Steve Maclin spent four years as a machine gunner with the 2nd Battalion Marines before professional wrestling. That background does not just show up in his physicality. It shows up in how he thinks, how he carries himself, and how he talks about purpose. Efrain from KYW sat down with him for a conversation that goes well beyond what happens inside the ring.
The first thing that comes through is how much TNA changed things for him. After years in WWE where he felt like he was performing a character, TNA gave him the room to just be Steve Maclin. No new character. No reinvention. Just everything he had built over 14 years finally being allowed to breathe. He describes it as throwing everything against the wall and seeing what sticks. What stuck was the real him.
He and his wife run a podcast called Boots to Boots, built around the transition from military life to civilian life, a conversation he says almost nobody has publicly. They have been doing 5Ks with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and climbed the World Trade Center Freedom Tower. The charitable work is not a side note. It is clearly central to who he is.
His advice to young talent is worth the entire conversation on its own. Learn the fundamentals. Respect safety. Do not abuse your best moves by overusing them until they mean nothing. Understand that not every move fits every match. And most importantly, it is okay to fail and it is okay to ask for help.
Watch the full KYW Conversation above and subscribe on YouTube for new conversations every week.
