Maclin making his mark in newly rebranded TNA Wrestling
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Steve Maclin never worked for TNA Wrestling until last week. But just a couple of shows into the “relaunch” of the former Impact Wrestling, he’s learning what all the buzz is about.
From 2002 to 2017, Total Nonstop Action was one of wrestling’s most recognizable brands across the United States, and even more so here in Orlando, where TNA taped hundreds of hours of programming on a soundstage at Universal Studios. After the company was sold in 2017, the name was changed to Impact. The brand remained prominent, but a certain segment of fans still clamored for the old name.
This month, TNA is back. And since the promotion is honoring its past while building its future, why not return to Central Florida? TNA will tape several hours of TV this Friday and Saturday (Jan. 19-20) at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, with shows beginning each night at 7 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit TNAWrestling.com.
Maclin joined what was then Impact in June 2021 and has made it his home, rising to the top as world champion for several months last year. But he noted the difference when the TNA lettering returned with the Hard to Kill pay-per-view Jan. 13.
“The dial was turned up a little bit,” said Maclin, who lives in Orlando. “Everybody in that locker room is always so supportive and works together to try to make the brand better. But with the rebrand, it’s that extra little motivation that has lit an extra fire under everyone.”
That spark also caught fire at Hard to Kill with the debuts of several new faces in TNA, including former MLW champion Alex Hammerstone, WWE/NXT women’s standout Ash by Elegance (formerly known as Dana Brooke) and Nic Nemeth, who won multiple WWE championships under the name Dolph Ziggler.
Maclin said he feels a special affinity for Nemeth, who toiled in WWE for nearly 20 years as one of the sport’s most respected performers but sometimes had to work twice as hard to reach main-event status. Maclin was in WWE for six years as Steve Cutler of the Forgotten Sons.
“Nic Nemeth is one that I have always looked up to. He’s a soldier in the trenches, not always given those big opportunities, but he’s been relied upon to do his job,” Maclin said. “Things don’t always work out for guys like us.
“We’re very similar in our own story, wanting to be the show-stealer. Now that he’s left WWE, he gets to go out into uncharted territory. It’s the same as when I was released (by WWE), getting to show a different side and flourish in a new way.”
Professional wrestling is in a new and exciting cycle. The depth of talent that’s been able to flourish and get noticed outside of WWE is as wide as it has been in years, with wrestlers able to work for multiple TV/PPV-based companies even within the same week.
The new freedom “has lit a spark in the wrestling industry,” Maclin said. “It’s the hottest I can remember. I grew up during the WWE New Generation and Attitude eras and that was big, but now you have multiple companies giving opportunities to talent — it has sparked a different kind of competition, whether we admit it or not.”
Maclin himself has a match booked soon with the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico, plus appearances in Canada and Europe. He said the constant travel can sometimes be a slog but he enjoys some of it, especially when he travels with wife and fellow wrestler Deonna Purrazzo, who recently signed with All Elite Wrestling.
“When I’m alone, it’s usually quick-in and quick-out of a city, but when I’m traveling with my wife, we try to make the most of it,” Maclin said. “We took a great trip to Tombstone in Arizona; we saw Hoover Dam; we really enjoy the time we are on the road together.
“The most beautiful thing we saw was the Grand Canyon, which is hard to describe if you haven’t seen it — it’s like the most unreal real thing you’ve ever seen,” Maclin said. “We had some moments of peace just taking it in and thinking, ‘Holy crap, I enjoy what I do. All I ever wanted to do was this, basically acting like a big kid my whole life, but wrestling led me to this. It was amazing.”
No matter whether you call the promotion Impact or TNA, Maclin is proud of where he works and said he looks forward to building the brand even further.
“I think TNA has always been a place to go and grow,” Maclin said. “If you’re somewhere else and couldn’t show what you wanted, this is the land of opportunity where you have a little freedom. It’s really time to step it up with these new names coming in, but I’m excited for it.”
