Maclin Reveals Planned TNA Debut Match vs. CM Punk

In a revelation from behind the scenes of professional wrestling, TNA Wrestling star Steve Maclin disclosed that he was slated to face CM Punk in the ring had the former AEW champion signed with the promotion following his 2023 departure from that company. The discussions, which occurred in the fall of that year, collapsed just as TNA's leadership underwent a significant change.

Maclin shared the details during a recent interview on the Pro Wrestling Illustrated podcast. He recounted a conversation with then-TNA President Scott D'Amore, who informed him over dinner that Punk was on the verge of joining the company and that Maclin would serve as his inaugural challenger. This news came right around the time D'Amore was let go from TNA, amid the promotion's shift back to its original branding from Impact Wrestling. "Yeah, Punk was gonna almost sign there, and then you were going to be his first challenger," D'Amore told Maclin, according to the wrestler's account.

Punk's potential move to TNA followed his contract termination by All Elite Wrestling in September 2023, after a backstage altercation at the All Out event the previous year had sidelined him. During his time away from...