Steve Maclin was set to challenge Josh Alexander for the IMPACT World Title at IMPACT Rebellion, but the bout never happened due to an injury suffered by Alexander.
Maclin went on to win the vacant title by defeating KUSHIDA. It is unknown when Alexander will return to competition.
Maclin and Alexander had been on a collision course for almost a year, dating back to when Alexander won the IMPACT World Title at Rebellion 2022 while Maclin was working his way up the card. As Alexander knocked off former IMPACT World Champions during his run, Maclin was quietly doing the same.
"When he was X-Division Champion," Maclin told Jeremy Lambert & Joel Pearl on In The Weeds when asked when he knew he would eventually end up in the ring with Josh Alexander. "I kind of knew that's where we were going to go because we both knew we wanted to work together and that's where 'there is something here.' Our styles clash, but also gel together so much and I think it makes for the perfect match-up. I watching the Bret (Hart) and (Steve) Austin documentary on A&E and it's funny to watch that story and be like, 'Oh shit, this is kind of us, in a way,' and we could take a little bit of that. It's fun to bounce ideas off each other. There is that competition between us as well, and that is somebody that I'm looking forward to, once he is healthy, to challenge me for my IMPACT World Title. I know he says he didn't lose it, but injuries happen, don't be overzealous and be prideful in what you do, I guess."
Alexander was the reigning X-Division Champion when Maclin entered IMPACT in June 2021.
Elsewhere during the interview, Maclin discussed winning the IMPACT World Title the same night as his wife Deonna Purrazzo won the IMPACT Knockouts Championship. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
Watch the full interview with Maclin in the video above.
