Retired pro-wrestling star Maven was the latest guest on Insight With Chris Van Vilet, where the former three-time WWE Hardcore Champion reflected on the most famous moment of his career, when he dropkicked The Undertaker over the top rope in the 2002 Royal Rumble matchup. Check out what Maven had to say about the historic spot below.
On eliminating The Undertaker from the Royal Rumble:
I think it was just one of the things that at the time, everyone was just I don’t want to say in awe of, but just happy that the dropkick spot went as well as it did. Because think of it this way. What if I flopped the drop kick? What if I miss him? What if I don’t hit him hard enough to knock him over? Then what? It’s just me and him. It’s not like we’re gonna start a wrestling match. I mean, where’s that gonna go? And he still has to be eliminated for the next person to come in. So there was a lot riding on that spot. And I didn’t practice the drop kick at all throughout the day. And I was getting color that night. I’m allergic to aspirin. So I had taken a couple of shots at Jack backstage with Taker. So I was a little buzzed by the time we did it.
On drinking with The Undertaker before the match:
Yeah, he told me he was like, kid, I’m gonna be giving you some color. And he’s like, why don’t you want to take some aspirin in your blood so it comes out? And I told him I’m like, I’m allergic. And he’s like, I got you. And he had some like aeroplane bottles of Jack. And I’m like luckily for me he bought it. Jack Daniels is like how most people drink beer for taste. Yeah, that’s me with Jack.
On the chair shot that followed the elimination:
It wasn’t a butterfly kiss, I can tell you that. Listen, at that point. I was so just elated. My night was over at that point, hitting the drop kick. At that point, everything else was just gravy. And the chair shot I knew I was just gonna have to just, you see it in slow motion you see me like clench up to take it. But I was so concerned that the entire day, I was concerned with just my life revolved around hitting that one drop kick. And you know what? The following pay-per-view. I was on the next pay-per-view, WrestleMania. I was wrestling Goldust he was holding the gold trash can and I missed it. So if I would have missed that drop kick [on Undertaker], I don’t think I have a career. But the chair shot. It stung more than it hurt. But honestly, I was on top of the world just knowing because after I did the chair shot, I think Taker goes and he throws the camera guy down and they stayed on that shot. Normally they’ll change shot, but they stayed on that on purpose. He had to get the gig out to give me color. And he came over. And he told me great job, kid. And at that point, I just knew my night was all I had to do was sell and then get thrown into a popcorn machine.
Check out the full interview below.