Matt Hardy Reacts To Steve Maclin's TNA Departure: 'I'm Curious, I'm Excited'
It's been one week since former TNA star Steve Maclin exited the Nashville-based promotion. Looking to maintain his "Front Toward Enemy" approach elsewhere, Matt Hardy, who worked alongside him, believes there will be a plethora of opportunities for Maclin wherever he decides to go next.
"It's going to be really interesting. He's a very talented guy. He's very passionate. He's hardworking. He's universally liked," the TNA star said on his "Extreme Life" podcast. "I'm curious. I'm excited...There's a space out there, you know, underneath the AEW umbrella...Ring of Honor. I know he has a good relationship with Scott D'Amore. Who knows...I wish him the best, whatever it is."
Wanting to keep his release private, TNA publicly posted the departures of Maclin and Knockout star Myla Grace. Maclin confirmed the announcement to be true, while thanking the company for its generosity of allowing him to be part of its roster for five years. He joined Impact/TNA a few months after being released from the WWE in 2021. In TNA, he stacked several championships, including becoming the company's inaugural and two-time International and Impact World Champion. His last televised match was on the May 21 episode of "TNA Impact," where he came up short against Mike Santana for the TNA World Championship. It would be the second time those two competed against one another for the title, as the first time, the referee stopped the match for fear of a concussion on Maclin at Sacrifice this past March.
Though Hardy had mentioned he would be a great fit for AEW or its sister company in ROH, he also noted that Maclin would also be appreciated in "WWE NXT," as he could provide wisdom and knowledge to those who are just starting their in-ring work there. Maclin's real-life wife Deonna Purrazzo is currently signed with both AEW and ROH, and is the inaugural ROH Women's Pure Champion.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.