Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Earlier this week, Mike Johnson sat down with former TNA Champion Steve Maclin in advance of his match with Adam Copeland on tonight's MLP Northern Rising 2026 PPV on MyAEW.com. Below is the complete transcript for the discussion, which can be heard at www.PWInsiderElite.com.
Mike Johnson: Hey everybody, it's Mike Johnson in the audio section of PWInsiderElite.com. It is Wednesday, September 30th as you are listening to this. This coming Saturday will be Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling's Northern Rising 2026 airing live from Toronto and the former Maple Leaf Gardens on myAEW.com. There are a number of big main events scheduled for the show being produced by Scott D'Amore and friends. And perhaps none is bigger than the return of WWE Hall of Famer, AEW star Adam Copeland, known in other realms as Edge, as he returns to wrestle in the city where he grew up and famously saw WrestleMania VI from ringside where Hulk Hogan fought The Ultimate Warrior, all that other stuff. However, you always need a good antagonist, and you always need a good villain. And for Adam Copeland this Saturday, the opposition is former TNA champion Steve Maclin, who I'm very happy to be sitting down with yet again—first time since he left TNA we've had a chance to talk. Sir, first of all, how are you? How's family? How's life now that you've escaped the clutches of Carlos Silva?
Steve Maclin: [Laughs/] Life, family's good. Just getting ready for Northern Rising, and this is probably one of the biggest opportunities in my career, I feel. Even more than every title that I've had, this is something that I never thought would happen. And betting on myself again when I left TNA, and just knowing that my time there had to be done. And here we are now, getting ready October 3rd, and it's me versus Adam Copeland. What some people would say is a matchup they never saw happening, I never thought could happen, and to me it's a dream match that I never thought could happen.
Mike Johnson: When they first started teasing it on MLP Mayhem, I went, "That's an interesting one"—and not one that was on the cusp of my brain like, "Oh, matches I'd like to see." But when you think about your style and how gritty you are in the ring, and how physical you are, and how physical he is, you can see where it would click. Not even talking about personalities and the over-the-top nature of the spectacle of wrestling in the stories, but just the actual physicality, I went, "Wow, what a good idea from Scott D'Amore." It really was one of those where I went, "Man, I'm looking forward to that show, I want to see that." Before we talk about the show, I do want to ask you about TNA if you don't mind. Is that okay?
Steve Maclin: No, go right ahead.
Mike Johnson: Okay, so we had reported here you had signed an extension. You return, you get quote-unquote "fired," you return, you have the match with Mike Santana—or Cruz Montoya now. You have the injury. You come back, you do the rematch, and then you leave the company. So there's a lot of twists and turns here. What happened that you decided, "I need to go and pursue my creative endeavors elsewhere"?
Steve Maclin: Behind the scenes I've been fighting with creative on certain aspects to elevate other talent, myself. And no matter what, I never try to book myself to where I'm always the champion. I wanted to always have the best story and the best thing to go about it. We came to a disagreement, and we felt it was time—well, I felt it was time for me to leave. I was there five years. It's a long time at TNA, and I knew my time was up there. We left the door open if I ever wanted to go back. Carlos Silva and I were good on that end. Yeah, that's kind of the gist of it. It was my time to leave and go bet on myself.
Mike Johnson: When you're in that moment of "I've got to leave, and I've got to see what else is out there," how much of it is confidence, and how much of it is nuanced expectation based on the landscape of, well, there's these other places? Is it "I just got to go and be free, and this is just not working out," or is it "I'm confident I can find something elsewhere to go work full-time at"? There are people who pivot because they have no choice to pivot. You made that choice. Talk us through why you decided you knew you'd be okay, and you end up, obviously, with an opportunity like facing Adam Copeland this Saturday for MLP, but you couldn't have known that when you made the decision. What's it like being the one to make the decision, "I'm going to pivot my career," versus having it forced upon you by being released or fired or whatever the terminology is when a company does that to its talent?
