“Undertaker F***d That Up” – Maven on His Botched Elimination at the 2002 WWE Royal Rumble

The Undertaker is renowned as one of the very best workers in WWE history. So when someone says that the DeadMan made a mistake in the ring, it is hard to believe. But when did Taker do such a thing and where? This botch came at the 2002 Royal Rumble. Interestingly, the botch included the first male WWE Tough Enough winner, Maven.

For context, at the 2002 Royal Rumble, The Undertaker was wreaking havoc to anybody who set foot into the ring. His latest victim was the Hardy Boyz, whom he eliminated one after the other. First Jeff then Matt with WWE Hall of Famer Lita watching ringside.

With Maven, the original plan was for Undertaker to send him over the top rope. However, as Maven went through the second rope, he was never eliminated. Speaking to Chris Van Vliet, Maven spilled the beans about the infamous botch and whose fault it was.

He said, “Taker fu***d that up big time. I mean, of course, he did, and I told him. I was like, ‘listen when you throw me out, throw me out [the top rope]. It was honestly, it was something that just no one thought about. It wasn’t a fu** up at the time. The spot was kicking him, then the spot was him coming in and me cowering and ‘no I didn’t mean to do it’.”

“After that was just the chair shot, which I still will say was probably one of the hardest chair shots ever, and then the whole popcorn machine. No one, myself, Taker, I don’t think anyone even thought about the whole going through the rope scenario and then it blew up on the internet Maven’s not eliminated. To which they fixed it with the title shot.”

Watch This Story – The Biggest Heartbreaks in WWE History

The Undertaker almost retired in 1999

The fans love The Undertaker. Taker always repaid this love by delivering excellent matches every time he stepped in the ring. However, despite his character suggesting otherwise, he too, as a human, was at risk of injury and exhaustion from overworking. One time, Taker was so badly injured that he almost retired.

Read More: “Taker Had a Lot of Wear and Tear” – Bruce Prichard Shoots on the Undertaker Almost Retiring in ’99

Thank heavens he continued to wrestle many more years, and the fan got to witness the legendary WrestleMania streak in the making.

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