TNA Revives Lockdown on Aug. 23 in Chicago After 10-Year Hiatus

Q: As TNA partners with NXT, why did it release former world champion Steve Maclin?

TNA did not release Steve Maclin because of its NXT partnership. Reports indicate his exit was driven by internal issues, especially creative dissatisfaction and contract concerns, and that Maclin himself requested his release. According to backstage reporting, Maclin had grown frustrated with TNA’s creative direction over time, believing the product had not improved as expected even after the company’s move to AMC. At the same time, there was broader concern within the locker room about pay structure and deal terms, with TNA reportedly moving away from some full-time salaried arrangements toward shorter-term contracts. That context matters because TNA’s relationship with WWE’s NXT was expanding, not shrinking. TNA talent had appeared in NXT, and the partnership is set to be visible again at Lockdown, where NXT wrestlers are expected to be involved. Maclin himself had participated in that crossover as a TNA talent, so there is no clear evidence that the partnership caused his departure. What appears to have happened is that Maclin, despite being a former TNA World Champion and a prominent name in the company, decided he no longer wanted to stay under those conditions. TNA then publicly announced his departure, along with Myla Grace’s, even though Maclin reportedly would have preferred the matter remain private. So the short answer is that Maclin’s exit was tied to dissatisfaction with booking and business terms, not to TNA working with NXT.

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 13

Aug. 23 will mark TNA Wrestling’s first Lockdown pay-per-view in more than a decade, with the cage-match-heavy event set for Credit Union Arena in Chicago.
KC Navarro said the show should feature multiple cage matches and likely put all titles on the line, framing the return as a revival of one of TNA’s signature concepts.
Navarro enters the buildup after returning from a torn ACL in about eight months, saying recent matches restored his confidence even after failed X Division and International title bids.
That rebound has kept him in the championship picture, with a possible TNA world-title clash against Nic Nemeth emerging after Nemeth beat Mike Santana at Slammiversary.
For TNA, the event also serves as a showcase for a roster Navarro says blends rising talent with veterans such as the Hardys and Frankie Kazarian on its Thursday night Impact program.