TNA Locks Down Former World Champion With New Contract

At TNA Rebellion, Steve Maclin addressed the crowd at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, revealing that (at least for storyline purposes) he had yet to sign a new contract. All of his demands had been met besides one -- he wanted a match at Rebellion. That came true when Mike Santana made his grand return to TNA to challenge him, a match that Maclin lost. At the time it wasn't confirmed that he had signed any sort of contract at all as it was reported his last deal was up in May. Earlier today, TNA confirmed that the former World Champion had in fact re-signed. "I have a lot of unfinished business here and plan to get back into the TNA World Championship picture," Maclin said in a press release. "I'm very happy to call TNA home."

Maclin further explained his decision to re-sign with TNA, noting that there is a certain "creative freedom" for him there and that the talks have gone as far back as when former TNA President Scott D'Amore was still with the company.

"As of now, I am currently re-signed with TNA. That is the big news," Maclin told Fightful's In The Weeds. "As I said at Rebellion, we had been going back and forth for months with a list of demands. It's been a long time coming. I was trying to work out, even when Scott D'Amore was there, about a year ago we were trying to work out new plans and trying to extend me with TNA. Now, with the rebrand, I felt like signing back with TNA and the creative freedom that I do have, and a lot of unfinished business that I do have in the company, especially a lot of opponents that I can work with or work against. I'm very much looking forward to the future with TNA."

He also revealed that while there had been discussions elsewhere, he feels that there's still "a lot more" for him to do in TNA, reiterating the "unfinished business." 

"My deal was up May 31st. Not like it's contract tampering, but there had been discussions elsewhere," Maclin continued. "You put out your feelers, you have conversations, you want to know what fits best for you and seeing the landscape. I have a lot of unfinished business in TNA and there is a lot more work for me to do. I think my decision was made easily, especially going back a year, I was trying to re-sign then for longer."

Maclin, a United States Marine Corps veteran, began his in-ring career back in 2013. Shortly after, he was scouted by WWE and brought into their developmental brand, NXT. He spent the next roughly seven years there in the Forgotten Sons stable before he was released in 2021. Upon his arrival to IMPACT in the summer of 2021, he generated a whole new group of fans. After two years with the promotion, he won his first TNA/IMPACT championship, the World title, beating KUSHIDA at Rebellion 2023. He lost the championship nearly two months later to Alex Shelley at Against All Odds.

H/T: Fightful