Maven Addresses the Stigma of Being Known as the ‘Tough Enough Kid’

– During a recent video on his YouTube channel, former WWE Superstar Maven Huffman discussed the stigma of being known as the “Tough Enough Kid” following him throughout his career as being the original Tough Enough winner. Below are some highlights (via Fightful):

Maven on always being known as the “Tough Enough Kid”: “Now this next one is more personal in nature to me, and that is being called the ‘Tough Enough Kid.’ Now, for those of you who are unaware, in 2001 the WWE had a reality show contest called Tough Enough. I won the first one, and that gave me my WWE career. While I’m forever grateful for that opportunity, I mean, I am and will always be the fan who was able to live their dream, but I always wanted the opportunity to be able to graduate, to move past just being the ‘Tough Enough Kid.'”

On being able to earn his respect backstage: “It’s weird. It’s not even backstage. It’s not even with the boys. After time passed and after I earned some of my stripes, I noticed the guys in the locker room, they no longer viewed me as the ‘Tough Enough Kid.’ Even the production staff no longer viewed me as just the ‘Tough Enough Kid.’ They allowed me the opportunity to earn some of their respect, but with interviews I do, and still do to this day, I’m forever known as ‘Tough Enough Kid.’ I know what you’re saying, ‘Maven, you ungrateful piece of –‘ Imagine if I linked your lifelong success with the first thing you did after you graduated. Is that something that you would want to have hanging over you? I don’t think so.”