Steve Maclin believes there is still plenty of unfinished business waiting between himself and Matt Cardona in TNA Wrestling.
The two competitors have already shared the ring on an episode of TNA Impact in April 2025, but Maclin feels their on-screen connection had room to become something much larger. While discussing his relationship with Cardona, Maclin made clear that their history extends beyond the business. He described Cardona as one of his closest friends away from wrestling and as someone whose perspective he seeks when he needs advice.
That personal bond does not lessen Maclin’s interest in eventually facing Cardona in a more substantial rivalry. If anything, Maclin’s comments suggest it could add another layer to a possible TNA program. They know one another well, respect what the other brings to the ring, and do not appear to need extensive preparation to understand how to work together.
Maclin Recalls Disney Conversation With Cardona
Maclin remembered spending time with Cardona at Epcot during a Disney day, where the conversation covered his excitement, his ankle, and the confidence both men have in their shared in-ring ability.
For more background on this topic, read Lei Ying Lee Remains Under Contract With TNA Amid Absence From Television.
“He was like, ‘I’m so pumped for you,’” Maclin said of Cardona’s reaction. The exchange was not presented as a formal wrestling planning session. Instead, it was a conversation between friends who also understand the demands of performing at a high level.
Cardona also asked, “How’s the ankle? How’s that feeling?” Maclin did not offer further medical detail in the comments. The important point from his recollection was the supportive nature of their friendship and the fact that Cardona was checking in on him while also sharing his enthusiasm.
Maclin said he and Cardona are aligned in how they approach their work. He explained that each man knows they can enter the ring and deliver without needing to spell out every detail of how the other operates. That is a valuable foundation for any rivalry, particularly in a promotion where a feud can be shaped by both competitive credibility and personality.
“We don’t have to tell each other how to do things,” Maclin said. “We have that respect factor, especially being in the ring together.”
For Maclin, that respect comes from direct experience rather than simple admiration from a distance. Their April 2025 Impact encounter gave them an opportunity to test that chemistry in front of a TNA audience. Maclin’s latest comments indicate he came away believing their work together had only scratched the surface.
An Unfinished TNA Opportunity
Maclin said he felt that he and Cardona had “so much mileage” available to them in TNA, but acknowledged that the opportunity did not develop further at that time. He did not specify why a more extended angle did not happen, nor did he offer a timetable for any future meeting.
Still, Maclin left no doubt about his interest in revisiting the matchup. “Hopefully at some point that’d be an awesome feud to have,” he said.
That statement is notable because it frames the idea as more than a request for another isolated match. Maclin specifically pointed to a feud, which would allow their real-life friendship and their established professional respect to become part of the story if TNA chooses to return to the pairing.
A rivalry between close friends can take several forms in professional wrestling, but Maclin did not lay out a creative direction or suggest that a program is currently planned. What he did establish is that the material is there. Their relationship carries a level of authenticity, while their previous in-ring experience gives Maclin confidence that they could produce at a high level when the bell rings.
Cardona has long been a wrestler whose career has been shaped by reinvention and a willingness to make himself central to conversations wherever he appears. Maclin, meanwhile, has continued to position himself as a hard-nosed and intensely competitive presence in TNA. The contrast in presentation could provide a useful spark, but Maclin’s comments focused less on style differences and more on trust.
That trust is especially meaningful in a profession where friendships and rivalries can overlap. Maclin did not characterize Cardona as merely a past opponent or a colleague he enjoys working with. He said plainly that Cardona is “one of my close friends outside of wrestling” and “somebody that I go to for advice.”
Respect Could Make A Future Match Stand Out
Maclin’s description of their partnership highlights a common element in memorable wrestling programs: performers who have enough familiarity to challenge one another while maintaining confidence in the other person’s instincts. He believes he and Cardona possess that kind of connection.
Their ability to work without overexplaining things, as Maclin described it, speaks to a shared understanding built through time in the industry and strengthened by their friendship. It does not guarantee that a future TNA rivalry will happen, but it explains why Maclin sees so much value in the possibility.
There is also a difference between saying a matchup would be interesting and saying it had substantial remaining potential. Maclin chose the latter approach. His view is that the April 2025 meeting did not exhaust what he and Cardona could do together. Rather, it opened a door that could be revisited if the circumstances align.
For TNA, a return to Maclin versus Cardona would have an immediate basis in their existing history. Fans who saw their previous meeting would have a reference point, while the performers’ real friendship could give any renewed confrontation an added sense of familiarity. The key, based on Maclin’s own words, would be allowing the story enough room to become the deeper feud he believes they did not get to have.
Maclin’s comments should not be read as confirmation of a booked match, a signed agreement, or an imminent angle. No such development was announced. They are, however, a clear expression of interest from one half of a pairing that Maclin feels could have done much more under the TNA banner.
Maclin Also Discusses MLP Northern Rising
Elsewhere in the conversation, Maclin addressed Deonna Purrazzo’s involvement at MLP Northern Rising. Maclin’s journey to MLP’s Northern Rising has also been featured in a two-part documentary released through the Boots To Boots YouTube channel.
Maclin’s remarks on Cardona ultimately centered on appreciation as much as ambition. He values Cardona as a friend, looks to him for advice, and respects the ease with which they can work together. At the same time, he sees those qualities as reasons a future TNA program could succeed rather than reasons to avoid competing.
For now, the prospect remains just that: a prospect. But Maclin has made his position clear. He believes there was more to explore between Steve Maclin and Matt Cardona in TNA, and he would welcome the chance to find out how far that rivalry could go.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.