Steve Maclin (aka Steve Cutler) is a professional wrestler and former Marine. He joins Chris Van Vliet from his home in Orlando, FL to talk about being released from WWE, signing with IMPACT Wrestling, working with his girlfriend Deonna Purrazzo, being part of “The Forgotten Sons” with Jackson Ryker and Wesley Blake, serving in the United States Marine Corps, how he got his start in professional wrestling and much more!
On his WWE release:
“It’s funny, anyone that gets released everyone is like ‘Oh man that sucks, that’s not good.’ Everyone has that heartfelt thing. But a lot of talent that has been let go, especially in the past year is so fricking talented. A lot of the times they are not allowed to flourish there just because of the way that creative is. It’s a work in progress and that’s the TV that they want. When you get out you are able to spread your wings out there on your own and be free and do what you want to do. But being able to express yourself on how you want to look is a different world.”
On how Deonna Purrazzo got his foot in the door at IMPACT:
“So I actually flew in the week that she had Slammiversary, it was her first match back there where she won the title. That was kind of cool. I didn’t go for the show or anything, I just wanted to get away from Florida at that time. A year later, me getting let go and going the same route. A week after I got let go I went with her to IMPACT tapings. Not looking for a job or anything, I just wanted to get away. I needed to get away from the PC [Performance Center] era bubble. She said ‘Just come to the show.’ I’m like yeah OK no problem.'”
On how they got the ball rolling at IMPACT:
“I just hit it off and started chatting to [Tommy] Dreamer. Not about wrestling, just New York Giants and the history of Giants football. It was a good spot for me to land and I am very happy to be there.”
How he signed for IMPACT:
“It really didn’t come about at that day. Obviously word came about towards the company as well. Once they asked me when my 90 days was up, I was on a phone call speaking with D-lo Brown and Scott D’Amore. That’s just kind of how we went about it. After that we just played the waiting game on my 90 days. Originally I was told after Slammiversary I would be making a debut, and then not even 2 days after that the phone rings. They say ‘Hey, we’re gonna bring you in before Slammiversary and get the ball rolling.’ I was like ‘No problem. I’m ready to go to work.’
On the Steve Maclin character:
“So for me as Steve Maclin, Cutler is dead! He is dead and gone now. But as Steve Maclin, I already had the ideas of where I wanted to go for years. I was pitching in the Performance Center and the creative process there and I always had ideas. I had notepads and notes on my phone. Also I just have all these ideas and old promos where I just wanted to put together what I am and how I envision myself. So I took a little bit from The Punisher and I took who I am and did it all in one, mixing in the background of being a marine. Taking the dark side of The Punisher, trying to manipulate it into myself and just be me. The fun part is just being me.”
On joining The Marines:
“9/11 is what got me into wanting to join. I was a freshman in high school, I think at that time I knew what I wanted to do after high school. 9/11 is one of those moments in my life that had a big impact, being a kid from Jersey and seeing the Twin Towers and watching them fall. It’s one of those things where I knew my calling was going to and I did it. I was on leave one weekend and my buddy was at this bar with Darren Young. He said ‘Hey, you wanna talk to one of my buddies that’s in WWE?’ I’m like hell yeah! He knew I loved wrestling growing up. He always tried to get me into a ring but I was like there was no way it would happen. I’m not 6 foot 3, 255lbs and above. I’m not Stone Cold, there’s no way.”
On how he got into wrestling:
“Speaking with Fred [Rosser, known as Darren Young in WWE], it was one of those things where he got that idea in my head. He was like ‘When you get out, you will have a really good story. Just give it a shot and if it’s something you want to do then go all in.’ One of the few things he did tell me was never change who you are. Just stick to who you are and don’t let people change you. It’s something that has stuck with me and something I try to pass down. Once I got out the marine core, I moved back in with my parents and found The Monster Factory. I got in the ring and fell in love with it instantly.”
