Mike Santana faces Steve Maclin in grudge match for TNA world title, Cedric Alexander's challenger and more

Steve Maclin made his melodramatic instrumentality to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) connected Thursday night’s "Impact" to instrumentality connected Mike Santana for the satellite title.

Maclin’s lucifer against Santana astatine Sacrifice was stopped owed to an injury, and later, Maclin was concisely "fired" from the institution earlier Director of Operations Daria Rae worked to get him reinstated. It was a highly anticipated lucifer to spot who would go the look of TNA.

Rae and Maclin were a portion of a conception earlier the lucifer began. Rae gave Maclin a pep speech of sorts earlier the lucifer took place.

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Mike Santana enters the ringing during NXT astatine The Theater astatine Madison Square Garden successful New York connected March 31, 2026. (Brien Adams/WWE)

"You retrieve erstwhile you got fired? Of people you do. You cognize what’s truthful absorbing astir this company? Everybody loves to brag astir loyalty, that is until it’s inconvenient," she told a stoic Maclin. "You enactment your hands connected Tom Hannifan  and this full institution turned connected you overnight. They privation to erase Steve Maclin from TNA history. But not me. I saw the concern differently. They saw you arsenic a liability, and I saw the value. I saw a antheral who everybody other feared due to the fact that they cognize precisely what you’re susceptible of erstwhile you’re focused.

"More importantly, I recognize wherefore men similar you are built the mode you are and what you’re built for. And tonight, you person an accidental that cipher other is capable to bash – instrumentality retired Mike Santana. Rip the bosom close retired of this institution and enactment the TNA rubric backmost connected idiosyncratic who is worthy of carrying it."

Eric Young, who became the No. 1 contender for the TNA satellite title, besides got into Maclin’s receptor up of his match. He warned that the victor volition person to look Young astatine his "most masochist."

Maclin vowed to enactment Santana successful a infirmary arsenic helium tried to face the champ earlier their match.

But would it beryllium capable to dethrone Santana?

It was a combat from the precise beginning. The 2 each had their moments erstwhile they had the precocious manus successful the match. As Santana got backmost into the match, Maclin was thrown retired the ring. Maclin tried to determination retired of the mode of immoderate aerial moves but Santana smartly erstwhile to the apical enactment and deed a large splash connected the outside.

Maclin utilized the extracurricular to his advantage. He threw Santana into the ringing station and got a array acceptable up connected the outside. Santana tried to leap disconnected the steps to clothesline Maclin but came up a spot lame. Maclin instantly went to enactment connected the tweaked near leg.

As the last minutes of the lucifer wore on, it was go-time for some competitors. Santana deed Maclin with a Rolling Buck 50, but Maclin wouldn’t enactment down – not adjacent aft a Blue Thunder Bomb.

Mike Santana makes his entranceway during NXT astatine the WWE Performance Center successful Orlando, Fla., connected June 3, 2025. (Bradlee Rutledge/WWE)

Maclin got caught connected the apical enactment arsenic Santana deed an enziguri, causing Maclin to autumn backward done the array helium setup. Santana rolled him backmost into the ringing and nailed a frog splash, but lone a 2 count.

Santana signed for Spin the Block. Maclin collapsed earlier Santana could deed it. Santana checked connected Maclin to marque definite helium was OK but fell for the trap. Maclin deed a superkick and tried for the pin, but to nary avail.

Santana made 1 past gasp effort. He mustered up capable vigor to deed Spin the Block and pinned Maclin for the win.

"This is my house," Santana proclaimed arsenic "Impact" went disconnected the air.

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X Division Championship fallout

The System started the nighttime basking successful the glory that was Cedric Alexander’s X Division Championship triumph implicit Leon Slater.

"Leon Slater, you were 1 time away, 1 time away, 1 time away, I’ll accidental it again, helium was 1 time distant from accomplishing his dream. One time distant from becoming the grounds maker. No, see, past week, I became the grounds taker," Alexander said. "Boo each you want. It is simply a information of beingness that I americium present the modular successful the X Division.

"I americium the signature champion of TNA. And you cognize what? I got a problem. Instead of being capable to observe my moment. Instead of being capable to unrecorded successful the moment, idiosyncratic decided to ruin the party."

Alexander called retired Fabian Aichner, who appeared astatine the extremity of Alexander’s lucifer with Slater.

Aichner obliged and had a connection for Alexander and The System.

"Buona Sera, System. Last week, I didn’t travel retired present for nary reason. I came retired present to marque a sanction for myself – respect, redemption and recognition. That’s wherefore I’m here. So, if you guys privation to telephone yourself the champion successful TNA, perfect. You spell close up due to the fact that the bigger the obstacle, the bigger the fight, the amended I become. I’m not conscionable immoderate gimmick. I americium a aboriginal TNA champion. And you cognize what? That X Division rubric is looking existent nice. So Cedric, bask your infinitesimal portion it lasts, my antheral due to the fact that I’m not present to basal successful line. I americium present to instrumentality my spot."

Bear Bronson and Brian Meyers rushed Aichner successful the aisle, but missed doing immoderate damage. Aichner dumped Eddie Edwards to the floor. Alexander began attacking Aichner arsenic helium got into the ring. Aichner avoided Alexander’s Lumbar Check and reversed it into a chokehold.

Aichner was near lasting gangly successful the ringing arsenic The System pulled Alexander retired of the ring.

Aichner and Edwards volition quadrate disconnected adjacent week connected "Impact."

Santino Marella addresses Arianna Grace, Stacks

Santino Marella makes his entranceway during NXT astatine the WWE Performance Center successful Orlando, Fla., connected Sept. 30, 2025. (Bradlee Rutledge/WWE)

Stacks and his fiancée Arianna Grace were ringside to ticker the lucifer betwixt Indi Hartwell and Elayna Black. Grace, the erstwhile TNA Knockouts satellite champion, had feuded with Hartwell for immoderate time. Grace claimed that Hartwell was "obsessed" with her.

The lucifer came to an extremity erstwhile Stacks unsuccessfully tried to distract the referee portion Grace pushed Hartwell disconnected the apical enactment and began her beatdown. Grace blamed her father, Santino Marella, for wherefore she’s nary longer the TNA Knockouts champion. She said existent champ Lei Ying Lee didn’t merit her accidental astatine the title.

Marella, TNA’s manager of authority, came retired and called Grace "classless." He said the lone happening unfinished was Grace’s "attitude" and she needed to beryllium "grounded." He turned his attraction to Stacks, saying that helium made him "sick" and that helium was the 1 "filling her caput with each this garbage."

Marella was astir to usage the cobra connected Stacks earlier Rae came retired and enactment a halt to it. Rae reminded Marella that if helium wanted a lucifer with Stacks, helium would person to taxable it to "the board" and get it approved.

Rae aboriginal announced that lucifer was approved for adjacent week’s "Impact." Marella volition instrumentality connected Stacks one-on-one.

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"Impact" lucifer results:

Indi Hartwell def. Elayna Black via DQ.

"Broken" Matt Hardy def. Vincent.

Mustafa Ali def. Chazz "Starboy" Hall to clasp the TNA International Championship.

Xia Brookside def. Jada Stone.