Steve Maclin wants to solidify his IMPACT World Title reign by defending it against the man who never lost it in the first place, Josh Alexander.
IMPACT Wrestling World Champion Steve Maclin recently sat down with WrestleZone’s Managing Editor, Bill Pritchard, to discuss a wide variety of subjects. When asked which former IMPACT World Champion he wants to beat next, Maclin made it clear that Josh Alexander is his top priority.
“Well, obviously, number one on my list right now is Josh Alexander, once he is healthy,” Steve Maclin said. “Josh is my number one just because I think beating the guy that had to vacate a title and that I technically never beat for the IMPACT World Title is something that I need to do, and I know people are going to hang that over my head for as long as they want to, but that’s something that I want to do myself, is beating Josh Alexander for the IMPACT World Title.”
When asked if not defeating Josh Alexander for the IMPACT World Championship has put a chip on his shoulder, Maclin admitted there would be a chip on his shoulder regardless.
“No, it just puts a chip on my shoulder regardless. Just because it could have been me and KUSHIDA all along at Rebellion because it was going to be Josh and KUSHIDA at Multiverse, and it could have been KUSHIDA beating Josh there,” Steve Maclin said. “So, we don’t know. But things happen, and people want to say what they want to say, and that’s okay.
“I’m the IMPACT World Campion; they’re not. That’s why I stand here; well, I’m sitting here now, but that’s why I am the IMPACT World Champion. And I’m going to always wrestle as if I have a chip on my shoulder because once you lose that, I think that’s where you lose your edge in the game of trying to be better and to go out there and prove people wrong and most of all, prove myself right of what I am and who I am.”
Maclin also made it clear he doesn’t put much stock into the people who claim his title reign isn’t legitimate because he didn’t defeat Alexander because he knows in the world of professional wrestling, we can only control what we can and that sometimes are out of your control.
“That’s the one thing, too, you got to realize, especially in the world of professional wrestling or any sport, it’s you can control only what you can,” Steve Maclin said. “Things are going to happen that we can’t. But the best we could do is to keep our heads down, keep grinding, and hopefully, the good things pay off.
“And with my story and where I’ve been for the past two years of stepping foot in IMPACT Wrestling and building my brand and getting my name out of who I am as Steve Maclin and people getting on to have the eyes on.
“And now the IMPACT World Title adds a little bit more to that. Then, we’re just building with going on the road now internationally, going to Wagga Wagga out in Australia. We have Against All Odds coming up after Under Siege in Columbus, Ohio. We’re back in Chicago. We’re back in Windsor for [Slammiversary]. Just, we’re everywhere.
“That’s the good thing with IMPACT Wrestling is we’re building this brand even more since COVID opened up, and that whole era has ended. Now we’re just trying to get back to where we used to be and building it even better. And that’s what I try to put a chip on my shoulder as well on for is making the IMPACT brand just as good as if not better than what it was.”
You can check out our entire with Steve Maclin in the embedded video below.
READ MORE: Steve Maclin Is Building His Own Legacy, Stacking One Body At A Time
What do you make of Steve Maclin’s comments? Do you hope Maclin is still IMPACT World Champion when Josh Alexander returns from injury? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
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