After 13 years, TV broadcaster Nigel McGuinness shocked the pro wrestling world at All Elite Wrestling’s All In at Wembley Stadium last month when he returned to the ring. The London crowd welcomed one of their own as he entered the Casino Gauntlet match.
Before becoming a wrestling commentator, the well-traveled veteran was seen as one of the biggest what-if stories of the modern era. Now the 48-year-old finds himself in prime shape and ready to write another chapter in his storied rivalry with Bryan Danielson.
McGuiness challenges the AEW World Champion for the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite from Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, NYC, on September 25. Given the two’s history of show-stealers in Ring of Honor, this is a full-circle moment for the star. We sat down with McGuiness to see where his mind is heading into the milestone battle and what it might mean for the future.
At what moment did you realize you were preparing for an in-ring return?
Nigel McGuinness: I’d say 18 months probably when I first found out we were doing a show at Wembley and there was a possibility I could face Bryan there. I started get back in the ring and getting in-ring shape, hitting the gym like you should do. I was stretching and doing everything else to get the in-ring ready. Arguably, I was ready for last year’s Wembley. I certainly was ready for this year’s. I just try to maintain as best I can really.
How did your past history with concussions and other injuries play into your head as you were taking bumps again?
It didn’t really. There is a lot of confusion and misinformation. The truth of the matter is when I stepped away from wrestling, it was purely because I couldn’t make a living as a wrestler anymore. I could have gone back to Ring of Honor and wrestled that style, but I wouldn’t have made enough money to even afford health insurance, let alone save for the rest of my life. That style in Ring of Honor just wasn’t doable. WWE wasn’t interested in me because of an old arm injury, even though it was perfectly healed. I didn’t want to go back to TNA given what happened there. That was it. There was no AEW or anywhere else to make a living wrestling. I had no choice.
When I retired and did that documentary The Last of McGuinness, it was partly because if I could get my story out there, perhaps someone would catch on to it and tell the rest of the story. Little did I know it would take until now with Tony Khan and AEW. I didn’t step away because of concussions. I didn’t step away because of hepatitis. I was perfectly okay to wrestle. So it’s all not a factor going in. You obviously are cognizant of the possibility of injuries and stuff like that, but you try to keep it out of your head. It’s just like anything else in life. There are risks involved, but the rewards outweigh them.
AEW/Lee South
What was Tony Khan’s response to your interest in getting back in there and revisiting this story with Bryan?
There was excitement. Old Tony is a really big professional wrestling fan and has been for most of his life. And thank God. There is a notion elsewhere that what happens outside there isn’t important. Tony Khan is a wrestling fan who studies everything that happens in the wrestling industry. When I jumped on his flight headed to New York to announce the first Wembley show, he mentioned it. I can’t remember what I said. I think to the effect of if we get a sellout, then maybe I could dust the boots up. He perked up and said, “Would you be interested? Is that a possibility?” We had a brief discussion at that point. I tried to hunt Bryan Danielson down that day to see if it was a possibility. That was a long time ago. Tony was ecstatic at the possibility. It just took a lot longer to come to fruition than either of us thought or planned.
How did you feel about the reaction you got at All In?
It was incredible. It was a surreal moment. The whole world seems like a different universe than it was before. When those things happen in your life, it just changes your entire perspective. I had no idea what reaction I would get, if I’d be remembered, and by how many people. When I came out, I felt a sense of euphoria and a wave of emotion as the crowd realized what was about to take place. I got swept up in it. If I had any nerves or anxiety beforehand, they were blown away once I get that reaction. They were with me for the journey. It changed my life forever.
Do you see this comeback just for a match with Bryan Danielson or are you looking at this as a full run?
It’s definitely a wait-and-see. I’m not going to rule it out. I think for the longest time there has been the saying of never say never and never really meaning it. I think we’ll see how the match goes. If Bryan is able to compete as he is legitimately pretty banged up. Hopefully, it comes to fruition when he honors the booking. I think we’ll see how things play out after that. People asked me after the match in Wembley how I was feeling. I felt fantastic. It will be different going into a gauntlet match like that versus a one-on-one with expectations. I feel confident about it. I don’t know. I was looking at quotes from Arthur Ashe this morning because we’re doing this at Arthur Ashe Stadium. He said, “One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” I’ve had 18 months to prepare for this both mentally and physically. I just feel I’m ready to go. Once I’m out there, there is a legitimate emotion that comes with standing across the ring with Bryan Danielson, given his level of success and story compared to mine.
