WWE thumbtack spot secrets revealed by 3-time champion

WWE storylines often lead to weapon-based matches when a rivalry between two wrestlers cannot be settled in a regular one-on-one bout. Maven Huffman, a three-time Hardcore Champion, recently revealed the secrets behind wrestlers using thumbtacks in matches.

In the 1990s, Mick Foley popularized the use of thumbtacks in WWE. The Hall of Famer landed on a set of tacks during his famous Hell in a Cell match against The Undertaker at King of the Ring 1998. Several other matches also featured tacks, including Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose at Extreme Rules 2016.

On his Maven Huffman YouTube channel, Maven said wrestlers take thumbtack bumps in the ring rather than at ringside to limit the risk of injury:

"There are a few tricks to the trade. The main one being, in a thumbtack spot, you're gonna wanna make sure it's done within the ring. Reason being the ring does provide a slight amount of give to it. If you threw the thumbtacks on a hard wood floor, concrete, or any hard surface, there's gonna be no give. And not only the force of the bump is gonna hurt your back, but it's just gonna drive these little suckers deeper and deeper into your skin. The ring provides a slight amount of forgiveness." [1:00 – 1:33]

Maven worked for WWE between 2001 and 2005. The 48-year-old is best remembered for winning the inaugural Tough Enough season. He also eliminated The Undertaker from the 2002 Royal Rumble match.

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Maven reveals another key detail about WWE thumbtack spots

Later in the video, Maven took a bump on thumbtacks inside a wrestling ring to show viewers how painful they can be.

He also advised wrestlers to always land back-first when receiving a move onto a set of tacks:

"If your match calls for a thumbtack spot, you're gonna want to take the bump to your back," Maven continued. "Trust me, over a broader area it's gonna disperse the pain way better, and you do not wanna risk these going into your eye or any of the soft tissue into your face. So, if you gotta take thumbtacks, make sure you're taking a back bump." [1:34 – 1:55]

Maven's last WWE match aired on June 26, 2005. He teamed up with Antonio and Romeo in a losing effort against The Hurricane, Rosey, and Val Venis.

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Please credit Maven Huffman and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.