Steve Maclin: Yeah, "future endeavors" is what I think you were looking for. But no, it's just the confidence in yourself, your ability, and what I know I'm capable of, and what I'm still capable of doing in this business—whether it's to win championships or now just take on legends. It's being able to go in there and hang with these people, but the hard decision about it was leaving my family at TNA in that locker room. I've said it forever, that locker room has always been the lifeblood from the moment when it was Impact Wrestling run by Scott D'Amore to the end with Carlos Silva as TNA. The hardest part was leaving the friends, relationships, and people that are there that I care for, and I still care for. I keep in contact with everybody, I still watch the show every Thursday, and I'm rooting for them. There's no reason to ever have animosity towards any company when you leave it; I don't understand it. You want the best for your friends and your family. But for me, now it's all confidence in myself and going out there with the opportunity to show the world against Adam Copeland. Especially in his home city of Toronto at the old Maple Leaf Gardens in a dream match of his that I know he made this sunshine and rainbows story about, but here I am making it personal because I want the very best of Adam Copeland. I want that Rated-R Superstar. I want the Ultimate Opportunist. I want the Hall of Famer. I want the man that I know I'm going to get the best out of standing across the ring from me.
Mike Johnson: You've been in a lot of different places. What's your take on the landscape of Maple Leaf Pro thus far, as we head into—actually, what will be tonight—the season finale of the Mayhem series' first season? What's your take on the landscape of the promotion given you've got a pretty good eye, knowing you've been in so many other places?
Steve Maclin: Opportunity. And that's the one thing I think as a professional wrestler now in this business and the industry as a whole: there's not just one company anymore. There's no end-all, be-all getting stuck in a warehouse learning how to perfect your craft and then hopefully trying to make it to Raw or SmackDown. Now there are so many different places to work, and even the independents right now are booming. It's taking advantage of these opportunities, and here I am with one of the biggest opportunities of my career against Adam Copeland at Northern Rising. I'm taking full advantage to show the world what I am capable of, and then that opens doors for other places. I've already jumped on Dynamite where I attacked Adam Copeland. You never know where I could end up.
Mike Johnson: When you think about the show this weekend, knowing that—I'm going to guess you're closing the show, based on how much TV time this match has gotten and how important Adam Copeland's return to Toronto is—you're closing that show. How do you compare that to the pressure of carrying a big TNA pay-per-view when you're in that main event position, or is it all the same pressure?
Steve Maclin: It's the same pressure, but I think there's a little bit added to it because there's so much emotion for me going into this. Adam is a guy that I watched since I was a kid, and I know everything he's about. At a time when you had the Attitude Era of Stone Cold, The Rock, The Undertaker, Triple H—these larger-than-life characters—you had tag teams building matches with TLC and making the tag team division mean something, bringing eyes to it. Here I am having the ability to wrestle a guy whose action figure I used to play with as an 11 or 12-year-old. Now I'm standing across from him, so the little kid in me is very emotional about this night and opportunity. But the competitor in me knows I have the greatest opportunity to upset Adam Copeland in Toronto at the Maple Leaf Gardens on October 3rd at Northern Rising. It's a dream come true for me.
Mike Johnson: Obviously you've worked with Scott D'Amore in the past. What are the differences in how he's approaching producing and running this company compared to when he was running TNA?
Steve Maclin: When Scott brings talent in, he figures them out quickly, gives them an opportunity, and builds that trust and relationship with them. Scott and I over the years have built a great relationship outside of the wrestling world, and inside too. I go to him for ideas or if I have a question or concern business-wise, and he has that answer for me because he's done a lot in this business. For me, it's like Impact Wrestling, TNA Wrestling all over again, having Scott D'Amore in charge, hitting on all cylinders. With the way he's built this card for Northern Rising, I think it's one of the top cards of the year.
Mike Johnson: When you look at the lineup of talent, one of the things I get excited about is getting to see people get opportunities they wouldn't get otherwise. You work a lot of indie shows now; you and Deonna promoted Battle for the Brave earlier in the year in Rahway. There's so much talent out there. When you go to MLP, one of the things I like about it is there's never really been a Canadian-tinged company specifically focused on Canadian talent. There's a lot of talent up there that doesn't get the opportunity to come here because of visas, politics, bad luck, or whatever. Who are some of the names on the show this Saturday that you've been impressed or surprised with, who you think might get opportunities in the future to go to AEW, TNA, or WWE down the line?
