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Steve Maclin made a dramatic return to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) on Thursday night’s “Impact” to take on Mike Santana for the World Championship.
Maclin’s match against Santana at Sacrifice was stopped due to injury, and later Maclin was briefly “fired” from the company before Director of Operations Daria Rae worked to reinstate him. It was a highly anticipated match to see who would become the face of TNA.
Rae and Maclin were part of a segment before the match began. Rae gave Maclin a pep talk of sorts before the match took place.
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Mike Santana enters the ring during NXT at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York on March 31, 2026. (Brien Adams/WWE)
“You remember when you got fired? Of course you do. You know what’s so interesting about this company? Everyone loves to brag about loyalty, that is, until it’s inconvenient,” she told a stoic Maclin. “You put your hands on Tom Hannifan and this whole company turned on you overnight. They want to erase Steve Maclin from TNA history. But not me. I saw the situation differently. They saw you as a liability and I saw the value. I saw a man that everyone else feared because they know exactly what you’re capable of when you’re focused.
“More importantly, I understand why men like you are built the way you are and what you’re built for. And tonight you have an opportunity that no one else is capable of doing – take out Mike Santana. Rip the heart right out of this company and put the TNA title back on someone worthy of holding it.”
Eric Young, who became the #1 contender for the TNA World Title, also got Maclin’s ear prior to his match. He warned that the winner will have to face Young at his “most masochistic.”
Maclin promised to put Santana in a hospital when he tried to confront the champion before their match.
But would it be enough to dethrone Santana?
It was a battle right from the start. The two each had their moments where they had the upper hand in the match. When Santana got back into the match, Maclin was thrown out of the ring. Maclin tried to move out of the way of any aerial moves, but Santana smartly got to the top and hit a big splash on the outside.
Maclin used the outside to his advantage. He threw Santana into the ring post and had a table set up on the outside. Santana tried to jump off the stairs to clothesline Maclin, but came up a little limp. Maclin immediately went to work with the tweaked left leg.
As the final minutes of the match drew to a close, it was time to go for both competitors. Santana hit Maclin with a Rolling Buck 50, but Maclin wouldn’t stay down – not even after a Blue Thunder Bomb.
Mike Santana makes his NXT debut at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. on June 3, 2025. (Bradlee Rutledge/WWE)
Maclin was caught on the top rope as Santana hit an enziguri, causing Maclin to fall backwards through the table he set up. Santana rolled him back into the ring and hit a frogsplash but only got a two count.
Santana signed to Spin the Block. Maclin collapsed before Santana could hit it. Santana checked on Maclin to make sure he was okay, but fell for the trap. Maclin hit a superkick and tried for the pin, to no avail.
Santana made a last gasp effort. He gathered enough energy to hit the Spin the Block, pinning Maclin for the win.
“This is my house,” Santana proclaimed as “Impact” went off the air.
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X Division Championship Fallout
The system started the night basking in the glory that was Cedric Alexander’s X Division Championship win over Leon Slater.
“Leon Slater, you were a day away, a day away, a day away, I’ll say it again, he was a day away from fulfilling his dream. A day away from becoming the record maker. No, look, last week I became a record holder,” Alexander said. “Boo all you want. It’s a fact that I’m now the standard in the X Division.
“I’m TNA’s signature champion. And you know what? I have a problem. Instead of being able to celebrate my moment. Instead of being able to live in the moment, someone decided to crash the party.”
Alexander called out Fabian Aichner, who appeared at the end of Alexander’s match with Slater.
Aichner obliged and had a message for Alexander and The System.
“Buona Sera, System. Last week I didn’t come out here for no reason. I came out here to make a name for myself – respect, redemption and recognition. That’s why I’m here. So if you guys want to call yourselves the best in TNA, perfect. You’re right up front, because the bigger the obstacle, the bigger the match, the better I’m not just a gimmick. And TNA champion. You know what?
Bear Bronson and Brian Meyers rushed Aichner in the aisle but missed doing any damage. Aichner dumped Eddie Edwards on the floor. Alexander began attacking Aichner as he entered the ring. Aichner avoided Alexander’s Lumbar Check and reversed it into a chokehold.
Aichner was left standing tall in the ring as The System pulled Alexander out of the ring.
Aichner and Edwards start next week on “Impact.”
Santino Marella addresses Arianna Grace, Stacks
Santino Marella makes his NXT debut at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. on September 30, 2025. (Bradlee Rutledge/WWE)
Stacks and his fiancee Arianna Grace were ringside to watch the match between Indi Hartwell and Elayna Black. Grace, the former TNA Knockouts World Champion, had been feuding with Hartwell for some time. Grace claimed Hartwell was “obsessed” with her.
The match ended when Stacks unsuccessfully tried to distract the referee while Grace pushed Hartwell off the top rope and began her takedown. Grace blamed her father, Santino Marella, for why she is no longer the TNA Knockouts Champion. She said current champion Lei Ying Lee did not deserve her shot at the title.
Marella, TNA’s director of authority, came out and called Grace “classless”. He said the only thing unfinished was Grace’s “attitude” and she needed to be “grounded”. He turned his attention to Stacks, saying he made him “sick” and that he was the one “filling her head with all that garbage.”
Marella was about to use the cobra on Stacks before Rae came out and put a stop to it. Rae reminded Marella that if he wanted a match with Stacks, he would have to submit it to “the board” and get it approved.
Rae later announced that the match had been approved for next week’s “Impact”. Marella will take on Stacks one-on-one.
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“Impact” match results:
Indi Hartwell def. Elayna Black via DQ.
“Broken” Matt Hardy def. Vincent.
Mustafa Ali def. Chazz “Starboy” Hall to retain the TNA International Championship.
Xia Brookside def. Sure stone.
