Former WWE superstar, Maven, recently recollected the backlash he once experienced in WWE due to his habit of audibly expressing his gratitude to opponents after matches.
In a recent YouTube video, Maven reflected on this incident. He elaborated that while he was trained to appreciate his opponents after every match, his loud expression of gratitude apparently caused discomfort backstage.
Maven commented, “I got heat for, at the end of my matches, win or lose, in my training, I was taught that as the pin is going, you thank your opponent. And a way to thank your opponent can be just whether you’re going over, securing the win, or doing the job, taking the loss, you thank them. Why are you thanking them? You’re thanking them for putting food on your table. You’re thanking them for entertaining the fans. You’re thanking them for helping you tell a story.”
He further explained, “Now, I don’t know if I implemented this the wrong way, but I was audibly thanking people, irrespective of the match outcome. My thanks would echo loud enough for others to hear. This led to a severe reprimand backstage, with advice being given to thank my opponents subtly. For instance, squeezing an arm or leg is considered a gesture of gratitude. Till this day, whenever I’m in the ring, I ensure to thank my opponents, albeit in a more discreet manner.”
Towards the end of the video, Maven shared secret WWE hand signals that can save a wrestler’s life.