As we know, competition is the key to the health of any industry, as it gives options for both the fans and the talent themselves. Within the past few years in particular, we’ve seen the ebb and flow of that within the professional wrestling business with the shifting dynamics of the industry.
Of course, the free agent market will always be a topic of discussion when there are those previously mentioned options for talent, and as each organization evolves, it can alter the path that talent take when they are testing the waters of free agency. It’s nothing new and actually part of doing business as a pro wrestler since it becomes imperative to maximize your value as a talent to make as much money as possible during an in-ring career. Keep in mind, there are no pensions or retirement plans for those within sports entertainment. It can be a difficult task because when a talent thinks they are being underutilized, it’s a risk to willingly ask for a contract release since it abandons the security of the weekly paycheck that a national contract brings with it. Obviously, it goes without saying that there are no guarantees of a better spot or better pay elsewhere. On the other hand, if a wrestler becomes too complacent for too long and content to take the money just to hang out in catering if the company doesn’t have anything for them, they could end up under the radar so long that it neutralizes their stock as a commodity. Leva Bates, Big Swole, or Jake Hager aren’t exactly in-demand these days.
It’s definitely a balancing act as far as when to go and where, assuming it will be the right overall career move.
As I mentioned briefly in the article that I wrote about Mike Santana’s potential exit from Total Nonstop Action earlier this week when his current deal expires next month, former Impact champion, Steve Maclin requested his release from the organization. TNA confirmed that the released was granted, and the rumor mill suggests that Maclin was frustrated with his direction, as well as the structure of the company. That in itself doesn’t necessarily mean that those that follow TNA should push the panic button, as it’s not uncommon for a talent to be dissatisfied with the management of a promotion if the office doesn’t have plans for them. The puzzling aspect is that Maclin spent a few months working with the previously mentioned Santana before this so it appeared, at least on the surface, that he was in the mix as one of the spotlighted wrestlers for TNA.
Still, it’s possible that Maclin thought he hit a ceiling in the promotion, and considering that he was a former world champion, maybe he had. The group debuted on AMC at the start of the year after the working agreement with WWE brought them more publicity than they had in a decade, but as I also pointed out in the write-up about Santana, TNA might be in danger of being typecast as a minor league feeder system for WWE rather than a destination of its own for talent. If Maclin saw the writing on the wall, that might’ve solidified the ceiling as far as how much progress he could make under the TNA banner.
At 39, Maclin has had a decent career, albeit under the radar through no fault of his own. Maclin originally inked a WWE developmental deal in 2014 and was under contract for almost seven years before he was cut in 2021. The fact that he was trained and developed through the WWE system, especially for that length of time, it proves that he brought something to the table as a performer. Unfortunately, when he was brought to the main roster in early-2020, it was right after the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the entire world, and the WWE television product that had to be filmed in an empty building was absolute drek. He was initially brought to Smackdown as a part of The Forgotten Sons stable, but a moronic tweet from Ryker in the midst of civil unrest in the country at the time saw the faction dropped from television. In many ways, Maclin was a victim of circumstances during his WWE tenure.
A few months later, he resurfaced in TNA and did relatively well there as a very solid performer at a time when the company definitely needed those efforts. As mentioned, he eventually won the world title, but the problem was that the company was still so far under the radar in terms of publicity and distribution that it wasn’t a situation where it could’ve propelled his star power. As I said, Maclin worked with the world champion in recent months so it’s tough to know exactly what prompted the request for the release, but Machin would be a solid asset to any roster in the business right now. He’s probably not going to be a pay-per-view main eventer, but rather a good utility guy to have on the card, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
At 39, it’s doubtful that he will be back in WWE, but it’s possible, depending on what they’d have planned for him. I could be wrong, but if a WWE return happens, I could see him as a veteran presence to work with the younger talent on NXT as opposed to a performer on the main roster. Maclin’s real-life wife, Deonna Purrazzo is signed to All Elite Wrestling and has worked extensively for Ring Of Honor where she is the current ROH Women’s Pure champion so it’s possible that he signs a deal with AEW,
That being said, if Maclin debuts there, he will probably get the artificial debut pop, get featured for a few weeks and then end up in the ROH witness protection program. The ROH platform will offer him zero exposure, but it’s a relatively easy paycheck to be able to work with his wife for a lighter schedule.
Speaking of All Elite Wrestling, the tag team of The Butcher and The Blade saw their contracts expire with the organization last week. The duo had been in the company for almost seven years, with flashes of success during that span of time. I have to say, assuming that they are both healthy and want to continue wrestling on a full-time basis, there has to be a landing spot for these two somewhere. They are a solid team, have a good look, and were a productive combination when they were given the chance to showcase themselves. As was the case with numerous talents in All Elite, they were lost in the shuffle after the early years of the company, and when The Blade suffered a very serious back injury that required spinal fusion surgery in late-2024, it put him on the shelf for more than a year so the tag team had no momentum.
It should be noted that The Blade said that AEW paid for the surgery and the rehabilitation process. At the same time, it’s understandable that the promotion would move on from the tag team since their act doesn’t really fit into the current AEW landscape. However, and this might be the bigger point, there’s an opportunity for a fresh start somewhere else, and it’s possible that a new chapter could reignite their careers for another run. At 48 and 46 respectively, there’s no doubt that the pair are near the latter stages of their careers, but there would probably be enough time for a final major run.
In truth, their age would probably prevent them from being on the WWE radar, but New Japan Pro Wrestling might be the place that they could excel as a team. The Butcher as the gaijin monster, and The Blade as the technician might work well with the New Japan presentation. It goes without saying that it would depending on if Cyber Fight, the company that just bought a major stake in New Japan, would be willing to spend the cash to bring more foreign talent to the organization after they spent a reported $22.6 million on the New Japan acquisition. Either way, it will be interesting to see if these departures develop into a new chapter for the specific performers or if the exit is moot in the grand scheme of things.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
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