Nigel McGuinness Confirms He Can Still Wrestle

Nigel McGuinness, the seasoned color commentator for AEW Collision, draws from his 12 years of wrestling experience to enhance the broadcast team. Despite not competing in an official match since 2011, the ex-ROH World Champion recently revealed on Wrestling Weekly with Les Thatcher and Victor Sosa that he's still capable of wrestling. He shared his return to the ring 'last week' from the podcast recording date, feeling 'perfectly okay' afterward.

McGuinness reflected on his professional journey, drawing parallels to Les Thatcher's career and discussing the challenges he faced during his time in WWE.

"I think there’s a lot of similarities between your career (Les Thatcher) and I certainly… All the time that I was in WWE, how difficult it was for me and I think a lot of the… I don’t want to say the jealousy and the bitterness but those sort of emotions that certainly existed between me and Bryan (Danielson) and the success that he had. Obviously, when I was in WWE, seeing so many of my peers coming up and having that level of success and that level of fame and the fortune was very difficult for me certainly to sort of accept. Especially when I can still wrestle today, you know? I got in the ring last week and just felt perfectly okay. Sometimes, people say it’s a lot easier if you choose yourself to quit and I don’t think that it’s the case." 

The dynamic between McGuinness and Bryan Danielson, a focal point of their interactions, is characterized by mutual verbal sparring, rooted in a long-standing bickering relationship. McGuinness detailed their rapport: "What? Me not liking him (Bryan Danielson)? From the first time I ever saw him… We’ve always just had that sort of bickering relationship for whatever reason." He acknowledged Danielson's intelligence, albeit with 'weird viewpoints,' explaining how their debates, either in the car or backstage, add a playful layer to their relationship.

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— Ben Jordan Kerin Mar 26, 2024 07:56AM