"I called B.S. right away" - Steve Maclin doesn't believe WWE's reason for his release

Steve Maclin - known as Steve Cutler in WWE - was released by Vince McMahon's company on February 4. His departure was the second of many in 2021 so far, after Lars Sullivan.

Weeks after testing positive for COVID-19 after attending a New Year's Eve party, Steve Maclin received a call from Mark Carrano. The then-Senior Director of Talent Relations informed Steve Maclin of his release, with a lack of creative ideas given as the reason.

Unfortunately, today I was released. It was shocking, to say the least. But, I am excited about the future and all the possibilities in front of me. Thanks for your continued support. 90 days... the countdown begins🍻🍻

— Steve Maclin (@SteveMaclin) February 5, 2021

Speaking to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, Steve Maclin claimed he was told in a phone call to Carrano that creative had nothing for him. Steve Maclin also defended himself over contracting COVID-19 by explaining the precautions he took.

"A phone call was just more upsetting because just to say creative had nothing for us was kind of, ‘No, I got fired because I had heat for COVID,’" Maclin said. "I know people will say, ‘Well, that’s your own fault.’ Yeah, maybe it is. But, at the same time I took my own precautions. I live in the state of Florida. It’s an open state of policies on anything COVID related. I wear my mask when I’m out. I do what I’m supposed to. But, then when I’m around friends who I know are tested, I try to take care of that myself and surround myself who I know that we’re good with and if it happens like we did, I got tested." (H/T Fightful)

Steve Maclin believes WWE's reasoning for letting him go was a lie. He added that he was set to be involved in a storyline with the Mysterios before Rey and Dominik contracted COVID-19.

"It was just being told creative had nothing for us and I called B.S. right away on that," Maclin admitted. "I let him have his piece. I was like, ‘Well, if creative has nothing for us, why do we have merchandise? Why are we being told we’re going to be in this storyline?’ I was like, ‘I was told our storyline with the Mysterios was scrapped because when they contracted COVID, that took us off of TV and scrapped that story for a little bit. Then they tried to go back to it and then Murphy got COVID.’ It just kept building up, building up."

Steve Maclin is excited to be free to get creative

Steve Maclin continued to suggest why he doesn't believe the reason he was fired and explained the frustration behind his own ideas being turned away.

"If creative had nothing for me, then for the last year since we’ve been off TV, Blake and I, because of the Twitter situation with Ryker, how do you have nothing for me when I pitched ideas almost every week?’ Maclin said. "That was also, ‘Hey, everything that you’re saying, there’s nothing wrong with what you’re saying. But, creative had nothing for [you].’"

Do or Die #MACLIN pic.twitter.com/OACOa2yuwX

— Steve Maclin (@SteveMaclin) April 26, 2021

A big positive whenever a performer is released by WWE is the undoubted new lease of creative freedom that comes with new, less controlling surroundings.

Steve Maclin is now ready to be himself wherever he ends up once his 90-day non-compete clause is up.

"So, to end it on that, I know I did everything on my end, that I could, as a company guy, and also for my love of the company and of the business in general that I could on my end," Maclin added. "But, now, like I said, I get to create, I get to be me and that’s the one thing now I love the most is I don’t really have anybody to tell me no like always."

Do you believe Steve Maclin was released for contracting COVID-19 after attending the New Year's Eve party? Or was it truly because WWE creative had nothing for him? Sound off in the comments section below.

Thank you Sean Ross Sapp and Fightful for the interview and transcription.