When he decided to join The Marines:
“I tried college for a year. My mom begged me, becasue I was ready to go to the recruiter in college. It was 2005 and Iraq was awful at that time and It was all over the news. So my mom begged me ‘Please try college.’ I did and I didn’t like it at first. It wasn’t for me. One day I was working at my dad’s supply office and a recruiter was down the street. One day said screw it. I walked in and I wanted to leave after Thanksgiving, I want to do infantry, you don’t have to sell me on anything. It was an easy process. My stepdad knew what I wanted to do and my mom was upset. But it all changed after I went to boot camp and graduated. She saw me in my uniform and the rest is history.”
On crafting his character and his early work:
“Early on I was just being me, which is something that Dusty wanted to do in promo classes. They had classes on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I would go to all of those. Wednesday’s were the classes for those that were on TV. So you just sit and watch and learn. But the people who were there when I first started are either not there anymore or on top of the company. So it’s crazy to see. For me, crafting the character was just going to the movies, watching movies and picking pieces, seeing what works. I tried to do America’s greatest son. I would be a heel veteran who would be like ‘Oh you want to thank me for my service now?’ Just being an ass. being a heel is the best thing in the world.”
Where the Steve Cutler name came from:
“At the time it was lists. Byron Saxton was in the office at the time and in charge of getting everyone’s names together. I remember turning in 50 names on a list 3 different times. On the final list I got back it was either Alton Wolfe or Steve Cutler. I was like I’ll take Steve Cutler, it’s got my actual name in it. I wanted Duke something as my first choice, becasue I love the name Duke, I was thinking GI Joe and comical stuff. When Steve Cutler came back, you put it in a list of names and see what fits. You go ‘Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Alton Wolfe..’ It doesn’t quite fit. You want something that lasts a long time. I think now it works more than an over the top name.”
On Jackson Ryker joining Blake and Cutler:
“I’ll blame Steve Corino for that one. We were on a live event, I want to say it was in Maryland. We just had to do a 6 man and it was great. So we came back are were like what do you think? Corino said ‘You guys kind of all look good together. He’s got the beard, he’s grungy looking.’ OK cool. We got back to TV the following week for tapings and Hunter said ‘Hey we’re gonna go with this.’ OK, whatever you say boss. No problem. We took a little bit more time to wait and to debut. We debuted against The Street Profits in October that year when we became The Forgotten Sons.”
On the Jackson Ryker controversy:
“To be fair when I got the texts from everybody on what was going on we were literally walking the dogs. It’s a crappy situation, because that’s just the way the world is now and how you view things and what you say is wither going to offend somebody or nor offend somebody. In that sense he can have his viewpoints on the world and that’s why [Wesley] Blake and I distanced ourselves from him very quickly, becasue we don’t feel that way. Nothing against him, he’s allowed to say what he wants to say. He’s a free man and that’s the point of social media, you can say what you want to say. But obviously in today’s cancel culture things don’t work out that way. Do I agree with the things he said? Not at all. But I also stand on the way I feel, which is why we distanced ourselves very quickly. Looking back now it’s a situation that sparked to where I am nowadays. At the time I was angry and now I couldn’t care less, becasue I am a lot happier and a lot freer.”
On Jackson Ryker derailing the momentum as a group:
“We were about to win the tag titles. We were about to wrestle with New Day and have a good little program. It was going that way. Blake and I would have been the SmackDown Tag Team Champions at some point. But what could have been…”
On his goal in IMPACT:
“Currently my goal is the X-Division Championship. Right now the holder of that belt is Josh Alexander. I’m really looking forward to something down the road with him and see if he wants to step up. But right now my eyes are set on Petey Williams. He was interfering with my stuff so I dropped him on his head.”
On plans after wrestling:
“They used to have financial people come into the PC to prepare you for life after wrestling. But at the time my goal is wrestling. It’s 100% on wrestling. I would love to be more involved in the veteran community and helping out that way. When I was let go I was applying to a bunch of different jobs at the Veteran’s Association. I would love to get more involved in the counselling. I’ve been there where I have been down in the dumps. That’s kind of where The Forgotten Sons came from, and those are the people you shouldn’t forget.”
What he is grateful for:
“My family, my house and wrestling in general.”
Steve Maclin can be found on Twitter here and Instagram here.
Featured image: Cage Side Seats
