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WWF Tough Enough: Maven's First Pay-Per-View and Tough Enough 2 Infoby Mike DeGeorge -- 07/10/2002
We’ll start off the column with a nugget of news from Tough Enough 2. I’ve seen reports that the remaining cast members were spotted at a Fozzy concert. Fozzy is the name of a heavy-metal tribute band fronted by WWF Undisputed Champion Chris Jericho (man, I love saying that). Al Snow and the contestants were at a show this past weekend, and one of the contestants got on stage with Fozzy and sang a number. Not sure who it was, but reports say a very tall woman, so I’m assuming it’s the same tall woman we saw in the front row a few weeks ago at Raw. There’s quite a bit more I can’t discuss right now, but I can assure you of two things: this year’s show will provide some very different adventures for the contestants, and I’ll be right here to give it to you, with more information to come as the airdate for the show draws nearer. I hate to be such a tease, but trust me, you’re going to love it. The other bit of news concerns the first male Tough Enough winner, Maven. Maven was given the chance to enter the Royal Rumble battle royal at the Pay-Per-View Sunday, with the winner receiving a title shot at the Wrestlemania PPV in March. It’s a HUGE honor for Maven, as this year was largely considered to be one of the most star-studded Rumbles ever. No one really expected him to win, but those of us who consider ourselves Maven fans were hoping he’d at least make a decent showing. He made an impact, that’s for sure.
This was a big deal, as the Undertaker was hyped as one of the favorites to win the match. Eliminating Taker has to be seen as a positive for Maven, especially considering the HUGE crowd pop. Taker was furious, and returned to the ring to get revenge. Taker proceeded to beat the unholy hell out of Maven, eventually dragging him backstage into a concession area, where he threw Maven into a popcorn machine. Technically, Maven was never eliminated from the Rumble, but he was ‘injured’ from the assault and was considered unable to continue.  It remains to be seen whether this is the start of an Undertaker/Maven feud, or if they’re just trying to portray Taker as a sore loser and a bully for picking on Maven. Either way, it gave Maven some major exposure, even getting a full highlight segment on Raw Monday. Being singled out and beaten by someone as high up on the card as the Undertaker is considered a very big positive in the weird world of pro wrestling. If you are able and haven’t seen it already, I recommend getting your hands on a tape of the Royal Rumble PPV. Most of the other matches were spectacular, including the aforementioned Undisputed Champion Chris Jericho (yeah!) defending the title against the Rock. I will be sure to keep you updated on any fallout from this angle, as well as continued information on Tough Enough 2, so be sure to keep checking back here for the latest. Mike DeGeorge reports on many of the bad shows for RealityNewsOnline, but as his reward he also gets to talk about WWF Tough Enough. E-mail Mike at mikmaria@swbell.net. Get a real share of stock in the WWF! Collectible certificates & reports. Be sure to sign up for our e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on the site! And take a look around our WWF Tough Enough 2 Page for everything from episode recaps to bios of the trainers. Remember to take a peek at the rest of the site. You can find our most recent articles at the Home page and take a look at our sections on the first Tough Enough and Combat Missions. You can even buy reality show stuff at our Reality TV Store! For even more news about reality TV, be sure to check out RealityTVFans.com and SirLinksALot! |
Maven was the 11th man to enter the Rumble, shortly after the Undertaker, shown at left (one of the biggest and baddest wrestlers in the WWF, and one of my least favorites I might add), had eliminated Matt and Jeff Hardy (who appeared in 
Maven entered the ring and was met with a big boot to the face by the Undertaker. While he was down, Taker turned to argue with the Hardys, who had not yet left ringside. Maven got up and dropkicked Taker from behind, sending him over the top rope and out of the Rumble.