Steve Maclin Explains TNA Departure After Five Years, Eyes Opportunities Across Wrestling Landscape

Steve Maclin is embracing life as a free agent following the end of his five-year run with TNA Wrestling, and he’s making it clear that no door is off the table when it comes to his next move.

In a recent interview on the MuscleManMalcolm podcast, Maclin spoke candidly about his decision to request his release from TNA — a move he acknowledged caught a lot of fans off guard. For Maclin, though, the timing felt right. He framed the current wrestling climate as a return to the territory era, just on a global scale, and said recognizing that shift played a big role in his thinking.

“I’m very excited for this time period where I can pop up anywhere,” Maclin said. “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.”

That last line is telling — Maclin didn’t close the door on a TNA return. He spoke warmly about the promotion’s locker room culture, calling it uniquely family-oriented and describing the hotel hangouts after shows as a genuine bond among the roster. When it came time to say goodbye, he admitted that letting his colleagues know he was leaving was the hardest part of the whole process.

His final TNA match came at the May 15, 2026 television tapings in Sacramento, a loss to Mike Santana. Since then, Maclin has kept busy on the independents. He competed for Pro Wrestling Revolver in Dayton, Ohio — falling to Joe Alonso — and also appeared at Scott D’Amore’s Maple Leaf Pro Mayhem television tapings in Windsor, Ontario.

With momentum building and intrigue surrounding where the former TNA World Champion will land next, Maclin looks well-positioned to make some noise in whichever corner of the wrestling world he pops up in.