9 Ups & 3 Downs From IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill 2022

2. Miguel Vs. Maclin Peaks

Stipulation aside, Trey Miguel vs. Steve Maclin was bonkers.

The pair opted to forgo any natural flow to their match, instead wrestling an ambitious match that dared test the boundaries of both men's abilities. To continue, briefly, on the earlier mention of Maclin being the deserving winner, you need only compare the Steve Maclin of IMPACT Wrestling to the Steve Cutler of NXT before questioning the legitimacy of that claim. He should be the champion right now.

Regardless, Maclin vs. Miguel was laid out in such a way to benefit both. They had equal beneficiary spots and equal moments of weakness, leaving neither looking weak at any point. It took two - technically three, if you include the daring variant that took Maclin off the ring apron and into the guard rail - Meteoras from Trey to end Maclin's unpinned streak. It's hardly a quote-unquote protected finish, but it's typically only one execution of the double-knees before Miguel's arm is raised.

Despite losing, Maclin's isn't damaged one bit. At one stage, he Speared the piss out of an upside-down Trey as he hung from the ropes, while at other points, the ex-Forgotten Son came across like a vicious UFC fighter. His intensity was unmatched throughout, his facials telling an entire story. This was arguably the biggest match of his career, and even in defeat, Steve Maclin proved all of his doubters wrong.