Steve Maclin praises several new additions to TNA roster including some former WWE talent (Exclusive)
Steve Maclin has been butting heads with Nic Nemeth (formerly Dolph Ziggler) since January, but the IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion isn't the only new face in TNA lately.
TNA Wrestling has had an intense 2024 so far, managing to fill the holes left by recent departures with some strong talent. Nic Nemeth, of course, is the biggest acquisition of the year so far. Still, several other names have made an impact in TNA.
Speaking to our own Riju Dasgupta, Steve Maclin got to discuss the recent acquisitions of a handful of key signings that could shape the future of the promotion going forward. First up was the woman formerly known as Dana Brooke, now known as Ash By Elegance.
"She's doing great. I've known her since I first started [in WWE] when we got to NXT together. She was first starting in the ring when I got there. To see her transformation from then to the main roster, and now to TNA, it's just fun to sit and chat and for her to compliment me and me to compliment her. Just letting your guard down where you're not constantly focused on with a microscope or told no. It's fun to just go out there and find yourself a little bit more than you previously had. She's killing it right now. She reminds me a little bit of that Rick Martell style." [13:08-14:04]
Another former WWE star, Mustafa Ali, has already made quite an impression on TNA fans and is the first of the new signees to capture a championship. At No Surrender, Ali defeated the legendary TNA vet and record-holding 10-time X-Division Champion Chris Sabin for that title in the main event. Ali also recently aligned with the Grizzled Young Vets. Steve Maclin highlighted their history together, with both men getting tryouts in 2013.
"Can't say enough about him. He's one hell of a talent, even his character as a politician, and I hate politicians. He's always been a good guy to me, never had a problem with him. We had a tryout in 2013 together, go figure, and now here we are in 2024 with him as TNA X-Division Champion and me going back after the world title. It's such a cool thing to see." [14:09-14:44]
The landscape of TNA has changed quite a bit in 2024. There's one major name, though, that arrived from a different promotion and has piqued the interest of the Trademark of TNA.
Steve Maclin looks forward to facing former MLW Heavyweight Champion Hammerstone
At TNA Hard to Kill, one of the hottest free agents in wrestling Alex Hammerstone made his debut, losing to Josh Alexander in an excellent match. Fans were enthralled with the bout and were pleased when told a rematch would take place at Sacrifice. When asked about Hammerstone's arrival in TNA, Steve Maclin's first thought was to address the incredible physique of the former MLW World Champion.
"What a body guy! Just a big ball of meat. I'm looking forward...we only locked horns once in the independents in New Jersey. That's another match I'm looking forward to down the line. It's one hell of a challenging opponent. For him to beat Josh the way he did the other night, granted it was a little cheap, but he got the job done. A win's a win." [14:47-15:12]
Steve Maclin has a serious history with Hammerstone's opponent Josh Alexander, as Maclin was supposed to challenge the Walking Weapon for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship around this time last year. An unfortunate injury forced Alexander to relinquish his title, leading to Maclin besting Kushida for the gold at Rebellion 2023. The two would square off at Victory Road last September, where Alexander would get the victory.
After losing his debut to Alexander at Hard to Kill Hammerstone would tie things up at Sacrifice thanks to a low blow when the referee was out on the mat. If Steve Maclin is looking to add some meat to his crew, Hammerstone wouldn't be a bad addition.