Former WWE star Maven recently took to his YouTube channel to share an honest reflection on how professional wrestling has evolved since his time in the ring, expressing concerns that the industry has lost some of its grit and authenticity.

Maven opened by recalling a recent moment watching wrestling with a friend who was not a fan of the sport. “I was watching wrestling recently with, well, I’m not even going to say who I was watching it with, but a non-fan said, ‘That looks like a dance.’ That was their opinion. And this is a person who does not watch wrestling on a regular basis.”

He continued, “To the performers, I know the time, I know the work you put into it, and I don’t blame you. I just blame a product that has moved in the completely wrong direction. Why? I don’t know.”

Maven admitted that his viewpoint might not align with modern audiences but stood by his belief that wrestling once thrived on crowd engagement and instinctive storytelling rather than rigid structure. “I came up in a time when, in the ring, you listened. And if something wasn’t working, because the fans weren’t reacting, you did something else. And if that didn’t work, well, hell, you did something else again. If you stuck with what you had planned and it wasn’t working, you were going to get your ass chewed the moment you got backstage. And the first person to chew your ass was definitely Vince McMahon.”

The former Tough Enough winner then shared a perspective he knew would spark debate. “Now, I don’t think professional wrestling is a better product without Vince at the helm. Hold on, let me explain. I’m well aware of the allegations, and no part of me is insinuating that WWE should bring Vince back. I don’t think so, and I don’t co-sign on anything he did. But Vince had two things going for him. One, he was an amazing businessman... But second, and probably most important, Vince was a fan.”

Maven credited McMahon’s deep roots in the wrestling business as a reason WWE once felt more passionate and fan-driven, pointing out that the current TKO leadership seems focused more on revenue than wrestling’s creative soul. “I don’t know who the decision-makers are at TKO, but sometimes I feel as though their main driving force is the almighty dollar before the showmanship of professional wrestling.”

He acknowledged that WWE still produces strong storylines and incredible athletes but believes the presentation has become overly polished. “These days, wrestling’s almost become too glam. It’s almost more of a show that’s out to stun the audience, make you say, ‘Wow, did you see that 10-minute entrance so-and-so had?’ And these days, it almost feels as though it’s lost that blood, sweat, and tears, that grimy aspect.”

Maven drew a comparison to Cirque du Soleil, suggesting modern wrestling feels more theatrical than combative. Despite this, he praised Triple H’s leadership while hinting that corporate oversight limits his creative freedom. “I’m not saying that Hunter’s not doing a good job. I think Hunter’s doing a great job. I don’t think anybody knows the wrestling business better than Hunter. But Hunter has bosses. He has people he reports to... I guarantee you, Hunter would change and go back to when wrestling shows were more fan-driven, listening to the audience, having the audience dictate where a match was going, and probably get away from all the glitz, glam, and 15-minute entrances.”