TNA’s Plans for CM Punk’s First Feud Before WWE Return Revealed

TNA Wrestling had serious plans for CM Punk — and now Steve Maclin is revealing just how far those talks went.

Speaking with Pro Wrestling Illustrated, current TNA talent Steve Maclin confirmed that behind-the-scenes discussions between Punk and TNA were very real after Punk’s 2023 AEW exit. According to Maclin, it was former TNA President Scott D’Amore who broke the news to him — over dinner — that a dream match with CM Punk was almost in the works.

“If you want some behind-the-scenes dirt that nobody knows about, CM Punk, before almost possibly signing with TNA — was coming in and I was gonna be his first challenger,” Maclin said. “Which I found out right as Scott D’Amore was getting let go. We were having dinner one night and he let me know, ‘Yeah, Punk was gonna almost sign there and then you were gonna be his first challenger.’ I was like, ‘Sht! That would have been cool.’”

Maclin didn’t just speak on the what-ifs — he also shared personal respect for Punk, calling him one of the few true remaining megastars in wrestling today.

“He’s literally a cult of personality, if you wanna play the cliché to the song, but he just shows the magnitude that he’s one of the last alive superstars,” Maclin added.

According to him, Punk had been around TNA backstage multiple times in Chicago during this negotiation period. And despite his star power, Maclin recalled that Punk was nothing but respectful — even way back when Maclin was just an extra in WWE.

“It was cool to just see him… I’m like, ‘Oh, CM Punk, what’s up, man?’ He’s like, ‘Oh, what’s up Mr. Maclin?’ I was like, ‘Cool. Good to see you.’ Because he was really good to me when I was an extra in WWE,” he recalled. “You always hear the horror stories… people shun you and stuff. But he was very respectful and I never forgot that.”

This matches what Scott D’Amore himself previously confirmed in his D’Amore Drop column for Yahoo! Sports’ Uncrowned, where he said Punk was “interested” in TNA after leaving AEW, and acted with total professionalism during their talks. Ultimately, Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series 2023, ending months of speculation and leaving what could’ve been a wild chapter in TNA history unrealized.

Steve Maclin vs. CM Punk in a TNA ring? It almost happened — and Maclin is still processing what might’ve been. While fans may never see that matchup, the respect between the two remains real. Sometimes in wrestling, the best stories are the ones that almost made it to the ring.

Would you have wanted to see CM Punk vs. Steve Maclin in a TNA ring? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know if you think CM Punk still has unfinished business outside WWE.