of the more predictable ones of the weekend and could go either way. AJ Styles and Dominik Mysterio have quietly built up a decent little midcard feud that should result in a hot match at SummerSlam. The fans love Styles and hate Mysterio, so this could be a show-stealer. Mysterio had his 'WrestleMania moment' when he won this very same title at WrestleMania 41, but he's back to being a full-blown heel once again. A controversial win for 'Dirty Dom' wouldn't be surprising, but with Styles no longer really booked as a main eventer, he should get the win and elevate the IC title. WWE is finally giving the WWE Tag Team Championship a much-deserved spotlight after leaving the tag titles off a slew of major pay-per-views in recent years. The SmackDown tag team division has been a highlight of the brand since 2024, and that's why this 6-way tag team match could go any number of ways. With strong pushes for duos like Andrade and Rey Fenix as well as former champions The Street Profits, this rare TLC match isn't as predictable as most SummerSlam matches. The Wyatt Sicks have only held the titles for a few weeks, however, making them the leading candidate to leave WWE SummerSlam with the gold. If anyone else leaves MetLife Stadium with the titles, the strongly-pushed combo of Andrade and Fenix is the best bet.


Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Top WWE Superstar To Undergo Surgery: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Following the chaotic main event of SummerSlam Night One, a new report has confirmed that the bloody nose suffered by GUNTHER was a planned storyline angle. The spot was reportedly used to write the former champion off of television so he can undergo legitimate nose surgery. The shocking and dramatic conclusion to the show saw CM Punk win the World Heavyweight Championship, only to immediately lose it to a cashing-in Seth Rollins. GUNTHER's "injury" was a key part of the layered story. The Bloody Angle Was "100% Worked" Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer confirmed his own previous report that GUNTHER was dealing with a real-life nose issue. He stated that the bloody finish to the match was a deliberate and planned way to write him out for surgery. The angle occurred at the conclusion of a brutal main event that saw CM Punk finally achieve his goal of winning a WWE world title after more than a decade. The emotional victory ended GUNTHER's dominant, year-long reign as World Heavyweight Champion. The post-match scene, with a bloodied GUNTHER, was used to sell the severity of the fight and protect the former champion in defeat. More news: WWE Superstar Announces Retirement Match This use of blood, even "worked blood," is extremely rare in modern WWE. It is a tactic reserved for major angles to add a sense of realism and intensity to a story. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 11: A WWE logo is shown on a screen before a WWE news conference at T-Mobile Arena on October 11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was announced that WWE... LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 11: A WWE logo is shown on a screen before a WWE news conference at T-Mobile Arena on October 11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was announced that WWE wrestler Braun Strowman will face heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury and WWE champion Brock Lesnar will take on former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez at the WWE's Crown Jewel event at Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 31. More The Ultimate Deception The drama did not end there. Moments after CM Punk's victory, Seth Rollins, who was believed to be out with a legitimate, career-threatening knee injury, sprinted to the ring with his Money in the Bank briefcase. In a shocking turn of events, Rollins revealed his injury was a masterful deception. He immediately cashed in his contract on the exhausted and celebrating Punk. One Stomp later, Seth Rollins was the new World Heavyweight Champion, ending Night One of SummerSlam in what is already being called one of the most shocking finishes in the event's history. GUNTHER's storyline injury now gives him a reason to be off TV while this new, chaotic chapter of the World Heavyweight Championship story begins. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Watch Jelly Roll Fight Logan Paul in Much-Hyped WWE SummerSlam Match
The much-hyped battle between Jelly Roll and Logan Paul finally hit the ring Saturday at WWE's SummerSlam event, where the country singer and tag team partner Randy Orton faced off against the social media provocateur and his partner Drew McIntyre. The fight, which was set up over a month ago on Smackdown and was heavily promoted since then, marked Jelly Roll's first official match as a wrestler after making a handful of appearances at WWE events over the past year. More from Rolling Stone How to Watch WWE SummerSlam 2025 Online How to Watch 'WWE Friday Night SmackDown' Online Without Cable Hulk Hogan, Wrestling Superstar Turned Right-Wing Hero, Dead at 71 Jelly Roll — who claimed he broke his pinky and suffered other injuries while training for the match — endured a significant amount of beating during the match; at one point, Jelly Roll was outside the ring, lying on an announcers table when Paul jumped from the top post and landed on the singer, causing the table to overturn. 'The day the music died,' one of his opponents quipped. That aforementioned move knocked out Jelly Roll for a considerable amount of time as Orton fought against Paul and McIntyre alone. However, he recovered and made his way back to the ring 'like the walking dead' in time to accept Orton's tag-in, and delivered some clotheslines and choke slams on Paul to even up the match. However, the match concluded when Paul dropped his signature move the 'Paul from Grace' on Jelly Roll, who was then promptly pinned and defeated. The loss likely sets up WWE future involvement and an opportunity for revenge for Jelly Roll, but no plans have been announced as yet: Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked Solve the daily Crossword