Steve Maclin turned the disappointment of his WWE release into motivation for a fresh start, building a TNA career that took him to the world championship.

Speaking with Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp, Maclin reflected on arriving in TNA in June 2021 with a point to prove. Following his WWE departure earlier that year, he set out to show what he could deliver when given an opportunity.

“I took advantage of every top opportunity that was given to me and try to knock it out of the park. The day I got let go from WWE, of course we talked then. But I instantly knew, ‘Cool, let’s get to work and prove to the world of who the f*ck I am.’ I’ve done that. I became a TNA World champion. I became a two-time TNA International champion and the first ever. I tried as best as I could creatively on my end to pitch ideas and do what I could. But then whatever they ended up going with, I would just do it to the best of my ability and go out there and try to give the fans something to be happy about, whether they liked me or they hated me. For me, I love being hated just because it’s a lot more fun. I can get under people’s skin because it’s the complete opposite of who I am outside of pro wrestling in real life where I get to just nitpick and have fun with it.”

That enjoyment of playing the villain became a key part of Maclin’s TNA persona. While his character thrived on getting under people’s skin, he explained that the role was far removed from his personality outside the ring.

His time in TNA also brought several changes behind the scenes. Maclin worked under Scott D’Amore, Ariel Shnerner and Carlos Silva, adapting to different leadership and creative teams while continuing to pursue his goals.

“I took every opportunity that was given to me through the three different regimes that were there of Scott D’Amore and then Ariel and then Carlos Silva and the creative teams that were there too of people that left and came and gone. Jimmy Jacobs is up in Maple Leaf Pro behind the scenes. D’Lo Brown is there as well. So it’s like everybody in the wrestling world is still there. You just see each other in a different light. It’s trust and building those relationships along the way as well.”

Maclin left TNA in June after five years with the promotion, citing creative frustrations as a major reason for his departure. He debuted in MLW in August and later feuded with AEW’s Adam Copeland, losing their match at Northern Rising on October 3.

What did you think of Steve Maclin’s TNA run, and where would you like to see him compete next? Share your thoughts in the comments.