Steve Maclin: Being able to do the independents in Canada has been a lot of fun on my end because I don't have to deal with visa issues, and like you said, it's hard for them to come over here, deal with visas, get into the States, and make a name for themselves. But here you have a platform with Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling to give these Canadian wrestlers an opportunity—now there's no excuse. You have to take advantage of this. Like I said in my promo towards Adam Copeland, every Canadian, and everybody from every other country, eventually comes to America. But now here we are in a landscape in pro wrestling where there are so many different companies in so many different countries, where there's so much opportunity to grow. For me, the team that stands out—even from TNA—is Sinner and Saint (Travis and Judas). Those two guys stand out to me; they were people I was pushing for there, worked with a bit, and wanted to see more of. I'm very excited to see what the future holds for them in Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling. Then you have Vaughn Vertigo in Canada as well; I've worked with him in Toronto. The landscape is open now for every opportunity for a Canadian wrestler who's been stuck in that rut trying to make a name for themselves.
Mike Johnson: One of the other main events this weekend is going to be Josh Alexander against Stu Grayson to determine the undisputed MLP Canadian Heavyweight Champion. Obviously you're going to want to face the winner of that down the line, but what are your thoughts on that match, which is pretty much the co-main event on the show?
Steve Maclin: It's like looking back to Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels—who's the real IC champion—and here you have who's the real Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling champion. You have Josh Alexander, who still is the champion, and then you have the interim champion in Stu Grayson. You're chomping at the bit because Stu has a lot to prove, and Josh still has a lot to prove, as he always has. With Josh being one of my close friends, it's fun to see his mindset and how he's changed, especially with the Don Callis Family and how he's aligned himself in AEW, showing the world how good he is and what The Walking Weapon is all about.
Mike Johnson: Your wife works for AEW and Ring of Honor. Obviously, a number of people working this show are also AEW-centric. Do you look at that as a possible landing place where you'd like to end up in the near future, or do you feel like you're still feeling your way around working these different places like Revolver and MLP? Or is AEW the destination where you want to end up?
Steve Maclin: I'm feeling my way around, taking advantage of the opportunity and freedom to work everywhere. But would I love to end up at AEW where my wife and a lot of my good friends are? Yes. There's also the possibility of dream matches in AEW as well. That's another big task to jump to, again betting on myself and having confidence in myself. I know no matter where I go, I'm going to take advantage of every opportunity given to me and knock it out of the park. To be traveling with my wife again would be amazing.
Mike Johnson: I do want to ask you about Mike Santana, because I feel a big part of his success is due to the chemistry and the matches you guys got to have in TNA. What are your thoughts on that program running the way that it did, and him finally accomplishing his long-term goal to end up under a WWE banner?
Steve Maclin: I'm very happy for Mike. He's worked his ass off and earned it. We had a lot more to that story we wanted to tell; I thought it could have been stretched out a lot longer. Going back to the creative side of why I left, we thought there was so much more on the table for that story that fans were clamoring for. Now he's gone, I'm gone, the landscape changed, and he's over in NXT and WWE killing it. I'm excited for him. It's weird calling him Cruz Santana now—I like to joke with him and call him Hannah Montana! But no, I'm very excited for him and happy for him. Across the landscape of wrestling, whoever you work with—whether you agree with them on screen or behind the scenes—you always root for the best in everybody and want to see everyone succeed.
Mike Johnson: The wrestling landscape has changed so much since you were going to the Monster Factory and then into WWE developmental. When you look at it now compared to when you first broke in, do you think—and I'm not saying this as a negative to any specific person—there are too many opportunities for people to get too quickly, whereas in the past you had to work so hard just to find that one opportunity? I feel like there's more given to talents than they're mentally and emotionally ready for. I almost feel like that's going to shorten careers because they're not going to be ready for the opportunities handed to them. From your perspective, having gone through the experiences you did, do you feel the same way, or do you feel like it all ebbs and flows and doesn't matter?
Steve Maclin: It's kind of the ebbs and flows. Every talent has their story, and when you get there, you better be ready with the opportunity given to you to knock it out of the park and do what the promoter wants. For me, looking back, I was on the independents for about a year and a half before I got signed. That was very unheard of at the time. I went into my tryout thinking this was the end-all, be-all, and asking how I get to Japan. I got signed and was very lucky. A lot of the talent there at that time had been on the independents for 15 to 20 years before getting looked at by WWE. Now you have talent getting looked at within a year in the ring because they go viral for a clip on an independent show. They get a tryout, knock it out of the park, get there, and then either figure out the system or fail to figure it out. It comes back to the ebbs and flows and whether you're ready for the opportunity—it's sink or swim time.
