Former WWE star Maven may have built one of the most successful wrestling channels on YouTube, but he admits he cannot bring himself to watch the current product.

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, the former Tough Enough winner revealed that watching wrestling is still too painful, comparing it to “seeing the love of my life with her new boyfriend.”

“It’s too hard,” Maven said. “I love wrestling. I root for its success. I hope guys like Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, The Usos, MJF, and Adam Page have careers I never dreamed of. But when I watch, a little part of me gets jealous that I cannot do it anymore. Father Time has done what Father Time does. It’s just too tough.”

Maven’s WWE run ended nearly 20 years ago, but his YouTube career has given him a better financial living than wrestling ever did. He avoids covering current events in his videos, instead focusing on evergreen topics that continue to generate income long-term.

Since 2005, he has mostly avoided following wrestling, only briefly catching up during a WWE commentator tryout in 2020. He explained that while he holds no resentment, there was a time when he had to completely step away from the business, even declining bookings.

Although Maven does not consider himself a wrestler anymore, he has taken part in occasional indie matches since 2015, with his last outing in 2024. He has also shared that he may eventually need surgery for herniated discs.

Today, Maven balances his life between his 740,000-strong YouTube channel and a job in finance.

Maven Huffman reveals why he can't watch wrestling:

"It's just too difficult. It'd be like watching the love of my life going on on the next date and telling me, 'Hey, this is my new boyfriend.'

I love wrestling. I love it. I love everything about it. I think it's truly one of… pic.twitter.com/0msXUjMXVr

, Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 8, 2025