Steve Maclin on TNA exit: ‘Five years is a long time in a company’
Steve Maclin addressed what could be next for him in his career, as well as his decision to leave TNA Wrestling, in a new interview.
Maclin spoke with MuscleManMalcolm for an interview that was published on Saturday. During the interview, it was suggested to Maclin that he could end up in an “elite” promotion next, but Maclin responded that he could pop up anywhere.
Maclin answered:
“I’m very excited for this time period where I can pop up anywhere. And it’s cool to have some buzz behind it too right now. I know a lot of people were kind of shocked that I asked for my release, but five years is a long time in a company. We’re in the territory era again, where it’s like a global territory with pro wrestling.
So for me, it’s just saying, all right, cool, I saw the writing on the walls, time for me to leave and maybe come back later on down the road.”
When asked about the five years he spent in TNA Wrestling, Maclin left the door open for a potential return and said that the vibe backstage in the company was “family-oriented.”
Maclin continued:
“I’ve never been in a bad locker room, but there’s a different vibe at TNA in that locker room. I know that’s said a lot in a lot of interviews from many, many people, but it’s just that family-oriented, like, when you’re done, everybody’s chilling out at the hotel, hanging out.
When I was leaving, that was the one thing that hurt the most, was kind of letting people know, like, hey, just so you know, I won’t be at work anymore.”
Maclin made his first appearance since leaving TNA Wrestling at a Pro Wrestling Revolver show in Dayton, Ohio recently, losing a match to Joe Alonso. The following night, he participated in the Maple Leaf Pro Mayhem TV tapings for Scott D’Amore’s promotion in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Maclin’s final match for TNA Wrestling was a loss to Mike Santana at the May 15, 2026 tapings from Sacramento.
His full interview with MuscleManMalcolm is available below.
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.