Mike Johnson: When you say talents can't figure out the system, do you place the blame on the company or on the individual themselves? I know they're adults and no one should have to hold their hand and explain it piece by piece, but there are people who walk into the business without 20 years of institutional knowledge, expected to perform at a top level. Meanwhile, others grew up as wrestling fans with that knowledge to fall back on. When things don't click for someone on that level and they can't figure out the system, where should the blame be placed?
Steve Maclin: I always blame the talent. You have to take the opportunities you're given and be ready with everything you can. It's also a growing process in this business. If you weren't ready at that time, okay, cool, you failed. It's okay to fail in the world of pro wrestling and in life, but you have to learn from it, grow from it, and build upon it.
Mike Johnson: The Northern Rising show has such a stacked lineup. When you walk into a show with that many hungry talents looking to steal the show, how much does that get your competitive blood going? Obviously everyone wants the show to go well, but nobody wants the other matches to steal their thunder. It's not out of malice; you just want to perform better than everyone else. When you walk into a show with so many hungry people—like Dan Maff, who is so underrated and deserves to be on national television, or Sinner and Saint, who deserve more opportunities than they got in TNA—what does seeing that performative energy do for you, and how do you approach a locker room like that?
Steve Maclin: I love a locker room like that. I want to be in a locker room where everybody's out to steal the show, while also doing what's best for building the card. You learn in the beginning of pro wrestling that the first match of the night builds to the main event. We're on a show where any match could steal the show, and that puts more pressure and challenge on the talent to go out there and show who's best. For me, I'm going out there against Adam Copeland to prove to the world that I am one of the very best in the world.
Mike Johnson: All right. True or false: promoting Battle for the Brave gave you more stress and gray hair than any main event wrestling match you've ever had.
Steve Maclin: I'm going to go true. It was more stress.
Mike Johnson: As someone promoting your first show with such a stacked card, what was the learning curve like for you and Deonna? You put it on with the best intentions—and it was a great show that benefited Tunnel to Towers, which is awesome. But when producing, your job is to put out fires every second and take the blame for anything that goes wrong. As a wrestler, you can pivot in the ring, but producing is different. What was it like producing that show, and what was the learning curve like for you guys?
Steve Maclin: It's learning that the card is always subject to change and things are going to happen. Luckily TNA worked with us to keep The Hardys on the show as headliners, even though some other talent got pulled due to scheduling or date conflicts. That's something you deal with as a promoter, and it's fun being on that side behind the curtain. My wife is the biggest doer—I show up, look pretty, and make last-minute decisions, but she runs everything. It was a learning curve ensuring talent and fans were taken care of. There was no AC in the building that night in Rahway, which sucked—we didn't know about that at all! But 750-plus people stayed in their seats for the whole show. We gave out waters, got help from the local fire department to let fans in, opened all the doors, and luckily it rained outside to cool things down. It was about adapting on the fly and turning a situation around. Everyone enjoyed their time; talent thanked us for treating them right and providing catering. I'm proud of it—I always said I never wanted to run a show, and now we're getting ready to run our second one.
Mike Johnson: Do we have a date for the second one yet?
Steve Maclin: We do not have a date yet. We're currently looking at venues to line them up, but we're set for next year for Battle for the Brave 2. Stand by for more information on my X, my wife's X, Instagram, and our Boots to Boots Pod on YouTube.
Mike Johnson: As that comes closer, we will mention it here on the site. We just hit the 25th anniversary of 9/11, which helped lead you into joining the U.S. military. Looking back on 25 years of our world changing, what do you think about the fact that an entire generation now looks upon it the way I look at the JFK assassination? I know something bad happened—I've been to the museum in Dallas and read about it—but to me it was just an event in history. For those of us who lived through 9/11, it was a traumatic experience. But now people who are 25 view it as something that happened before their time. They know something terrible happened, but don't have that first-hand reaction. What are your thoughts on a generation for whom it's almost history?
Steve Maclin: Working with Tunnel to Towers and Frank Siller—who started the foundation for his brother Stephen, an FDNY firefighter who gave his life on 9/11 trying to save others—the main goal is to honor them. We don't let them be forgotten, whether it's FDNY, NYPD, first responders, paramedics, or the generation that enlisted to fight in the war. It's about not letting that go to waste. Whether you agree with it or not, people were willing to give up their lives and freedoms for yours. We shouldn't take that for granted or let the younger generation view it as 'just another day.' It was a day where everyone remembers where they were. Now it's about appreciating what we have, our country, and our freedoms compared to anywhere else. We have it very good here, and despite political polarization, we are very lucky to live in the United States.