If this does go well, what kind of unfinished business do you feel you have left to accomplish as a pro wrestler?
There isn’t a lot to be honest with you. This is a long journey for me. When I retired back in 2011 and did my documentary, that gave me a sense of closure to some extent. When I was working in WWE, I had so many of my generational peers who went on to such success in terms of fame and money they made and in terms of their ability to wrestle on that stage. There was always an itch there. There was a sense of failure, not achieving my dream. But to a large extent, I found peace with that by the time Wembley came around. There only is Bryan who needs this squaring away in my head…I can’t go back or change history. It’s an odd feeling when you realize the only thing stopping you from being a wrestler is you. All I can do is try to show if I had continued, perhaps I would have the same success as other people. That’s not what it’s all about. It’s not about just the success you have but the journey you take and what you become because of it. I have so many positive things that happened after stepping out of the ring.
There was the documentary, me becoming a color commentator, and getting to announce the largest paid pro wrestling attendance of all time at Wembley Stadium. A place where at 16 years old I dreamt of being a professional wrestler. I’m not looking for any kind of resolution other than when people call Bryan the best wrestler in the world and lord him and all those awards he has as the best technical wrestler. I think he paid for those, I’m not sure. I want to show I was as good as him and if I can beat him at Arthur Ashe, I can prove that. It’s not about the AEW title. It is prestigious but I’m not coming back to win the title, but coming back to show I was as good as Bryan Danielson. That if fortune had given me the right hand, I would have had the same success.
Nigel McGuinness and Bryan Danielson (Ring of Honor)
I’m a firm believer in everything happening for a reason. You found color commentary and that you were good at it. That may have not happened if you stayed a wrestler too.
I say it to my girlfriend all the time. You can’t go back in time and choose different paths and see how it would have worked. All you can do is think and hope one of the paths I did take was better than worse.
And thank goodness for Mariah May for helping jumpstart your comeback.
That’s what they are saying. Even she tried to take credit for it. Bless her young heart and gumption.
I got a chance to attend your magic show. Where do you want to see this venture go?
It has been a fantastic experience. As I’ve said, negative things in the world can inspire positive things. This started after Jay Briscoe’s passing which inspired me to finally to do a magic show. Magic has been a hobby of mine since I was wrestling in Japan. I would take a deck of cards out and show the sponsors who would take us out after the matches a few tricks. At one point, the guys were asking why it didn’t do a show. Doing a show is different than doing a few tricks here and there.
After I got let go at WWE, I had that free time. I took about three weeks and sit with the girlfriend and started laying out what story I wanted to tell. I wanted to do not just a magic show but a spoken word show about myself and my experiences in wrestling and using magic to emphasize that and tie it all together. I’ve been doing it for a year or so and have adapted the show a bit. Now I feel like it’s as good as it’s going to get. I don’t think I will tour it forever. What I would like to do is find a venue that looks great and sell it out and video it and maybe put it on Netflix or somewhere for everyone to see. It is wrestling-oriented, but I’ve had my sister and others come who aren’t wrestling fans. They get stuff out of it as well. These stories I believe do cross over as it is this unique form of entertainment.
You’ve worked everywhere. What are your thoughts on where AEW stands in the marketplace right now?
It’s hard to argue with their success. After five years and without much doubt, next year they will be the second most profitable professional wrestling business in the history of the industry. In terms of what the company is and its product is, yes, to a certain extent it’s always evolving as is the competition. The world is evolving. I have incredible faith in the company and with Tony Khan. It’s funny with all the commentary I did at WWE, I never got a visceral sense for the wrestlers because I was never in the ring with them.
I could talk about my experience before and the people I was in the ring with. Now I’ve been into the ring, I got to feel what it was like to wrestle Kazuchika Okada or Orange Cassidy or others. You have a palpability of who they are. Their confidence and weaknesses as well. There is so much talent in the AEW locker room. There are people who go you there. Not stealing the show, but playing the role they can in the show. It’s like any company. There are things to work on and room for improvement, finding a way to streamline the entire process and move forward. I’m looking forward to the future. I think we’ll look back at the last five years and the amount of great product put out there and the interest it created. It’s a juggernaut when you think about the money, and the people whose lives that have been influenced by it. I’m extremely blessed to be even a small part of it.
AEW Grand Slam, September 25, 8/7c, TBS
AEW Dynamite, Wednesdays, 8/7c, TBS
AEW Rampage, Fridays, 10/9c, TNT
AEW Collision, Saturdays, 8/7c, TNT