Steve Carrier on July 26, 2025
Former WWE star Maven found himself in hot water after posting a YouTube tribute video honoring Hulk Hogan—because fans weren’t happy with the thumbnail. The issue? A frame showing Maven smiling was automatically selected as the preview image, and many viewers felt it didn’t match the emotional tone of the video about Hogan’s death.
The backlash came quick, prompting Maven to release a statement on Facebook, where he took full responsibility for the slip-up.
“Hey guys, Zach and I want to apologize for the thumbnail on the Hulk Hogan video. We didn’t create a custom thumbnail like we usually do for our videos. As a result, YouTube automatically chose a frame where I was smiling, which didn’t reflect the tone of my thoughts.”
He made it clear that despite how it looked, he was deeply affected by Hogan’s passing and respected the WWE Hall of Famer’s impact on pro wrestling.
“As I said in the video, I’m saddened by Hulk Hogan’s passing. I understand that Hogan’s legacy is polarizing, but that doesn’t diminish the impact he had on this business; I will forever appreciate the legacy he left.”
The video has since been updated with a new custom thumbnail more appropriate to the subject matter. Maven also promised to be more careful with his content moving forward.
“We’ve updated the video with a custom thumbnail that better reflects the message. Going forward, we’ll be more diligent with every aspect of our content and take the time to get things right. As stated in the video, humans make mistakes, and we made one yesterday. I hope you guys can forgive us.”
While the incident sparked criticism, Maven’s quick response and accountability seem to have smoothed things over with most fans.
Do you think fans overreacted to the thumbnail—or was it fair to call Maven out? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know what you think.
July 26, 2025 8:43 am
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