Impact World Champion Steve Maclin Named US VA's Veteran Of The Day

April was a sensational month for the no longer "Forgotten Son" Steve Maclin. Maclin defeated KUSHIDA at Impact Rebellion to win the vacant Impact World Championship, and his wife Deonna Purrazzo won the Impact Knockouts Championship on the same night.

To kick off the month of May, Maclin has been named the US Veteran's Affairs "Veteran of the Day" for May 2nd. Maclin served in the Marine Corps. from 2007-2011, where he served two deployments in Afghanistan. The VA not only cited Maclin's success in professional wrestling but also his charity work for Hire Our Heroes USA, which helps combat veterans find work in their post-military lives. His time in the military, and the PTSD that the and his friends suffered afterwards, inspired him to study psychology and other aspects of mental health following his release from WWE in 2021. Maclin recently reflected on his time in the Marine Corps., noting the camaraderie of the Corps. was similar to the camaraderie in professional wrestling locker rooms.

Maclin initially wrestled in WWE from 2014-2021 under the name Steve Cutler. His main claim to fame in WWE was as a member of the Forgotten Sons alongside Jaxson Ryker and Wesley Blake. The group made it all the way to "WWE SmackDown" in 2020, until controversial tweets from Ryker led to the group being scuttled from TV for the majority of Maclin's time until his release. Maclin then immediately went to Impact Wrestling where he's been a stalwart performer, leading to his recent world title coronation.