Impact Wrestling: Three Main Event Making Feuds For Steve Maclin

Since arriving in Impact Wrestling a year ago, Steve Maclin has become one of the more popular stars on the roster. He has the potential to become the face of Impact Wrestling in the future but he just needs a few more feuds to get there.

Just before the mass release the WWE had in April 2021, then known as Steve Cutler, Steve Maclin was released from the WWE in February. After a few months, Maclin signed a contract with Impact Wrestling and hasn’t looked back since. He impressed many fans during his time in WWE and NXT as a member of The Forgotten Sons with Jaxson Ryker and Wesley Blake. However, after comments by Ryker had all of their momentum taken from them, they truly became the forgotten sons. After failing to work with then King Corbin, Maclin was soon gone from the company, and Wesley and Jaxson would follow him out before the end of the year.

Despite being released, it was possibly the best thing that could have happened for Steve Maclin’s career. Since arriving in Impact Wrestling, Steve Maclin has been able to be his own person without any partners. He is a man who walks alone in Impact and isn’t afraid to get into the ring with the biggest and the baddest of them all. In the year that he has been in the company, Maclin has become an anti-hero that many fans have come to love. Despite not winning any championships in the company, you can see that Maclin could easily become the face of the company in the future.

However, he still needs to take that next big step. That next big step could easily be one big feud to solidify him as a star in Impact Wrestling. We have seen Maclin pick up some major victories in Impact but they weren’t enough to push him to superstardom but they certainly got the fans talking. He has beaten former world champions like Eddie Edwards, Rhino, Chris Sabin, and Jay White to name a few. We know he has what it takes but it is time for him to show it in Impact Wrestling. Here are three feuds for Steve Maclin to solidify him as a Main Eventer.

3. Moose

Over the past few years, there haven’t been many wrestlers in Impact Wrestling more dominating than Moose. After retiring from his pro-football career, Quinn Ojinnaka quickly got accustomed to pro wrestling. He started to gain notoriety after signing with Ring of Honor in 2014. In ROH, he created a new name and character as he became Moose and has never looked back. He started an undefeated streak when he first arrived in ROH and it would last nearly a year before being ended by Cedric Alexander in May 2015. He was named Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Rookie of the Year the same year.

After spending a few years with ROH and wrestling some for NJPW during the time, Moose left ROH for Impact Wrestling. Only days after leaving ROH, Moose debuted at Destination X in 2016 as a heel partner of Mike Bennett. It wasn’t long before Moose started to make an impact by winning the Impact Grand Championship. However, it wouldn’t be until last year that Moose finally got his hands on the Impact World Championship after using his right to “call his shot” and beat Josh Alexander for the championship, just minutes after Alexander had won it. Even though he held the TNA World Championship for so long that his reign was finally sanctioned.

Moose has become one of the biggest threats in the business. Plus it’s fun to chant “Moose” as he is making his way to the ring. However, if Steve Maclin wants to show everybody he is a big deal, beating Moose is the way to do so. Moose and Maclin haven’t crossed paths many times in Impact. However, they were recently in a tag team match as a team and they came out on the winning end. They got to see each other up close and personal and that will likely come to play when these two surely collide in the future. Steve Maclin will soon enough be a name in the world title picture and then Moose will surely be in the way.

2. Eric Young

You can take a look at the Impact Wrestling roster of today and see some familiar names that helped make the company a household name. There are loyalists like Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, the Motor City Machine Guns, that are still holding the Impact Wrestling banner high and still putting on great matches. There are former world champions like Rhino and James Storm still fighting and showing pride for the company. And of course, there is a TNA original that has come a long way from where he started in TNA back in the day. Far from being paranoid, far from being in Team Canada, and far from being Super Eric. Eric Young is Violent By Design.

Eric Young may be one of the most underrated wrestlers to ever do it. While stars like Chris Jericho have been admired for their ability to change, Eric Young hasn’t received the same admiration. If you took a look back at EY’s career, it would look like multiple different people and not just one. He has done about everything you can think of and has possibly reached new heights as the leader of Violent By Design. Nearly two years ago, Eric Young returned to Impact Wrestling at Slammiversary. Within two months, he was Impact World Champion for the second time. If there is a guy to beat in Impact Wrestling to instantly make a name for yourself, it’s Eric Young.

Despite being in the same company for a year, Steve Maclin and Violent By Design haven’t crossed paths. This comes as a surprise to me as I would think Steve Maclin was just the guy that Violent By Design would have liked to have on their side. However, that wouldn’t have likely gone over well, Steve Maclin would rather walk alone than beside Violent By Design. he may have a bit of trauma still from being a forgotten son. Even though they haven’t crossed paths yet, it is a collision destined to happen. Once they finally collide, it would mean much more for Steve Maclin’s career to defeat a two-time Impact World Champion.

1. Honor No More

Oh yeah, Granger. You make a list of three choices but your last choice is literally a group consisting of seven members. You really just make the rules to break them don’t you? Well yes, but do you not agree with me? With Honor No More still trying to take over Impact Wrestling, it would be a great story for Maclin, the anti-hero himself, to become the hero of Impact Wrestling to attempt to face off against the entire stable. He has leaned towards the direction of being a heel in Impact but going face could make Maclin into a huge deal overnight.

It is no surprise to a wrestling fan that stories where the “fan favorite” is being held down usually sell. When The Corporation tried to keep down Mankind and keep him from the world championship, Raw ended up beating Nitro in the ratings. When The Authority tried to keep down Daniel Bryan, the fans became emotionally invested and pushed him to the main event of WrestleMania. If Steve Maclin attempts to stand up to Honor No More all by himself, the fans could easily latch onto his character and want Maclin to succeed.

Honor No More is currently scheduled to fight at Against All Odds against the team of “Cowboy” James Storm, The Good Brothers, and two mystery partners. In my opinion, Honor No More has to win this match after losing to the TNA Originals at Slammiversary to keep their momentum and aura intact. Another big loss could mess up everything for the group, they should dominate at Against All Odds and then Steve Maclin should get involved. Maclin isn’t a guy that should care what happens to TNA Originals and the company, he only cares when it involves him.

It would make sense if Honor No More gets involved with a potential number one contender match that Maclin is a part of. That would make it personal for Maclin and give him a reason to target the group. Maclin has already beaten two members of the group in the past in PCO and their leader, Eddie Edwards, even if it was by DQ. He could hunt them one by one and take them out until he only has one member to deal with. It wouldn’t be an easy task for Maclin but that would be part of what could make the crowd love Steve Maclin. The more they try to keep him down, the happier the fans will be when he gets back up again.

Maclin’s got a history with the group that can become a very personal feud. Eddie Edwards has tried to frame him and has beaten him with a kendo stick. PCO took him to war inside a Monster’s Ball match. In my mind, this would be the perfect way to make Steve Maclin a huge star and push him to the top of the company as the eventual foil to Honor No More. As they say, everybody has a weakness, perhaps Honor No More’s weakness is Impact Wrestling’s lone wolf, Steve Maclin. Or maybe I am wrong? Maclin still has Vincent, Michael Bennett, Matt Taven, and Kenny King to worry about. No doubt Honor No More is staked, but does Maclin have what it takes to beat them all?