Former ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness was forced to retire from professional wrestling in 2011 due to a debilitating injury. He suffered from a rare liver disease called hepatitis B, which he had unknowingly contracted early in his career. The disease ultimately prevented him from continuing to compete in the ring, despite several attempts to return to wrestling.
Throughout his career, McGuinness formed a long-standing rivalry with fellow wrestler Bryan Danielson. The two had numerous battles in the ring, including a 2006 ROH World Championship match that lasted over an hour and is regarded as one of the greatest matches in wrestling history. Despite their intense on-screen rivalry, McGuinness and Danielson were close friends outside the ring and even roomed together during their early days in the wrestling business.
With Nigel McGuinness recently signing with AEW and the announcement of AEW All In at Wembley Stadium in London, England, he commented on the possibility of returning to the ring for the first time in twelve years in a new interview with Stephanie Chase, and his dream match does not come as a surprise. He said,
“Obviously it would have to be someone like Dragon, given our history and the true story that’s there. I think the best stories, the best angles in wrestling always have that undercurrent of reality. And it’s just so real there, it’s just so real and it’s so honest and authentic, and nuanced as well in a sense, it’s not just as simple as a good guy and a bad guy.
“You can understand, you can identify with both of our journeys as well, very different journeys you know. We were once in the same direction and now gone on completely different paths, but there’s a lot of emotion there to establish. And even if that means me just being on commentary for a match of him as well, that’s certainly there to play out.”
Exclusive: @AEW’s @McGuinnessNigel on if he'd come out of retirement for All In #ALLIN https://t.co/yIto52PEPo pic.twitter.com/TBX3Tux1LH
— Stephanie Chase (@stephaniemchase) April 24, 2023