Mike Johnson: I agree. Politics always change; it's always one side pushing against the other. But at the end of the day, we are very lucky to live where we live. Regarding Adam Copeland, a lot of the story leading into this has been about his big moment, but as I said, you need the antagonist. What do you hope fans get out of this match in terms of the spotlight put on you? What do you hope to bring to the audience and what do you hope fans take away this Saturday?
Steve Maclin: Just proving again that I bet on myself. Five years ago I went to TNA and became a World Champion. A lot of people shot me down initially, but once I succeeded, people saw what I was capable of. Whether you like me or hate me, my job is to make you feel a certain way. Going into Maple Leaf Pro at the Gardens on October 3rd against Adam Copeland is about going out there and showing I belong in the ring with a Hall of Famer. Win or lose, I have everything to gain. For Adam Copeland, this building is a childhood bucket list item, and for me, I'm taking full advantage of the opportunity to upset him in his home city.
Mike Johnson: I only know this because there was the Province of Quebec match on Monday Night Raw once; that's the only reason I remember! Looking ahead to 2027, do you hope that's the year you finally get to Japan?
Steve Maclin: Fingers crossed. I would love to get to Japan. We've talked about it before, and many people in the business—including Steve Corino—have told me I'd be a great fit over there. It's a goal to get to New Japan, NOAH, or wherever, because I love the culture, atmosphere, and style of pro wrestling.
Mike Johnson: Your physicality and nose-to-the-grindstone attitude fit that Japanese fighting spirit perfectly. I'm amazed it hasn't happened yet, so hopefully speaking about it here manifests it in the near future. Thank you for sitting down with us. Please send Deonna our best—she's one of the hardest-working women in pro wrestling.
Steve Maclin: And the Pure Champion, too.
Mike Johnson: There's never been anyone born more ready to be the Pure Wrestling Champion than Deonna Purrazzo! I wish you nothing but the best. Why should fans order MLP Northern Rising this Saturday on myAEW.com?
Steve Maclin: Because it's going to be one of the best cards top to bottom, especially myself versus Adam Copeland—Mr. Mayhem against a Hall of Famer, the Ultimate Opportunist, Rated-R Superstar. It's a dream match for me, and I know it's a dream match for him to work in that building. For the fans, this puts Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling on the map as a place of opportunity for talent and fans to enjoy professional wrestling.
Mike Johnson: It's been a rough week for pro wrestling fans, but the best way to take a deep breath and feel better is to watch what you love. If you're listening to this site and know what Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling is, you love pro wrestling. I advise everyone to dive in, order the show, and enjoy yourselves. The work ethic across the board never changes—people are always trying to excel and push beyond their physical and personal limits. Pro wrestling is a wonderful thing, and MLP Northern Rising is going to be a lot of fun this Saturday. Steve, you're a credit to the craft and have an open invite to come back anytime. I'm looking forward to your match against Adam Copeland—I know you won't make it easy for him and will use every opportunity to raise your profile. When the bell rings, I hope it turns out the way you envisioned it. Thank you for your time, and the door is always open 24/7.
Steve Maclin: Thank you, Mike. I appreciate it as always.
Mike Johnson: We look forward to seeing what you do down the line, not just in MLP, but everywhere else as you continue to blaze the trail. Thank you to everyone listening for your support of PWInsiderElite.com. MLP Northern Rising airs this Saturday evening on myAEW.com. You can order and watch it on Roku, computer, or anywhere else. I used the app for the CMLL Aniversario show a couple of weeks ago, and the stream was perfect. Check it out at myAEW.com. Tonight, the season finale of MLP Mayhem airs, and we will have details on when Season 2 kicks off as soon as possible. The promotion and TSN2 haven't announced it yet, but hopefully soon. I can guarantee that whether it's this Saturday or in future MLP broadcasts, Steve Maclin is going to cause a lot of trouble because that's what he does!
Steve Maclin: He causes mayhem.
Mike Johnson: Mayhem, there you go! Steve Maclin—we will see him this Saturday against Adam Copeland, and we will see you very soon here on PWInsiderElite.com. Take care, everybody!
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
